Crazy Crow knife

[Sparks of Dutch Glory]

 

[Sparks of Dutch Glory]

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Here's 2 that we've had a while
Yes they do wear down a mite

 

[LRB]

They definitely had some well made and very nice knives in the 1700's. However, trade knives were not among those. They were the "cheap" knives of the era and were first used to trade with the native Indians. However, they were still serviceable knives and a lot of folks ended up with them, not just the natives. The knives in Japan, especially in the Sakai region (around the city of Sakai) were far superior as they made a type of steel that is more commonly known of now as Damascus steel. They made it by hammering it thin; folding it over; forge hammer-welding the pieces together; and repeating the process multiple times. Every time they folded it, it doubled the layers of steel in the knife. It's the same method they used to make Katana swords. Those were not the type of knives coming out of Europe in the 1700's.

The Sakai region of Japan still makes some of the best knives in the world using Japanese traditional methods. Many (most) of those knifes are single bevel and are ungodly sharp. I have (and use) a Yanagiba knife with a 10½" blade from a maker in Sakai region that I use for making sushi. It's specifically designed for cutting delicate raw fish and meat. They have been making these knives for many hundreds of years. Although they were certainly being made in the 1700's, none of them are known to have made it to America back then. The knives found in America ran the gamut of cheap to expensive and tended to be more general-purpose knives than single-purpose knives. Or perhaps I should say they may have been designed for one thing, such as scalping knives, but used for many other cutting chores.

What you described is shear steel. Common Damascus is two or more different steels which can be hammer welded to show a pattern when acid etched. Shear steel starts with blister steel and when done well is a very good quality steel and was still being made in 1950's Europe. True Damascus was/is a crucible mono-steel that is known as Wootz steel.

 

[LRB]

Here's 2 that we've had a while
Yes they do wear down a mite

That Old Hickory Is of 1095 steel.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

The more I use it the better it looks.

 

[springfield art]

I recently got a Higo Nokami Japanese pocketknife when it ended up as a suggestion from Amazon for under $20. Sharp as a razor and makes a good path knife.

Not exactly historically correct for a muzzleloading patch knife, but historical in its own right and interestingly constructed.

Mine is like the black one shown in this video. The brass one I think costs a bit more.

Thanks for the tip! BTW, it's historical if you say it came from the Samurai guy in the Chas. Bronson movie, can't think of the title, but the Japanese guy is trying to locate a stolen diplomatic sword in the Old West.... Rising Sun or Western Sun, something like that....

 

[springfield art]

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I have a couple Old Hickory in the kitchen!

 

[Trigger]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/226192155572

That's a nice one of these.

I used one to you know chopping yea bang. but you can bang it with a hammer right down a deer split or in two.. Sawzall works too.

I just like make n the chops to.. usualy I cut out one back strap because I like that.. but I also like chops so the other half I do that.

 

[Trigger]

I was looking for a new one. Years ago and gave up.. I don't know if I'm searching wrong but basically I can't find one heavey..

Just an example.. this is what I find 1 pound things.

 

[Trigger]

Mines just over 2 pounds. It's good.

It was a gift it had no handle left so I fixed it up..

It's rubber and tape. The rubber is really nice. If you've used one. The rubber is good shock absorbing.

 

[Trigger]

The edge.. when I got it was grinder sharpening..

I tried at that time.. stoning it out..

To me it does look like I combo of the two..

Weird for how thick the blade is the edge gets sharp.

I'm looking at get this tool stone file.. I think it will make nice marks you know.. then I can knife stone and polish the edge.

 

[Trigger]

That looks cool to... the hammer..

 

[Twisted_1in66]

What you described is shear steel. Common Damascus is two or more different steels which can be hammer welded to show a pattern when acid etched. Shear steel starts with blister steel and when done well is a very good quality steel and was still being made in 1950's Europe. True Damascus was/is a crucible mono-steel that is known as Wootz steel.

Thanks LRB!. I was wondering why with all the folding it didn't show the patterns when ground.

 

[LRB]

Thanks LRB!. I was wondering why with all the folding it didn't show the patterns when ground.

After developing a patina and being lightly polished back, often you can see layer boundaries in a shear steel blade. They often have like an elongated C upon C appearance because of the blade taper. The Japanese folds, I assume, might be so thin and multiple it may require high magnification to see that effect.