Pre-1865 Styled Knife Recreations

[omarick1948]

We have a lot of Knife Makers on TMF, who contribute to our members.

Let's see some examples of Pre-1865 working or fighting knives recreated with common materials available at the time!

Please no exotic woods or modern styles!

Now if you want to say, you first!...Sorry, I'm not a Knife Maker!...but like knives of the time!

 

[LRB]

There are not that many American made knives from the 18th c. that can be DOCUMENTED, so knifemakers end up having to sort of add lib it to come up with different designs that will sell. 19th c. is a bit easier, but there are still boundaries on what can, or should be the design, material, and construction. Early knives should use small iron pins if slab handled, and only two, or three of them, and also for cross pins in a one piece grip, if that is the chosen construction type. Brass pins should be avoided, if the knife is to be a common mans. A hidden tang in antler can be cross pinned, or it may protrude out the butt of the grip, and be riveted over a washer. Brass guards on a knife are very rare. In fact guards are rare, unless it is a cut down, or broken sword representation. Brass anything, on any early knife, is rare. Blades are generally thinner than what we are used to today. Many blades were only partial tanged, and these were tapered. A plunge line is also a rarity, as is a grind line down the blade. Most were just ground in a convex from spine to edge.Here are a few of mine, which admittedly are probably more refined than originals would be.

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[Runner]

Beautiful! That third one down looks very nice to me!

 

[LRB]

A few more if you liked the others.

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[davy]

Just beautiful Wick! :thumbsup:

Davy

 

[pegro1]

Wick, love the first knife in the second post. All are great but that one took me the most. :thumbsup:

 

[longshot47]

'Wickedly' fine craftsmanship, from top to bottom!
:thumbsup:

 

[Birdman]

ME WANT UM, ME WANT UM!!!!! drool drool pant pant ME WANT UM ALLLLLL !!!!! :bow: LOL maybe someday, after I hit the lottery, Wick those are some gorgeous pieces of usable art work :hatsoff: , maybe even to pretty to actually use, :rotf: NOT!!! keep em sharp n use em hard

 

[omarick1948]

WOW!....That's what I'm talking about! :hatsoff:

Thanks Wick!...Let's see some others from you guys!

 

[50cal.cliff]

Gotta love those knives Wick. :bow: :bow: :bow:
I want to ask a question along these lines. Wouldn't alot of the early 1800's knives have been a throwback to what we would call a "Butcher Knife" today, or at least a modified butcher knife?
I relize the trade knives would have been different but like you refered too, I can't find alot of documenetation in the journals and manifests I have been looking at as of late!
This may have be my own self drawn conclusion but, wondered what your opinion about this was.

 

[LRB]

I am not sure. CROCKETT, who posts on this board, would know more about that than I do. That said though, I believe the term boucheron, is French for butcher knife, if not, then the English *******ized the term to be butcher, and that design was the basic scalper traded to the NDNs, and the same basic design used by the English, neither of which resembles what we call a butcher knife today. Here is a shot of a French style of Boucheron. The English also traded this design.

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[ameling]

Here's a pic of several knives. I made the top and bottom ones, but not the center one. That center one is one of the closest examples around of a classic "scalper" bucheron knife. If you hold it up against an original artifact, it is almost exactly like many of those dug originals - minus the rust/pits. It is a very simple, basic, thin-bladed common kitchen knife of the times.

The bottom shorter one I forged up from all wrought iron - with no steel cutting edge welded in. It works surpisingly well. I only have to sharpen it a little more often than a normal carbon steel knife in use.

For pictures and measurements of original trade knives, check out Kevin's Trade Goods of New France web site. http://www.lanouvelle-france.com/
It covers mostly French goods, but also includes some English and Dutch stuff - since most European countries made and traded very similar goods.

Just some humble thoughts to share, and best used in conjunction with your own research.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[BillinOregon]

Wonderful thread. Wick, Mike, excellent knives.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Thanks guys for the pics and info. Ive got a couple of old skinners somewhere if they didn't get lost in the last move that belonged to my wife's Grandfather, very well worn. They were extensively sharped over the years. And several old buther knives of his also.

 

[Nifeman]

Here's one I found, have to get some more pics tomorrow...Bud

 

[RC]

Awesome knives guys!~! thanks fer showin them!! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[chipper]

Here's some of the stuff I've made over the last couple years. I hope the pewter is OK. I wasn't sure if that was legal. It's period correct but I'm not sure they were using it on knives back then.
Regards
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado
"Captain" BuckHorn Skinners