Period correct knife question

[pondoro]

The recent thread about knives, hawks, and saws got me wondering - what type of sharpening equipment is documented for the long hunter and fur trade eras?

If there was plenty of sandstone available I could see just not carrying anythingand relying on nature to provide. But what about areas where sharpening stones were not plentiful?

 

[George]

In the 18th century they seemed to have available sharpening stones familiar to us. A few examples gleaned from the newspapers of the day, mostly offered for sale:

1733 grind-stones
1749 grind stones
1750 grind stones of various sizes,
1751 grind stones, and quern stones
1755 grind; quern, rag, and rub stones
1761 scythes and scythe stones
1762 Turkey Oil Stones
1763 razors and hones, Turkey oil stones
1765 razors and hones, rag, Crumb creek and oil stones
1765 Turkey oil stones , (the SCOTCH STONE
1766 Turkey oilstones and slips, ragstones, sithes and stones
1766 grindstones, hand millstones
1788 German Straw-knives, With suitable WHETSTONES
1771 grass hooks and whetstones
1771 best Turkey oil stones

Spence

 

[crockett]

I'm not sure about the long hunter but whetstones were used by at least some mountain men. Files were a trade good in the mountain man era and NDN knives were often just sharpened on one side and may well have been "draw file" sharpened.

 

[Ken Cormier]

My granddaddy taught me that if you had a rock. There was no reason for a dull knife.

 

[TJK]

Files, of all types were common everywhere and are found on every fur trade ledger.

I carry a nice small one in my shooting bag just to sharpen my blade.

Rio

 

[BrownBear]

If there was plenty of sandstone available I could see just not carrying anythingand relying on nature to provide. But what about areas where sharpening stones were not plentiful?

Something to play with, and the answer is likely to surprise you:

Next time you're out wandering around, try different stones and see how they work for sharpening. Sandstone isn't much good, at least the variety around here.

Pretty quick you'll zero in on an array of course ones as well as some really fine ones. You'll also find that pretty small works pretty good. I'd be surprised if you don't come up with one or two that are just right and find their way into your pocket.

Has nothing to do with historic shipping manifests, but all to do with what you'll have to do if you left your stone at home and need a good sharpening in the field.

It works, while it's also a heck of a lot of fun to mess with different stones.

 

[crockett]

A rounded and smoothed rock from a river might work.

 

[BrownBear]

You got it! Now it's a question of WHICH round smooth river rock. :rotf:

Just a whole lot of fun trying them out. Some turn out to be so goshdarned good, they end up in your pocket. Collect enough of them, and pretty quick your wife will be using them to decorate flower beds.... :wink:

 

[Auldgoat]

Flint makes for a fine hone. If memory serves me right, aren't Arkansas Stones made from Novaculite?

Will

 

[Notchy Bob]

We have a razor hone that has been in the family for several generations. It is made from petrified wood. I can't provide any documentation, but my father (born 1907) seemed to think these were fairly common in Alabama, where he grew up. I believe these were made locally, although I don't know how they did it.

If you browse through collections of Indian artifacts in books and online, you occasionally find small whetstones in leather belt cases pictured.

Notchy Bob

 

[Beaverkiller]

Hello all you buckskinners, I haven't posted before so here goes. As to sharpening a knife, my Grandmother, God rest her soul, Used the edge of a crock bowl. She could put an edge on a knife you could shave with. Just a thought as I'm Sure there were those types of bowls around. As I said just a thought.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Flint makes for a fine hone. If memory serves me right, aren't Arkansas Stones made from Novaculite?

Will

Yes. Also used for gun flints.

 

[Alden]

An old knifers trick... Good ceramic is hard and fine -- about as good a sharpening stone as there is. Dad even used to sharpen plane-blades on 'em.

 

[Treestalker]

Yes, Arkansas stones are Novaculite. They sell lots of them around Hot Springs area. I bought a bench stone from a maker for $3.00 back around 1986 when I had a camp close to Pearcy. Still have it, It resides in the kitchen along with my Green River butcher and buffalo skinner. :shake: If you want to make a lady happy, buy her a Green River buffalo skinner blade fron Track and handle it in curly maple. Grind the swell off the tang and round the back end, and round off the handle edges nicely. You'll have to get her a good soft (white) Arkansas stone to go with it, and teach her how to sharpen it if she doesn't know how. She'll love the tiger stripe handle, and will find it's her primary go-to knife in the kitchen. You won't be able to do any wrong for at least 30 minutes! :wink: :thumbsup: Treestalker.

 

[glw]

Treestalker, Pearcy is where the novaculite mines for Dan's Whetstones are located (or near there at least). I stopped there (at their processing facility) last year and bought a set of two nice stones. They were a lot more than $3.00 though. :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Treestalker, Pearcy is where the novaculite mines for Dan's Whetstones are located (or near there at least). I stopped there (at their processing facility) last year and bought a set of two nice stones. They were a lot more than $3.00 though. :wink:

You won't even get to smell one for $3.00 these days. Expensive things. There is a translucent one that is the price of jewels. :shocked2: