Butcher Knife

[Brokennock]

So,the "butcher knife," seems to keep coming up. I would like to make my own mid 17th century hunter/rifleman's knife out of a blade blank. I have looked at the Green River blanks on t.o.w and lean towards two. Unfortunately neither is a close match to the archeological examples you've given. I have seen a quote somewhere describing the blades as "having a wicked curve," so became interested in the "sheepskinner" http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/453/2/BLADE-SHEEP-05
The 4 1/2" butcher looks good too, http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/453/2/BLADE-SHE-04
But still not quite what I've seen as examples.
Thoughts anyone?

 

[LRB]

The Sheepskinner you're looking at is a later 19th c. design. Choose one that you can modify to the more common styles if you want 18th c. English three small diameter iron pins in a half tang. Tapered or not. The jury is still out on that feature for English. Two 1/8" pins in a tapered half tang for French. A tad more than 1" apart. The English with an upsweep in the blade, the French with a dropped point. The English thin, the French about 1/8" thick. Both most common at about 7" blade length.

 

[Brokennock]

Thanks. The sheep skinner being much later is about what I figured. Not sure what I'd use a thin 7" blade for. I can dress a deer with a 2" blade, heck I dress out fish and small game with small stone blades. About the only time I use anything much bigger is for more modern style bushcraft stuff when I don't have a 'hawk or hatchet, and then I need a much thicker sturdier blade.
I was thinking of a blade fairly deep from spine to edge to try the method of starting the ball by laying ones blade flat over it and giving the blade flat a slap, then cutting the patch with said blade. Figured the "wicked curve," would be good for food prep. I was ideally thinking around 4" and no more than 5. Maybe I'll just shop around a bit more.

 

[LRB]

Original scalpers were listed on shipping manifests as small, medium, and large. Most believe about 5", 6", and 7" as common. give or take a tad. Butchers could be larger.