My Favorite Pocket Knives Part 1: An Elephant's Toenail

Something people know me for is being a knife collector. I love the history of American knife manufacturers. The knife today is a new make but an old pattern known as an Elephant's Toenail. Elephant Toe, Sun Fish, Vest Pocket Axe and Old Honesty are also names people gave to this pattern. It don't look like a lot of other knives, it's big and fat. They were used for cutting thick rope by laying the blade on the rope and hitting it with a hammer for a clean cut. They were very popular among working people cause it was such a big beefy knife and could handle anything. Some manufacturers that made these knives were Cattaraugus, Platts, WR Case, Case Brothers and Napanoch. The one for today is a Great eastern brand. They are still in business and make pocket knives the old way. I love the workman ship with this brand.

The saddest thing about this knife knowing the history of it. I bought it with the intention of carrying every day and using it at my job. My evening boss asked me to borrow my knife. I didn't think nothing about it. He used the little blade for a screwdriver and tipped it. Knives are made to cut things not be screwdrivers. I didn't want to carry it for a long time but I realized this one was made to work and use. It gets very sharp and I carry it quite often. I love the long pull on the main blade. The blades are 1095 high carbon steel. it rusts but gets real sharp. The handles are made of cocobolo wood and have aged well the 8 or so years I've been carrying it.