Rase Knife Pattern

aka Raze Knife. Usually a jack knife with a blade which is rolled over forming a gouge, similar to a hoof knife, at its tip. It is used to cut identifying marks (letters, numerals, etc.) into wood; e.g. beams when house-building or an owner’s names on barrels. There are a few rase knives with a “T”-shaped head having a gouge at either end. Frequently used in ship building, rase knives often have bronze handles. A fixed-blade version with a gouge and a pointed tip, to facilitate making circles, is called a cellarman’s knife and is used to mark wine barrels. Interestingly, to re-use shipping crates a scraper was used to “e-rase” marks previously made with a rase knife.
William A.
It should also be noted that these knives were also used extensively in land surveying to mark trees in conjunction with boundary surveys.