My favorite hoof knife finally gave out after 12 years

I was out on a job Tuesday morning up near Salem, trimming a big draft cross with some pretty gnarly thrush. Went to make a clean cut around the frog and my trusty old hoof knife just snapped right at the handle. That thing has been with me since I started shoeing back in 2010, I think I paid like 40 bucks for it at a trade show. I had to finish the trim with my backup, which is a cheap one I hate using, and it took twice as long. Now I gotta find a replacement that feels the same or I'm going to be fighting every trim for a month. Has anyone had luck getting a specific knife model rehandled or do you just bite the bullet and start over?

2 comments

2 Comments

eric_murphy361mo ago

Man oh man, I feel your pain on losing a tool that was basically an extension of your hand. I'd check with a local farrier supply or a knife maker about rehandling it if the blade is still good, your mileage may vary but it might be cheaper than trying to break in a new one that feels totally different.

sagea881mo ago

Wait, hold on - rehandling? I had no idea that was even an option for something like that. I always figured once the handle was shot, the whole thing was basically a lost cause (unless you had some crazy expensive custom gear). That's actually blowing my mind a little, honestly. Like, I've thrown away a couple of tools over the years that I really liked, just because the handle got cracked or the grip wore down completely. Now I'm over here kicking myself for not thinking to look into that sooner.