crooked knife

[dodgecity]

I just picked up a replica crooked knife. Honed it to a nice edge and then tried it out by hollowing out a piece of scrap wood. Pretty slick little tool. Traditionally, how was a crooked knife safely stored or carried?

 

[onefeather]

i dont really know but i would say that a special sheath would be made but i here that indians loved to get their hands on em but i was thinking of getting one does anyone know the dates they were common? thanks bye

 

[bnail]

I'd say in a leather bag, can't see of the blade would accomodate a sheath.

 

[reddogge]

If you look close there is one in the middle of the picture with its sheath next to it. Fits nicely in it too.

 

[dodgecity]

Thanks to all. I've got some leather, so I'll try a sheath similar to reddogge's. One Feather, the little I know about crooked knives I gleaned from the internet over the last couple of days. Seems they have a long history of use among the northern Indians. They are documented in the Seventeenth century, and were later offered as a trade item by The Hudson Bay Co right up to modern times. Many though are obviously made by individuals and some are real works of art.

 

[djnye]

dodgecity,

for most of my crook'd knives i use rubber hose of one type or another to protect the edges in my tool basket, around the shop, and in the yard. they are cheap, easy, and work extremely well. for taking around i prefer a scabbard. i usually make one favored style and so many of my knives fit into the same scabbard(hardshelled inside and sheethed with soft leather).

in your original post you mentioned your knife's utility. not only are they excellent for tooling concave surfaces, they are excellent for shaping up dimensioned stock from riven blanks also. much more agile than drawknives, they carve to lines and plane surfaces lickidy-split. for most greenwoodworking i make two blade shapes. the first i call my 'beavertooth' which has a rather shallow(about #3 gouge)arc that runs the length of the 3.5" blade. the second is flat with no upturn. the first is excellent for quickly removing stock and some flat and concave finish work. the second is used for all shaping and finish planing except concave surfaces. one can sit down with a fresh straight-grained piece of riven hickory and with a crook'd knife and dowelplate can whip up a top line ramrod in a few minutes.

so enjoy your new tool. i hope it gives you many hours of pleasant use.

take care, daniel

 

[ewan]

i read a comment (don't remember exactly where - a kayak site and the topic was traditional paddle making) that the handles were often wittled on the spot, as needed, and then discarded as the blades were are easier to carry on their own. :hmm:

i'm not sure - it's a very knowledgable site but :hmm:
any thoughts?

---edit-- i searched and found i made a mistake--the handle i was talking about was very long and stuffed down the boot/tied to the leg so both hands were able to control the the wood

 

[dodgecity]

Thanks djnye, and thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have a lot of practical experience with a crooked knife. Since my first post I've used mine on a couple of small projects. I just leave it on my work bench now, where it will be in easy reach.

 

[Walker]

I have seen and purchased few real ones used by Indians or trappers and all the ones I saw were juts wrapped in a piece of old cloth or leather.

 

[Walker]

I have seen and purchased a few real ones used by Indians or trappers and all the ones I saw were just wrapped in a piece of old cloth or leather.

 

[hornetk4]

I anyone wants or needs a good crooked nife you can get them from any farrier supply or feed store . You can get the ones made buy Frost from sweeden for less than 10 bucks . Myself I have about a half dozen left over from when I used to shoe horses a few years back .On a couple of mine I replaced the birch handle with deer horn now they look realy old fashioned .If you realy need a crooked knife you could take an old paring knife get the end red hot and take a pare of needle nosed pliers and bend the end back on itself then quench and re temper then maybe put a new handle on it . A crooked knife is pretty handy knife to have around. I made a sheath for mine using a piece of rubber hose wrapped in leather ,It looks fare but works great.