O. Barnett Tools, The HHH knife

Not quite a rigger, but no doubt it found itself in many tackel boxes and in the pockets of many sailors and merchant marines. The HHH knife was patented on November 20, 1900 by James Catlin Lewis of Tracey, California. Several companies apparently marketed the knife but Oscar Barnett in New Jersey seems to have had the most success with the knife.

Besides appearing in the the Sears & Roebuck mail-order catalog just about every hardware store stocked the knife. Most are tang stamped “O. Barnett Tool Co., Newark, New Jersey”, with a blade etch that reads “Trade HHH Mark”. The HHH marking is thought to refer to House-Hasson Hardware of Knoxville, Tennessee, apparently an exclusive distributor of this knife.

The one shown has plyers at the top of the knife that also double as wire cutters. The handle of the plyers is the farrier's hoof hook. The spike is actually an awl or reamer but could be used well enough as a marlin spike. Some verions also incorporated a flat head screwdriver at the top of the knife, similar to that found in the English pattern rigging knives of the time.

The knife was marketed as a tool for mechanic, farmers, threshers, sportsman, etc. Blade steel was listed as 85 carbon (1085 carbon steel) Overall length of the closed knife was 4 inches.

For more info see: Multi-Tools.Org

Miller Brothers Swivel Bail Rope Knife

The Miller Brothers came up with an ingenious bail for this 4 3/4 inch rope knife issued to the U.S. Navy. The bail on the end of the knife is a small rotating ring instead of the usual style bail. This style of bail never really caught on. The knives were issue to Navy personnel around the Time of Spanish American War.

Strangely here is also a hole near the bottom of the knife where a more traditional bail was attached. Apparently the same knife could be fitted with either style bail.

Overall length (minus swivel) 4.75 inches.

Maker: Miller Brothers, circa 1898

Original image found in Pocket Knives of the U.S. Military by Michael Silvey.

Brian Yellowhorse Rigging Knife

A superb example of what a master craftsman can do to a work knife. To the left is a Rigging knife that has been turned into a work of art by Brian Yellowhorse. It was auctioned on eBay by Smoky Mountain Knife Works and went to a lucky winner for a little over $200!

This knife features a handle made with turquoise, white turquoise, bloody jasper, green malachite, and a blue material with gold flecks in it.  The stainless steel blade is customized with flintknapped detailing.  The back of the blade has lasered Brian Yellowhorse signature logo and serialized number 18/50.  The nickel silver liners and worked bolsters along with the nickel silver shark shield and spacers set off the colors in the handle.  The blade tang is stamped "Case XX" with five X's and one dot dating this knife 2004. 

No. 40N U.S. Navy Jack Knife

Two excellent examples of the No. 40N U.S. Navy Jack Knife. The top one is made by Robeson, the bottom by W. R. Case & Sons. These knives measured a scant 3 1/4 inches in length and featured a manicure file for the secondary blade.

The basic design of the knife continued to made well into the 20th century as a commercial venture by many manufacturers but without the nail file. Several Cutlery Companies including Schrade, Miller Bros., Imperial, Union, and others made the knife for the Navy. it was issued around the time of World War I and the decade following.

For more information about this knife and other U.S. military pocket knives, see the source for this image: Pocket Knives of the U.S. Military by Michael Silvey.

U.S. Navy Raft Knife

Dating from World War II, this emergency knife is secured to the the rafts carried on U.S. war planes. The sheath of this knife is actually sewed to the liner of the emergency life raft! A mildew resistance line secures the floating knife to the raft. The blade is a arched piece of carbon steel with the internal edge sharpened. The blade has numerous holes drilled through it. the large hole may have been used to secure a fishing line so the knife could be used a make-shift fishing rod.

Bartender's Rigging Knife

Made by Asprey of Sheffield England, the knife is a cross between a bartender's knife and a rigger. It has all you need if you're wining and dining on the high seas.

The markings on the handle state the knife is made of stainless steel.

Indian Coir Knife

The Coir is actually a rug making tool used in India and South West Asia. The need to cut rug as well as separate strand on a hand loom are tasks similar to what is needed from a sailing knife, hence the similar appearance. This one dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s. Similar knives are still in use today.

Early Rigger

This Slab sided rigging knife dates from 1890 and is quite similar to the Pattern 6353 adopted by the British Military. The odd thing about this particular knife is the way the marlin spike and frame are used to form wire cutters. A novel idea that didn't catch on.

Trapper or Jack Style Rigger.

For lack of better words, I'm describing this as a Trapper style Rigger due to the blade lay out. The back blade is the sheepfoot with the marlin spike running in front of it. The obverse side of the handles on these knives is always cut out making it more comfortable to use the sheepfoot blade when it is deployed.

Because both blades attach at the top, it is impossible to flip the knife around from spike to blade, but as you can suspect most people who use rigging knives do not work with both blades open at the same time.

This particular knife is a British Military Pattern 301 made by Turner of Sheffield, England, possibly pre-World War I. The handles are stag. The bail (shackle) is made of copper wire.

Fishy Knife

No maker's mark in place of manufacture, this carbon steel mariner is unique in many areas. The 2 inch marlin spike does not fold. The main blade is a cross between a wharncliff and a sheepfoot that opens like a straight razor with the hook actually being pushed into the spine of the knife to lock the blade open. There is no actual back spring which means the blade could probably be open one handed with a little practice.

Very unusual design which dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s. It origin may be from Japan, South-East Asian or the Southern Pacific.

Japanese Military Survival Knife

This pressed steel knife was used by the Japanese pilots (Army and Navy) and others as an issued survival tool. It consists of sheep foot blade and center mounted awl or marlin spike and a spring loaded clipping blade.