Typical small belt-knife of a Voyageur...

[Rod Man]

Probably something like this French boucheron... Historically accurate and based on drawings of an original.

View attachment 121987

Man!

That’s a cool knife!

I need one of those!

RM

 

[Red Owl]

A lot of this depends on what you consider a "Voyageur" . They paddled canoes and then carried heavy loads over portage trails. I've done a lot of canoe travel of that sort and I stopped wearing a belt and went with suspenders as the belt rubbed my side all day. A lot of the fixed bladed knives were solely for trade with the NDN tribes. So....maybe a friction folder type knife may be most suitable. Some voyageurs ended up staying over during the Winter and trapping on their own account (with permission from the local tribes) and they would have probably used the same trade knives and sold to the locals. A sheath hanging from the neck might have been most common- in the Winter it is convenient to have the knife handy versus rummaging under coats etc. to find a sheath knife.

 

[necchi]

There was actually a different intent for the "neck knife" in the Voyageur culture of history.
It was a "gage d'amour", a gift or token of love,, meant to be worn near the heart.
Possibilities of Infidelity during the seasons long absence from an intimate loved one or spouse was understood (by both parties involved).
A knife worn near the heart was meant too cut or sever attempts of another's love from bonding to the heart, kind of a symbol of attachment or belonging to another,, much like a wedding ring.
The Voyageur would many times partner with another "wife" in far away camps, but with the gage d'amour being present,, it meant his heart belonged to another.
Today many see the glorified "neck knife" with a completely different meaning,, usually with a heavy dose of the "look's cool" factor involved.
I've seen many folks toting big 8" bowies with massive antler handles around camps,,

 

[necchi]

A knife worn near the heart was meant too cut or sever attempts of another's love from bonding to the heart, kind of a symbol of attachment or belonging to another,

Ok, now let's "flip the coin" under the same premise.
Why did they wear that "gage d'amour" in a far away place(?) What reason to show it(?)
It was a "hook-up" factor,, think about it,,
The adornment worn, was an advertisement that your with someone, you have experience with intimate relations.
Those men, in far away camps,, they were the ones that had the money, they had connections, they could provide,,,
A season away from the hearts love, still meant that they would return to the other,,
A basic "the cowboy rides away" story.
These relations, lead to an entire new culture in just a short century, The Métis. They became the heart and blood of the Voyageur,, for another Century,,

What race is Métis?
The Métis Nation is comprised of descendants of people born of relations between Indian women and European men. The initial offspring of these unions were of mixed ancestry. The genesis of a new Indigenous people called the Métis resulted from the subsequent intermarriage of these mixed ancestry individuals.

Thus,, the neck knife,,,,

p.s. the wife'y back home in those day's,, she had a neck knife too,,

 

[Red Owl]

I thought with the voyageurs, they actually married the native women, not like the mountain men of a later date.

 

[French Colonial]

Every reference I have ever seen to a Gage D'Amour was of a heart shaped tobacco pouch worn around the neck with a clay pipe stuck in a couple of loops on the front of it.

Never seen a neck knife referenced as such.

 

[necchi]

I think it was one of Grace Nute's books,,

 

[French Colonial]

I think I have The Voyageur around here some place, I will have to look for it....

Can't have too many books, but I need to hire a librarian to start putting them where I can find them!

 

[Rató:rats]

Some interesting replies.
If you’ve done a lot of canoeing you’ll know that a typical belt knife 5-7 inch long blade can be awkward while paddling tucked in a sash or worn on the belt. And that’s with modern canoes. The birchbarks the voyageurs paddled had no seats. The paddlers knelt on the cargo bales or on their Cassettes. The cassette was a small box or sack carrying the voyageurs personal articles. Each voyageur was allowed to bring a certain amount of weight of personal stuff, spare shirt etc. The prestige positions in the canoe, the avant and gouvernail, were allowed more weight. I think a voyageurs belt knife would spend most of its time in his cassette.
The folding knife was very popular in New France. Peter Kalm wrote in the late 1740’s “The most popular custom here (in New-France), as a guest or at home, consists of placing on the table, the plate, spoon and fork; everyone must however use their own knife. As soon as they are seated, each person takes out their knife from their pants or skirt pockets.” Pockets. Not sheath. I think this implies a folding knife for use at mealtimes.

