Period correct knife

[sidecarr]

Have used this knife for over twenty years ,about the time I picked it up was a rocky mountain fur trader . Just got back into this and me and my son are putting together a early eastern long hunter kit ,was wondering if this knife would fit in with our new kit.

 

[Macon Due]

No Sir.
Macon

 

[LRB]

A very nice knife, but to be brief, no. The only part that would fit in would be the antler, and believe it or not, there are those who would question that if you cornered them for an opinion. I am not one of those, but the common knife carried would be a common butcher or scalper of the period. If you wish to portray a true longhunter, they were not quite the poor ragged hide hunters you might imagine them to be. By the standards of the day most were quite well off money wise, and could well afford to buy the best quality in equipment. But the knives, for the most part, were merely tools of the trade to be used up and replaced. The knife you have there, as nice as it may be, is clearly a 20th c. design., with no resemblance to knives of the 18th c., or even the 19th c. for the most part.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Plus..., it's too dang "nice". :grin: And it's a personal heirloom. I'd lose something like that in the woods, 'cause for some reason really nice looking blades don't like to stay with me?? :shocked2:

As the folks have pointed out, you want plane-jane, with a good, serviceable blade. For my "long knife" I look for vintage butcher knives with small rivets, carbon steel blade, and smooth blade sides, and I don't spend more than $25.00 including shipping. :wink: The "old hickory" blades are nice, but the rivets are too big, and the more recent blades have rectangular stampings along the side of the blade. Some of their older models can be refitted with better handles, as the blades are smooth sided.

For small knives I like to modify Mora brand knives from Sweden. I modify the "Classic Mora" by changing the handle shape and just a tiny bit on the blade.

Classic Mora

Here's a nice simple knife from another thread...,
English Scalper

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

Looks pretty modern to me. I think it is part of the "Alaska" series. Nice knives but not what you want for your purposes.