New Knife

[Pete44ru]

There's just something about the long hunter pattern that attracts me.

 

[Charlie Smith]

I think the knife would pass most places! Some juried rendezvous might cast eyes. The sheath needs to be set aside. Black won't get you into most juried places, but black walnut stain is great, or coffee stained is great, leather stitching would be appropriate. A good sheath would help your knife! Mainly just enjoy the heck out of your knife, many years to get really attached to it!

 

[Grenadier1758]

Look up vinegaroon. It will turn most leather and wood black. It was used in the period.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Hey J,
I don't know who told you your new boudin-slicer is not HC! Check out James Hanson's FurTrade Cutlery Sketchbook, page 38. Unless my eyes have gone cattywampus, Hanson's illustration of a Spanish Southwest Trade Knife could've been the pattern for your new knife --- complete to the handle scales attached with iron rivets and a bird-head butt. I've been doing some research on Fur Trade knives recently and yours looks like a durn good example of an accurate repro.
Enjoy it. Make you a good deep sheath though. Doesn't have to be fancy, and if you don't like the look of rivets put a gusset in to protect the stitching.

Tanglefoot

 

[Tanglefoot]

Shucks J,
Just took a look at LaClair's website, and he uses the page I mentioned in my earlier post as part of his ad for that knife. Why would you think it's not HC?

 

[LRB]

Shucks J,
Just took a look at LaClair's website, and he uses the page I mentioned in my earlier post as part of his ad for that knife. Why would you think it's not HC?

Well, with all respect, Because it is not even close to HC. Those knives in the photo are a horrid example of an early American knife, and not even qualified for an import.

 

[msellers]

Here is a photo on a handle very similar that was dug at the Yorktown Battlefield.

 

[Stophel]

This appears to be a Barlow type folding knife, with the round-butt handle shape that almost no one today seems to be able to make.

 

[LRB]

Well, with all respect, Because it is not even close to HC. Those knives in the photo are a horrid example of an early American knife, and not even qualified for an import.

I am referring to pete44 photos above, not LaClairs knives. Sorry, mistaken ID. Those in the photo are not long hunter knives. There are no designated long hunter knives except in Hollywood, anymore than there was a designated rifleman's knife As far as that relic handle, ball/pistol grips were common, but I agree with Stophel. That looks like a Barlow type folder.

 

[Coot]

This appears to be a Barlow type folding knife, with the round-butt handle shape that almost no one today seems to be able to make.

Try Scott Summerville - "Knifemaker to the Illinois Country"

 

[Stophel]

I have seen his folding knives (well, photos of them, anyway), and I have one of his forged straight knives that I got from him probably 20 years ago.

I was clumsily referring to the actual shape of the handle. This same shape is repeated in many folding knives, and lots and lots of "case knives" (table knives), and almost no one wants to do this sort-of "bag" shape today, they all want to make this hard-hooked, ball end shape.

 

[Macon Due]

Here is my 'Long hunter' style knife,I re purposed an old butcher knife,a piece of antler,a couple of home made iron rivets and made a center seam sheath for it dyed with homemade dye from iron dissolved in vinegar. Likely not H/C but suits me.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Well, Macon Due, your knife would be just fine as far as I am concerned.

Iron (rust) dissolved in vinegar is the basic recipe for vinegaroon and it is quite historically correct for making a black dye for leather.

 

[LRB]

Here is my 'Long hunter' style knife,I re purposed an old butcher knife,a piece of antler,a couple of home made iron rivets and made a center seam sheath for it dyed with homemade dye from iron dissolved in vinegar. Likely not H/C but suits me. View attachment 16837 View attachment 16837

I see nothing wrong with it. Looks better than many I've seen at events.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Yep. Two of the three knives pictured in Pete44's post are kitchen knives, of the type usually called "slicers" or "carving knives." They often come as part of a set with a fork that has a matching handle. I'm not sure what the one in the middle is, but it looks like the same kind of blade with a little jimping on the spine and a well-made wooden handle with a bolster style guard. It was probably made as what folks call a "Long Hunter Knife" -- but the blade is straight backed and the curve of the edge is different than the other two. I can't tell from that single photo, but it appears to have a half-tang too.

I have one very much like the bottom knife in my own collection. Same blade style, with a narrow bolster and a black-stained antler handle. I like your repurposed butcher knife, Wick. Good job! I also really like LaClair's knife but my bride says I need another knife like Custer needed another Sioux at the Little Big Horn.

 

[LRB]

Yep. Two of the three knives pictured in Pete44's post are kitchen knives, of the type usually called "slicers" or "carving knives." They often come as part of a set with a fork that has a matching handle. I'm not sure what the one in the middle is, but it looks like the same kind of blade with a little jimping on the spine and a well-made wooden handle with a bolster style guard. It was probably made as what folks call a "Long Hunter Knife" -- but the blade is straight backed and the curve of the edge is different than the other two. I can't tell from that single photo, but it appears to have a half-tang too.

I have one very much like the bottom knife in my own collection. Same blade style, with a narrow bolster and a black-stained antler handle. I like your repurposed butcher knife, Wick. Good job! I also really like LaClair's knife but my bride says I need another knife like Custer needed another Sioux at the Little Big Horn.

The re-purposed butcher was macon dues knife. He did a good job on it, and the sheath.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Whups! Sorry about that. The more "mature" I get, the more of those kind of mistakes seem to pop up --- my rememberizer is wobbly and I think my understander is starting to go also. I do agree on "good job," though, `specially on the sheath. Never have caught the knack of making a center-seam sheath myself. O'course, inletting always looks like I did it from 6 paces with a tomahawk too. D'ye think there might be a connection in there somewheres?

 

[toot]

I have used a plug of DAYS WORK, chewing tobacco dissolved in rain water to stain leather and gun stocks, and tomahawk wood handles. works great! any one ever heard of this process? was it ever used back in the day?

 

[Tanglefoot]

Chances are it has been, Toot. I don't know that for certain sure, and I've never heard anybody mention it before, but it's been my experience that most simple, effective methods of making-do have been done already. Your way is easier than boiling acorn shells to make a stain. I'll bet it smells some though, doesn't it?

 

[tenngun]

Well, Macon Due, your knife would be just fine as far as I am concerned.

Iron (rust) dissolved in vinegar is the basic recipe for vinegaroon and it is quite historically correct for making a black dye for leather.

Thumbs up for that.
I’m not a knife guy, never was taken with Damascus blades and fancy handles or other variations of super blades.
I read a bit on knifes and every time someone says x is right and y is wrong someone pops out with an example of y then there is a bit of argument over if y is really as old as claimed or if y was a one off. then I look at right knifes and wrong knifes and they look the same to me, or pretty close anyway.
We know somethings for sure but a lot of atypically knifes seem to be around. It’s all a mysterious to me.
None of my knifes seem to be right, but I never feel out of place with them.