Friend has been given his grandfather's rigging knife. Is the pointed
tapered tool for untieing knots and opening the lay of a line called a fid?
What else is it for? On the side of the knife is a tapered slot routed
into the wooden handle and then overlain with steel with the matching slot
milled into it. The slot is not undercut . It is about 3/16" deep, about
1/4" wide at the large end and about 3/16 to 1/8" at the other. Whole slot
is about 1 1/2" long.

Is the slot another tool? What is it for?

Thanks,
Richard

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 19:29:23 GMT, "Rich"
wrote:

Friend has been given his grandfather's rigging knife. Is the pointed
tapered tool for untieing knots and opening the lay of a line called a fid?
What else is it for? On the side of the knife is a tapered slot routed
into the wooden handle and then overlain with steel with the matching slot
milled into it. The slot is not undercut . It is about 3/16" deep, about
1/4" wide at the large end and about 3/16 to 1/8" at the other. Whole slot
is about 1 1/2" long.

Is the slot another tool? What is it for?

Thanks,
Richard

I've always called the pointed thingy a marlinspike. The slot is for
opening shackles. It's tapered to accomodate different sizes.
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What you discribe sounds similar to my favorite boat knife.. You can call
the pointed/tapered tool a fid.. I think if it were by it's self as a tool,
it would have head on it to allow you to push it into the lay or brade of
the line. Then I might be called a Marlin Spike. (maybe someone can give
clearer distinction between the two.)

The other tappered slotted tool sounds like it would be used to fit over
various size shackle pin heads and is used to loosen them.. Sometimes, if
the shackle pin has a hole in the pin, I use the fid.. However I think that
is an abuse of the fid, since mine is scared and bent slightly..

I purchased mine at WM about 10 years ago for about $10.. Since then I have
had several other multi tool knives (spell that expensive). These tools are
heavy and wear out your pockets and in a sheath they are always catching on
something or in the way when you want to sit or lay down and relax. And as
luck and fate would have it, it is always the most expensive tool that falls
overboard..

I recently came across a WM ad that had their SS knife with fid and shackle
pin tool on sail for something like $8. I intended to get a few more of
them to keep onboard for crew members who show up without a knife..

I'm a firm believer that every crew memeber should come onboard with his own
knife but that seldom happens.. (Good deck shoes, then a good knife)

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

AND their own Winch Handle . . .

Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Steve" wrote in message
...
SNIP
.. (Good deck shoes, then a good knife)

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fids are generally of a hardwood and are used for splicing laid (twisted) line
and for other marlinespike work, like stretching a grommet or cringle.
A 'Swedish fid' is used for splicing laid line and has a polished metal channel
that tapers to a point and a rounded hardwood handle on the back end. When
pushed through the lay of a line, it leaves an open channel through which a
strand can be fed.

Rich wrote:

Friend has been given his grandfather's rigging knife. Is the pointed
tapered tool for untieing knots and opening the lay of a line called a fid?
What else is it for? On the side of the knife is a tapered slot routed
into the wooden handle and then overlain with steel with the matching slot
milled into it. The slot is not undercut . It is about 3/16" deep, about
1/4" wide at the large end and about 3/16 to 1/8" at the other. Whole slot
is about 1 1/2" long.

Is the slot another tool? What is it for?

Thanks,
Richard

If you sharpen the fid, you can use it to immobilize "helpers" on the boat
who won't stay in their seats when you're trying to dock in a high wind.
Remember Lucca in "The Godfather", who got his hand nailed to the bar?

"Rich" wrote in message
nk.net...
Friend has been given his grandfather's rigging knife. Is the pointed
tapered tool for untieing knots and opening the lay of a line called a
fid?
What else is it for? On the side of the knife is a tapered slot routed
into the wooden handle and then overlain with steel with the matching slot
milled into it. The slot is not undercut . It is about 3/16" deep, about
1/4" wide at the large end and about 3/16 to 1/8" at the other. Whole slot
is about 1 1/2" long.

Is the slot another tool? What is it for?

Thanks,
Richard

This is the boating knife I carry...plus a Shhrade Tough Tool
*** http://stores.transactive.ca/chinacu...tail.bok?no=51 ***
note: 'marlin spike' with slot for shackle pins


Rich wrote in message
nk.net...
Friend has been given his grandfather's rigging knife. Is the pointed
tapered tool for untieing knots and opening the lay of a line called a
fid?
What else is it for? On the side of the knife is a tapered slot routed
into the wooden handle and then overlain with steel with the matching slot
milled into it. The slot is not undercut . It is about 3/16" deep, about
1/4" wide at the large end and about 3/16 to 1/8" at the other. Whole slot
is about 1 1/2" long.

Is the slot another tool? What is it for?

Thanks,
Richard

"Don White" wrote in message
...
This is the boating knife I carry...plus a Shhrade Tough Tool
*** http://stores.transactive.ca/chinacu...tail.bok?no=51 ***
note: 'marlin spike' with slot for shackle pins

I almost bought one of those while visiting Tobermory a few years back. But,
I made a mistake. My wife asked "Whattya need it for?" I answered "Need?
Whattya mean?"

Like I tell my wife...
It's not a case of need...it's a case of want!
These knives are produced here in Nova Scotia and I believe they still have
free 'knife sharpening clinics in various
locations on occasion. I haven't gone in a number of years, but it was neat
to see the old craftsman do his thing in front of an appreciative audience.

Doug Kanter wrote in message
...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
This is the boating knife I carry...plus a Shhrade Tough Tool
*** http://stores.transactive.ca/chinacu...tail.bok?no=51 ***
note: 'marlin spike' with slot for shackle pins

I almost bought one of those while visiting Tobermory a few years back.
But,
I made a mistake. My wife asked "Whattya need it for?" I answered "Need?
Whattya mean?"

They're beautiful knives. I figured that during a vacation, when a woman's
buying earrings like mad, and OK with paying $11.00 for sandwiches, a knife
wouldn't have been a problem. Live and learn.

"Don White" wrote in message
...
Like I tell my wife...
It's not a case of need...it's a case of want!
These knives are produced here in Nova Scotia and I believe they still
have
free 'knife sharpening clinics in various
locations on occasion. I haven't gone in a number of years, but it was
neat
to see the old craftsman do his thing in front of an appreciative
audience.

Doug Kanter wrote in message
...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
This is the boating knife I carry...plus a Shhrade Tough Tool
*** http://stores.transactive.ca/chinacu...tail.bok?no=51
***
note: 'marlin spike' with slot for shackle pins

I almost bought one of those while visiting Tobermory a few years back.
But,
I made a mistake. My wife asked "Whattya need it for?" I answered "Need?
Whattya mean?"