And Quebecois writer Philippe Aubert de Gaspé wrote in 1863 “The habitants used, up until 50 years ago, their pocket knives during meals […] because it wasn’t equipped with a spring, the user would have to constantly be holding down the blade with his thumb. The habitants would use these knives with great skill, but novices would often pinch their thumb in the process; some practice was necessary.

I think a knife like this Siamois by Ben Hoffman is a good representation of a typical voyageur knife. Voyageurs we’re almost exclusively recruited from the rural population and every farm boy in Trois Rivière or Lachine would have had a knife like this.

 

[user 48679]

This thread is definitely one of the most interesting I've seen in a while - tks to all who posted !

 

[mushka]

I've been known to use my Swiss army knife on meat in restraunts because of the large crummy knifes that they generally provide. I always have my knife with me. Every person should have a small knife as they come in really handy

 

[Omahkapi'si]

They seem to frown on using a Bowie in restaurants for some reason.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Dont stick it in the table top when not using it, that might help with the acceptance.

 

[andy52]

Probably something like this French boucheron... Historically accurate and based on drawings of an original.

View attachment 121987

To me that knife is spooky, it's sharpened right up to the scales and would be a dang good way to cut your index finger.

 

[French Colonial]

Here is an original but I am not sure of its age that is similar to Rato Rats knife.

It feels a little to delicate for the hard use of a voyager, No marks on it, if anyone has information on similar please share.

 

[Runewolf1973]

To me that knife is spooky, it's sharpened right up to the scales and would be a dang good way to cut your index finger.

It's actually not sharp right up to the scales. The cutting edge stops just before the heel of the knife.

 

[Rod Man]

To me that knife is spooky, it's sharpened right up to the scales and would be a dang good way to cut your index finger.

I’ll have it with me at the Hawken Classic. It’s a wonderful knife!!!

@Runewolf1973

RM

 

[toot]

Some interesting replies.
If you’ve done a lot of canoeing you’ll know that a typical belt knife 5-7 inch long blade can be awkward while paddling tucked in a sash or worn on the belt. And that’s with modern canoes. The birchbarks the voyageurs paddled had no seats. The paddlers knelt on the cargo bales or on their Cassettes. The cassette was a small box or sack carrying the voyageurs personal articles. Each voyageur was allowed to bring a certain amount of weight of personal stuff, spare shirt etc. The prestige positions in the canoe, the avant and gouvernail, were allowed more weight. I think a voyageurs belt knife would spend most of its time in his cassette.
The folding knife was very popular in New France. Peter Kalm wrote in the late 1740’s “The most popular custom here (in New-France), as a guest or at home, consists of placing on the table, the plate, spoon and fork; everyone must however use their own knife. As soon as they are seated, each person takes out their knife from their pants or skirt pockets.” Pockets. Not sheath. I think this implies a folding knife for use at mealtimes.

And Quebecois writer Philippe Aubert de Gaspé wrote in 1863 “The habitants used, up until 50 years ago, their pocket knives during meals […] because it wasn’t equipped with a spring, the user would have to constantly be holding down the blade with his thumb. The habitants would use these knives with great skill, but novices would often pinch their thumb in the process; some practice was necessary.

I think a knife like this Siamois by Ben Hoffman is a good representation of a typical voyageur knife. Voyageurs we’re almost exclusively recruited from the rural population and every farm boy in Trois Rivière or Lachine would have had a knife like this.

View attachment 131664View attachment 131665View attachment 131668

where can I get one? I like it.

 

[toot]

Here is an original but I am not sure of its age that is similar to Rato Rats knife.

It feels a little to delicate for the hard use of a voyager, No marks on it, if anyone has information on similar please share.

View attachment 131763

it sure looks to be a period one!

 

[French Colonial]

where can I get one? I like it.

I like it as well, anyone making reproductions?