Ratchet Knife! :)

[JayFramer]

I’ve been on a knife kick recently and have been going after various working knives from around the globe. Learned about the famous Okapi “ratchet” knife recently and decided to buy one:

Made in South Africa, these are a low-cost and popular item for working people (not to mention criminals) in S.A., the Carribean, and throughout the Middle East. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones even carried one for years! The blade has “teeth” at the base around the pivot and the spring bar on top has a hole in it, the last tooth being taller than the others and locking the blade open. It makes a ratcheting noise when you open and close it, hence the name. Fun! Pulling on the ring raises the spring and let’s the knife be closed.

Came really dull but I eventually got it pretty sharp. These are rather crude knives but have a ton of character and can last if taken care of. Very lightweight and the ratchet action is really fun to do. While I can’t say I’m exactly “impressed” with this knife, it’s really unique and cool and very famous in certain parts of the world. Would make a good tackle box knife or beater blade.

Just thought you all might want to see it, if not, that’s fine too this ain’t my day job! Take care all,

-Jay

 

[Ribwizzard]

Interesting

 

[k22fan]

While I'm not going to dash out and buy a dozen of them I appreciate learning about a type of knife that I did not know existed.

From your thread title I expected a socket wrench ratchet with knife blades that fold into its handle. That guess was way off.

 

[BlackTalonJHP]

The good thing about 1055 and other carbon steels is that the heat treat doesn't have to be 100% spot on to get a good blade. Some of my favorite knives are $15 carbon steel knives, mostly Moras and Opinels.

BTW, I don't know if that counts as South African since they were originally from Germany, but I'll accept it since they are now made in SA.

Don't forget about the great knives of Japan and China, too.

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[Rayfan87]

While I'm not going to dash out and buy a dozen of them I appreciate learning about a type of knife that I did not know existed.

From your thread title I expected a socket wrench ratchet with knife blades that fold into its handle. That guess was way off.

That's knife wrench

 

[Rayfan87]

Cold Steel makes/made one just like that, though I'm not sure if it has the ratcheting, called the Kudu. Listed as out if stock on the website.

 

[k22fan]

That's knife wrench

I have a Chinese 6" adjustable wrench that has a spear blade, a #1 Philips and a flat head/serrated edge tool that fold into its handle. They cut off a regular adjustable wrench's handle. The sheet metal sides of the slip joint knife over lap the handle stub and are riveted to it. It looked like it could come in useful bike riding or something like that and was only a few bucks. The same thing could be done with a socket wrench handle and probably already has.

 

[Rayfan87]

I have a Chinese 6" adjustable wrench that has a spear blade, a #1 Philips and a flat head/serrated edge tool that fold into its handle. They cut off a regular adjustable wrench's handle. The sheet metal sides of the slip joint knife over lap the handle stub and riveted to it. It looked like it could come in useful bike riding or something like that and was only a few bucks. The same thing could be done with a socket wrench handle and probably already has.

I've seen one or two tools like that, I just couldn't resist the Scrubs reference.

 

[BlackTalonJHP]

I've seen one or two tools like that, I just couldn't resist the Scrubs reference.

Did you stick a penny in there?

 

[Texas Star]

Just for the record, South Africa has some very fine custom knifemakers. What they make looks more like the sort of thing that Bob Loveless made, not like this.

This reminds me more of the French Laguiole knives.

 

[Marshwheeling]

The ratchet knife got its notoriety because it was (and perhaps still is) favored by Jamaican rudeboys for use in their thuggish activities. The ratchet lock is a very old knife locking system, at least a couple centuries old, and older than the more familiar lockback.

The spring can be tuned to relax its pressure on the ratchet tang so that the knife can be opened and closed with one hand. There are some pretty entertaining videos out there that show how to tune the spring, and then how to use the ring to manipulate the spring in order to flick the knife open, and to close it, all with one handed.

I got a lousy example of the Okapi that never worked well enough to develop these techniques, but I was able to work them fairly well on a Kudu, Cold Steel’s plastic-handled homage to the Okapi ratchet. For a while, the Kudu was selling for around six bucks, where it probably met considerable sales resistance, although it does have its adherents. I had some fun with mine until the novelty wore off, and gave quite a few to my kids as stocking stuffers. None of them prizes it particularly.

 

[BlackTalonJHP]

Just for the record, South Africa has some very fine custom knifemakers. What they make looks more like the sort of thing that Bob Loveless made, not like this.

This reminds me more of the French Laguiole knives.

Yes, the design of the knife in the OP is European and made it's way to SA during the colonization of Africa.

 

[Texas Star]

Yes, the design of the knife in the OP is European and made it's way to SA during the colonization of Africa.

True, but keep in mind that the first whites to settle in South Africa were the Dutch from 1652, when Cape Town was founded.

Most Americans have no idea that settlement there was so long ago. The colonies of the British, French, Belgians, came much later. I'd have to look up when the Portuguese arrived in Angola and Mozambique, or maybe Kurusu can tell us.

Such knives probably circulated a lot in trade. And eventually we saw these cheaper knockoffs, mainly for sale to the Africans.

BTW, Buck Knives sends many of their factory second knives to missionaries to give to poor Africans.