Meanings
- pluralplural of sheath-knife.
A branch of industry peculiar to Finland is the manufacture of 'puukko' sheath-knives. These knives are the product of factories specialising in high-class work and of skilled smiths in different parts of the country.
1938, Suomen Ulkomaankauppaliitto, Finland-United States; 1938, page 1452 more examples
Sailors' and fishermen's sheath-knives. Sailors' sheath-knives. Wilcox, Crittenden & Co., Middletown, Conn. 29428. Sheath and belt, with "law-abiding" sheath-knife. First quality. 29426. Sheath and belt. Second quality. 29427. Sheath and belt, with "law-abiding" sheath-knife. Third quality. The "law-abiding" sheath-knife is round at the tip of the blade, which is also thick and dull.
1879, United States National Museum, “Section B, Chapter I”, in Bulletin of the United States National Museum. No. 14; Catalogue of the Collection to Illustrate the Animal Resources and the Fisheries of the United States, page 74Had the United States law forbidding sailors to carry sheath-knives been enforced on the brig Mary C. Mariner, the above tragedy could not have taken place. But the master cannot always force the crew to give up their knives after the ship is at sea, and yet the law fines him $50 if he permits them to carry sheath-knives, but says nothing about punishment to the sailor.
1885, United States Department of Commerce Bureau of Navigation, “Tonnage statements”, in Annual Report of the Commissioner of Navigation. 1885, page 215
Cite this entry
sheath-knives. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath-knives
“sheath-knives.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath-knives. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sheath-knives,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath-knives.
Source: sheath-knives on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.