The "Jacob's ladder" is a type of pocketknife consisting of two handle segments joined by a pivot, with a blade connected by a second pivot to the end of one handle segment.
[
The design presumably takes its name from the multi-jointed wooden toy also known as a ]Jacob's ladder
Jacob's Ladder ( he, סֻלָּם יַעֲקֹב ) is a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream the biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28).
The significance of th ...
, which is itself named after the ladder to heaven witnessed by the biblical patriarch Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
(Genesis 28:12).
Design
It is conceptually similar to the butterfly knife
A butterfly knife, also known as a Balisong, fan knife or Batangas knife, is a type of folding pocketknife that originated in the Philippines. Its distinct features are two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the bl ...
(balisong) in that it has no mechanical lock or spring pressure, but is kept in the open position during use by the leverage imparted by the user's hand.
History
This type of knife was out of production for decades, but was revived in the 1990s by two manufacturers: Fred Perrin (both made by himself and those outsourced) and Cold Steel.
References
{{Knives
Pocket knives