Old Knife Opinions

[Ricochet]

I found this knife while metal detecting an old still standing home. The home is from the early 1800s and the old barn is enclosed in a newer sheath, if you will. Anyway I decided to run my detector over the floor of the old part of the barn and found this knife about 8” down. It was rusty and I can’t find any markings at all on it. The handle is still tight but is really worn. I did as minimal cleaning as I could. Heck it may be a recent knife for all I know so I figured I would get some opinions here. It is amazingly sharp between the chips in the blade where the old edge is and the wood is really hard and sound. What you think? New, old, older?? Thanks for looking and all opinions will be welcomed!!

 

[Brazos John]

I have a knife with a similarly curved blade that is stamped SWIFT MEAT CO or one of those old meat packing companies.
It was for cutting meat, if I recall correctly.
A farmer would need to do the same things, so that's my guess.

 

[sheriff john]

That's like the old knife we always used for skinning pigs & deer. Not for boning (tho' you can do whatever you want with one). Always liked it for skinning because it wasn't as likely to poke a hole in the skin. Good find.

 

[TDM]

It’s an old one, can’t say how old. But a great find for sure.

 

[Bushfire]

My old man has a skinning knife like that, think his is from the 1950s or 60s

 

[LRB]

The rivets place it as post 1870's, 80's. It appears to have a tapered tang so I would guess at late 19th c., early 20th c. Hard to pin point in it's condition.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I found this knife while metal detecting an old still standing home. The home is from the early 1800s and the old barn is enclosed in a newer sheath, if you will. Anyway I decided to run my detector over the floor of the old part of the barn and found this knife about 8” down. It was rusty and I can’t find any markings at all on it. The handle is still tight but is really worn. I did as minimal cleaning as I could. Heck it may be a recent knife for all I know so I figured I would get some opinions here. It is amazingly sharp between the chips in the blade where the old edge is and the wood is really hard and sound. What you think? New, old, older?? Thanks for looking and all opinions will be welcomed!!

I agree with LRB it's late 1800's to early 1900's, but would look fine in a shadow box, especially if you leave enough room for more "artifacts" that your metal detector will unearth. A "what I've found over the years" display is usually very interesting...

LD

 

[Ricochet]

Thank you fellas, I appreciate your input!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

A "what I've found over the years" display is usually very interesting...

LD

Full Disclosure, I had a Parish member family with a dad who had a detector, and their house was built where the orchard barn had once been.... before the orchard shut down and they built the houses in the late 1950's.... and he had a shadow box of stuff he'd found..., an old padlock, an old spur but very tiny (we eventually figured out it had been a kid's toy) a couple clasp knives, and some coins....

LD

 

[Ricochet]

I’ve saved a bunch of stuff over the years. Hundreds of Civil war bullets and balls along with cannonballs , grapeshot and canister rounds. A US bayonet is among my favorite finds. I found it under another old barn floor. I’ve got musket parts, Civil War buttons, musket caps, pinfire casings, heel and toe taps. I have Civil War coins and even wedding bands found in campsites. My favorite type of hunting is the old pioneer homesites though, just never know what you’ll find

 

[Coolhand]

Sounds like you have found some nice booty on your hunts. I would love to find some cool things like you have. All I ever find is old plow parts, nails and junk.

 

[Ricochet]

Depending on where you are located down there you should be able to get on top of some good stuff. Troops were wandering around all down through Arkansas. Find you an old homesite and slow down to pick your way through the clutter. It'll be there

 

[Hermit Tim]

I found this knife while metal detecting an old still standing home. The home is from the early 1800s and the old barn is enclosed in a newer sheath, if you will. Anyway I decided to run my detector over the floor of the old part of the barn and found this knife about 8” down. It was rusty and I can’t find any markings at all on it. The handle is still tight but is really worn. I did as minimal cleaning as I could. Heck it may be a recent knife for all I know so I figured I would get some opinions here. It is amazingly sharp between the chips in the blade where the old edge is and the wood is really hard and sound. What you think? New, old, older?? Thanks for looking and all opinions will be welcomed!!

Older, I think. Looks like a caping or skinning/meat processing knife. Great find.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Looks like a caping or skinning/meat processing knife.

Yep, my thought also.

 

[Old Grunt]

My wife found this under our old Corn crib barn few months ago,any ideas on age ?

 

[Old Grunt]

I'd guess barn was probably built late 19th century,our other barn would of been for livestock and hay it has few rough hand hewn timbers approximately 6"x6".
I'm going to try to find better pic of blade,it has few chips in blade that look like made from another knife blade,that's why it laying on piece of paper trying to show nicks in blade.

 

[Old Grunt]

I thought I had pic showing couple nicks on blade that had been mostly sharpened out,only nick on blade I see is right in front of handle,others are on spine and they show up good on pic.

 

[Hermit Tim]

My wife found this under our old Corn crib barn few months ago,any ideas on age ?

Looks like a meat slicer from maybe the early 20th century. Maybe late 19th. Cool find.

 

[Northwoodstrapper]

It looks like the knife I use for beaver. It looks like a dexter Russell ( they’ve made knives in the USA since 1818)and it’s skinned a couple thousand beavers over the years.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Perhaps a corn chopping knife. Before mechanical pickers the corn stalks were cut by hand and shocked up in the field this would have been the kind of knife used to do the cutting.