Swivel knife

A swivel knife is a chisel-edged blade held upright and mounted on a pivot with a saddle for a finger.

[1][2][3] It is held somewhat like a pencil, but between the thumb and middle fingers, while the forefinger rides in the saddle above.

Detailed sharpening and honing directions are given in several instruction manuals on leather carving.

In use, it is usually pulled toward the user with the fingers resting on the knurled barrel rotating the blade in the desired path.

In the early American West, much of the "tooled" designs on saddles, saddle bags ("cantenas",many with pistol holsters under the tooled flap), and the early "California" pattern revolver belt holsters, were ornamented solely with designs made with the swivel knife.