The switchblade knife, invented in 1711 by Jacque de Liege, folds inward for safe carrying. It’s a useful camping tool for carving sticks, making utensils, and even creating wooden toys. The term “switchblade” has evolved to refer to other things that fold inward, and it’s also known as a scout knife or pocket knife. The Swiss Army Knife is a popular brand with multiple folding tools.
A switchblade is a knife that has a mechanism that allows the blade to fold inward when not in use. It was invented in 1711 by Jacque de Liege as a way to safely carry a knife so that the blade was covered until needed. The switchblade is also known as a pocket knife as many men would carry the knife in a pocket and use it to cut or carve sticks and pieces of wood.
The switchblade is a handy camping tool, especially when backpacking since it doesn’t take up much space or weigh much. The knife can be used to sharpen the ends of sticks for use in roasting hot dogs or marshmallows over a fire. It can also be used to carve wooden kitchen utensils such as chopsticks or tools for stirring food in pots. Experienced switchblade users can carve a series of interlocking serrated wooden sticks to form racks to hold pots over the fire, or make a fish cooker out of straight and curved sticks.
Switchblades can also be used to make wooden fishing lures, letter openers, crochet hooks, and whistles. Some wood carvers even make toy boats out of a piece of cedar with a switchblade knife. Wooden bowls can also be carved with a switchblade knife, and of course you can make just about any type of carving out of just the right piece of wood.
The inventor of the switchblade, French cutler Jacque de Liege, created a rear spring assembly to allow the knife to fold. The term switchblade evolved into English to refer to many other things that fold inward. For example, a type of dive in which the body is folded inward is called a jackknife, and a trailer truck that folds inward in an accident is said to have folded.
The switchblade is also sometimes called a scout knife and is associated with scouts who use the knife on scouting trips. The Swiss Army Knife is a switchblade brand that features many folding tools beyond just a simple blade. Premium jacks, or premium jackknives, are narrower than regular jacks or regular jackknives.
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