Mountain Man Knife

[BJC]

Where can I find a place to study the knives of a pre-1840 mountain man. I am not talking Green River trade knives but the knives they would have had on them when they started their journey.

I notice that the bigger ones looked like kitchen knives of today?

How many would the average man carry and what for and what size.

Where can I get some cost friendly authentic type of knife?

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Not sure if this is even an answer... You might look up the Steamship Arabia. It sank in the 1850's I think. It was recovered several years ago and is now in a museum in Missouri. The contents have mostly all been recovered and preserved. That steam boat is a snap shot of every day goods, from buttons to canned jars of food. You might get lucky and see the real article in the displays of the items recovered. :hmm:

 

[LRB]

Like it or not, most would probably have had a trade type. Scalper or butcher, probably in the medium range of size.

 

[necchi]

Scalper or butcher, probably in the medium range of size.

Yup, nuthin fancy, just everyday common to use knife.
Trade knives came over here by the boatload. And that common knife served it's purpose for a long long time.

 

[nwtradegun]

go to the library and get a copy of Madison grants book, THE KNIFE IN HME SPUN AMERICA. ALL THE INFO YOU SEEK IS THERE. YOU CAN GET IT ON INTER- LIBRARY LOAN. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/299/1/BOOK-KHA

 

[BJC]

Not sure if this is even an answer... You might look up the Steamship Arabia. It sank in the 1850's I think. It was recovered several years ago and is now in a museum in Missouri. The contents have mostly all been recovered and preserved. That steam boat is a snap shot of every day goods, from buttons to canned jars of food. You might get lucky and see the real article in the displays of the items recovered. :hmm:

I have been looking at pictures of the knives found on that boat. They are much like what we have today. Thanks.

go to the library and get a copy of Madison grants book, THE KNIFE IN HME SPUN AMERICA. ALL THE INFO YOU SEEK IS THERE. YOU CAN GET IT ON INTER- LIBRARY LOAN. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/299/1/BOOK-KHA[/quote]
Thanks for the suggestion. Its an expensive book so I am going to ask my local library to get it on loan from that internet loan program.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Where can I find a place to study the knives of a pre-1840 mountain man. I am not talking Green River trade knives but the knives they would have had on them when they started their journey.

I notice that the bigger ones looked like kitchen knives of today?

How many would the average man carry and what for and what size.

Where can I get some cost friendly authentic type of knife?

Old hickory slicer and butcher knives... Don't get much better than that.

Keep in mind, the vast majority of knives carried were indeed "kitchen knives". They didn't have multiple blades, one multi use knife for a multitude of tasks. Personally I find my 7" butcher to be ticket. I've purchased several from amazon and re-worked them to my liking. :thumbsup:

 

[BJC]

I figure I need three knives and a hawk.

I need a hunting knife/skinning knife.

I need a fighting knife.

and I need a patch knife and a hawk.

Does this sound ok?

 

[necchi]

I find my 7" butcher to be ticket. I've purchased several from amazon and re-worked them to my liking. :thumbsup:

Yup, look for old high carbon steel butchers and file/grind to a "more correct" shape, slap on different scabs and pins, good to go.
I've shied away from the Old Hickory, a lot of folks use them but I don't care for the forge hammer marks

 

[coloradoclyde]

I find (older) old hickory type butcher knives at thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets etc....Most have very little hammer forging marks compared to the new ones....
Paid 50 cents for one a couple a weeks ago.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I figure I need three knives and a hawk.

I need a hunting knife/skinning knife.

I need a fighting knife.

and I need a patch knife and a hawk.

Does this sound ok?

Sounds okay, but I carry one knife that does all that. :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

The Boy Scout in me agrees....... :haha:

 

[Crewdawg445]

I figure I need three knives and a hawk.

I need a hunting knife/skinning knife.

I need a fighting knife.

and I need a patch knife and a hawk.

Does this sound ok?

Your hunting knife is your skinning knife, along with a fighting knife for portrayal purposes.

A patch knife indeed is a neat idea, but something that wasn't clearly documented. One small blade for one small task... Nope.

A good hawk aka "belt axe" is something most wouldn't be caught dead without... However, again allot of misunderstandings concerning hawks. Don't rush and buy a throwing hawk, it's exactly that. Useful for camp tasks yes, but not entirely period correct if that's what your going for. The Mohawk belt axe is a very good tool and one that is historically accurate. If you want a fancy pipe hawk, go for it. Yet, a true pipe hawk isn't a working tool... it's an image of status and a beloved trade item among many tribes, not for fighting or working tasks.

Both of my hunting, skinning, fighting and patch knives. I agree that the stamp marks are ugly, but both of these blades have certainly proven themselves, high carbon steel and hair popping sharp.

 

[BJC]

You think mountain men were carrying Mohawk belt axes? Would that not be an eastern thing?

I am talking Rocky Mountain stuff. I personally believe they carried a modern looking axe on their pack horse. Is that possible?

 

[Crewdawg445]

They certainly carried belt axes. The territory they were trekking allot of times didn't allow the pleasure of a pack horse. What you carried is what you had.

Mohawk belt axe, not entirely sure but I'd say chances are very good it probably happened.

 

You think mountain men were carrying Mohawk belt axes? Would that not be an eastern thing?

I am talking Rocky Mountain stuff. I personally believe they carried a modern looking axe on their pack horse. Is that possible?

They didn't just spring up in the Rockies, they came from the East. :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup:

 

[Crewdawg445]

You think mountain men were carrying Mohawk belt axes? Would that not be an eastern thing?

I am talking Rocky Mountain stuff. I personally believe they carried a modern looking axe on their pack horse. Is that possible?

They didn't just spring up in the Rockies, they came from the East. :wink:

Touche.
:hatsoff:

 

[Rifleman1776]

The Boy Scout in me agrees....... :haha:

Wild. Love it. :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

A good hawk aka "belt axe" is something most wouldn't be caught dead without

Agree. At ronny my repro Ft. Meigs style axe is my #1 'go to' tool. I don't like carrying the heavier polled axes and don't even have one. For throwing I stick with the standard popular H&B style.