custom flintlock period hunting knife

[bigtmiller]

Looking to buy a nice custom hunting knife. Something in the style that would have been carried during the flintlock period. Anyone have anything for sale?

 

[necchi]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/forums/edged-weapons-sale-trade-wanted.91/

 

[bigtmiller]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/forums/edged-weapons-sale-trade-wanted.91/

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/forums/edged-weapons-sale-trade-wanted.91/

I looked through there. Not much left for sale. Great stuff but most of it is sold.

 

[Brokennock]

I looked through there. Not much left for sale. Great stuff but most of it is sold.

Do your homework 1st.
Do NOT trust sellers/makers/vendors to tell you what is truly correct for any given time period.
Look up posts/topics/replies from @LRB on this forum. Look up the work/writing (as well as possibly posts on other forums) of Ken Hamilton. Search around for posts here and elsewhere for posts from @Paranger.... I don't think he participates here anymore but his posts are still here.
A lot of people make pretty reasonable sounding "arguments for" knives (and other items) as being period correct, but really those "arguments for," are really just self justification.

Come up with your own boundaries and standards of what time period (the narrower the better if trying to be really accurate) and how accurate/correct you want to be. Then, do your research and ask pointed questions.

 

[necchi]

Good points made by @Brokennock ,
Research is key and pretty simple these days, your "flintlock period" covers about 200yrs, and common knives of say a 50yr spread changed not only with those decades, but within region in the early years. (French traders, English traders, Spanish?)
It pretty easy to narrow it down to a knife shape and size that YOU like,,
I'm partial to early English Scalpers.
I have to also agree with the "arguments for" part of the above post. Many a man with a forge can turn out nicely crafted and tempered blades,
But not all offerings are correct with history or a specific period

 

[French Colonial]

I seem to favor French trade knives for some reason

As other have stated, search for trade knives and pay attention to LRB, Tall Pine and others posts.

Research takes time, is a lot of fun I think, and makes you appreciate what you finally end up with more because there is a story behind it. "This knife is the same as old what's his name carried"

You may not ever get to tell the story about how you ended up with "insert favorite knife" but you will know it.

 

[Runewolf1973]

**Not currently for sale, just curious if this would be like something you are in the market for because I can make more.**

Something like this?

Or like this?

 

[LRB]

Look great. You might consider just a tad less curve in the heel of your English. Just a suggestion, sheaths are nicely done, but you might want to replace the tie thongs with some brain tan. A small hide will last a long time if just cutting thongs from it. I like the looks of English scalpers best but prefer the French with a dropped point if for working a deer.

 

[French Colonial]

Yes please! The Frenchy is perfect for me.
I am with Wick, I always dream I am going to actually use them and prefer a drop point for most chores, most do not get used but I still dream I am going to take them to the woods.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Look great. You might consider just a tad less curve in the heel of your English. Just a suggestion, sheaths are nicely done, but you might want to replace the tie thongs with some brain tan. A small hide will last a long time if just cutting thongs from it. I like the looks of English scalpers best but prefer the French with a dropped point if for working a deer.

Thanks Wick! Would you recommend bain tanned deer hide, or something else like moose maybe? At the request of some customers, I had started leaving less of a pointy, thin edge at the heel of my English scalpers. Even more recently, I've been making my English scalpers less rounded, but thicker at the heel. Trying to to figure out a balance between what guys want that is still historically accurate while providing the most user comfort at the same time.

For the English, I was kinda going for the look of this one...

 

[bassncrap]

**Not currently for sale, just curious if this would be like something you are in the market for because I can make more.**

Something like this?
View attachment 186352
Or like this?
View attachment 186353

These are really nice!!!!

 

[LRB]

Thanks Wick! Would you recommend bain tanned deer hide, or something else like moose maybe? At the request of some customers, I had started leaving less of a pointy, thin edge at the heel of my English scalpers. Even more recently, I've been making my English scalpers less rounded, but thicker at the heel. Trying to to figure out a balance between what guys want that is still historically accurate while providing the most user comfort at the same time.

For the English, I was kinda going for the look of this one...
View attachment 186499

Not a common heel for the English. Perfect for French and the 2 pin holes look French although the position of them leans English. You would need to research this because I may not recall it accurately, but the English at some time began counterfeiting or copying the French knives and other items in order to steal business from them in the northwest. Not a typical English blade unless from a much different era or purpose other than common trade. I would say go with deer smoked brain tan. It ain't cheap but it's very good and customers appreciate it better than what looks like boot lace thonging.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Not a common heel for the English. Perfect for French and the 2 pin holes look French although the position of them leans English. You would need to research this because I may not recall it accurately, but the English at some time began counterfeiting or copying the French knives and other items in order to steal business from them in the northwest. Not a typical English blade unless from a much different era or purpose other than common trade. I would say go with deer smoked brain tan. It ain't cheap but it's very good and customers appreciate it better than what looks like boot lace thonging.

I think you are right. That blade does look like an English knife where they tried to incorporate some French aesthetics. I am currently looking into purchasing some brain tan leather somewhere. Don't really want to buy a whole $500 section of it though, lol.

 

[Loja man]

I think you are right. That blade does look like an English knife where they tried to incorporate some French aesthetics. I am currently looking into purchasing some brain tan leather somewhere. Don't really want to buy a whole $500 section of it though, lol.

I feel like I run into this all the time when working on handmade items. I always find myself saying I only want $10 or $29 worth of said product! Why can I only find it for three to ten times that amount!!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Looking to buy a nice custom hunting knife. Something in the style that would have been carried during the flintlock period. Anyone have anything for sale?

So IF..., you want a custom knife, go for it. IF you want something that's similar to what the hunters on the frontier were getting from the closest trading post, then you're talkin' a mass produced trade knife. The ones shown in comment #7 are the style of that period. OR you can go larger with a common butcher knife of the period.

LD

 

[BozoMiller]

That's a really sweet knife Randy.

 

[Quicksilver]

Thanks Wick! Would you recommend bain tanned deer hide, or something else like moose maybe? At the request of some customers, I had started leaving less of a pointy, thin edge at the heel of my English scalpers. Even more recently, I've been making my English scalpers less rounded, but thicker at the heel. Trying to to figure out a balance between what guys want that is still historically accurate while providing the most user comfort at the same time.

For the English, I was kinda going for the look of this one...
View attachment 186499

I like your knife styles, keep doing what your doing if they are selling.