VARIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN KNIVES.

trenchwarfare · 29th August 2014, 07:13 PM

Pictures one and two of the first set are of a typical "Trade Dag" of the fur trade era. After 1850, the knife in photo #3 would be more commonly encountered. Typical butcher knife of the period. Note the multiple pinned handle scales. #4, is hard to tell, as the handle is covered. Knife in photo #6 is most likely post 1940. Hard to tell, without looking at the butt-end of the tang. Before 1939, blades were forged all the way, and the end of the tang, will have the same taper as the blade. After '39, blades were blanked out of a sheet of steel, and then, the edge bevel was formed. "Old Forge", is a trade name used by Case Cutlery, to this day.

In the second set of photos, #5, is made from a sword blade tip. #6 belongs to me, and has yet to be definitely identified. With the "Thunderbird" head pommel, and abalone eyes, I feel that it is Native American. My thought is, that the blade is an old Spanish lance point, reclaimed, and recycled into a knife. Machetes were also commonly traded, but you never see any evidence of such. I've seen only one photo of a trade machete. Maybe, they were broken up to make several knives, and arrow/spear heads?

29th August 2014, 07:13 PM	#8
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Pictures one and two of the first set are of a typical "Trade Dag" of the fur trade era. After 1850, the knife in photo #3 would be more commonly encountered. Typical butcher knife of the period. Note the multiple pinned handle scales. #4, is hard to tell, as the handle is covered. Knife in photo #6 is most likely post 1940. Hard to tell, without looking at the butt-end of the tang. Before 1939, blades were forged all the way, and the end of the tang, will have the same taper as the blade. After '39, blades were blanked out of a sheet of steel, and then, the edge bevel was formed. "Old Forge", is a trade name used by Case Cutlery, to this day. In the second set of photos, #5, is made from a sword blade tip. #6 belongs to me, and has yet to be definitely identified. With the "Thunderbird" head pommel, and abalone eyes, I feel that it is Native American. My thought is, that the blade is an old Spanish lance point, reclaimed, and recycled into a knife. Machetes were also commonly traded, but you never see any evidence of such. I've seen only one photo of a trade machete. Maybe, they were broken up to make several knives, and arrow/spear heads?