Sheepsfoot in stock
A sheepsfoot blade has a straight cutting edge and a spine that runs straight before curving down sharply at the front, giving a blunt, rounded point. The shape exists specifically so the blade cannot easily stab what is behind the cut.
The pattern comes from working trades where a sharp point is a liability: trimming sheep’s hooves, cutting line on a rolling deck, cutting a seatbelt without reaching the person in it. Removing the point removes the risk.
That is why sheepsfoot blades are standard on rescue knives, sailors’ knives and many electricians’ knives, and why they appear on almost every traditional stockman pattern.
The straight edge is excellent for board work and push cuts, exactly like a wharncliffe. It has zero belly, so it will not roll through a slice.
If you want a straight edge but still need to pierce, choose the wharncliffe. If not being able to pierce is the point, choose the sheepsfoot.
The term is not academic here. 50 of the products currently on our shelves describe this feature in their own manufacturer specifications, across 6 of the nine brands we stock. Examples in stock right now include Gerber Multi-Plier 600, Gerber Multi-Plier 600, Gerber Multi-Plier 600.
Everything below is pulled live from the catalog, so what you see is what is actually in the Woodlawn warehouse today.