inuit knives

Jim McDougall · 7th June 2008, 01:34 AM

Very very nicely done Ausjulius!!! Thats what I'm talkin' about!!
Thank you very much for adding the detail on these most interesting items. This is a little collected and studied field of arms, and it is great to have this kind of information available.
All best regards,
Jim

David · 7th June 2008, 06:54 PM

I don't mean to argue, but according to what i have read the inuit language does exist in Russia, though it is presently endangered. Wikipedia certainly isn't the end-all in research, but here is a good article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_language
I think that certain Russian tribes can safely be counted amongst the Inuit people.
Also, as i mentioned before, Canada is quite a big place, so i ask again, do you know what part of Canada these knives come from? East coast, West, Central? If you don't know that's fine, just curious.
Thanks for all the other great info. Here is another informative article about the Inuit: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Inuit.html
Here's an article that speaks a little about conflict and warfare between the Inuit and early Viking settlers.
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/Auth...y/excerpt.html
Here is an interesting series of articles about Inuit warfare written from an Inuit perspective. I think that in general the Inuit did not engage in the type of organized, large scale warfare that took place among more southern Native American tribes, but this didn't make them pacifists. Scroll down to the bottom and read up for continuity:
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/nu...31/nunani.html
Warfare among Inuits was very rare in the more sparsely populated regions where many of them live as on might expect. Certainly their major opponent has always been the elements and their fight to survive and find find food in a rather inhospitable environment.
Jim, while i agree that this is a much less collected area of edged weapons i think that once you start looking for research material you will find that the Inuit have indeed been very well studied and information on their weapons and warfare can be found layered in the vast volumes of books and papers written about these intriguing people.

ausjulius · 9th June 2008, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I don't mean to argue, but according to what i have read the inuit language does exist in Russia, though it is presently endangered. Wikipedia certainly isn't the end-all in research, but here is a good article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_language
I think that certain Russian tribes can safely be counted amongst the Inuit people.
Also, as i mentioned before, Canada is quite a big place, so i ask again, do you know what part of Canada these knives come from? East coast, West, Central? If you don't know that's fine, just curious.
Thanks for all the other great info. Here is another informative article about the Inuit: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Inuit.html
Here's an article that speaks a little about conflict and warfare between the Inuit and early Viking settlers.
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/Auth...y/excerpt.html
Here is an interesting series of articles about Inuit warfare written from an Inuit perspective. I think that in general the Inuit did not engage in the type of organized, large scale warfare that took place among more southern Native American tribes, but this didn't make them pacifists. Scroll down to the bottom and read up for continuity:
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/nu...31/nunani.html
Warfare among Inuits was very rare in the more sparsely populated regions where many of them live as on might expect. Certainly their major opponent has always been the elements and their fight to survive and find find food in a rather inhospitable environment.
Jim, while i agree that this is a much less collected area of edged weapons i think that once you start looking for research material you will find that the Inuit have indeed been very well studied and information on their weapons and warfare can be found layered in the vast volumes of books and papers written about these intriguing people.

it is not the inuit languade or a dialect of, it is a related languag.e. as .. oh english is related wit french ro german.. grammer and words are different , but they are of common origin, but something as spanish and poragese or russian and ukrainian are as the inuit dialects.......

eskimo is not and inuit

VANDOO · 7th June 2008, 09:58 PM

VERY INTERESTING AND NEW INFORMATION TO ME AT LEAST

. I WAS AWARE OF THE USE OF ARMOR AND HAD SEEN SOME KNIVES BUT HAD NOT HEARD A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMOR OR FIGHTING STRADEGY BEFORE. THE WAY THE BATTLES WERE FOUGHT AS WELL AS THE ARMOR WITH BACK SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WARRIOR FROM THROWN OBJECTS FROM HIS OWN SIDE REMINDS ME OF THE GILBERT/KINGSMILL ISLAND ARMOR AND METHODS OF BATTLE.

WAS THE ARMOR SIMULAR TO THESE TWO EXAMPLES FROM THE GILBERTS?

Jim McDougall · 7th June 2008, 11:58 PM

Hi David,
Thank you for clarifying that. What I should have said is that the topic is seldom brought up in general arms discussions, and that it is great to see interest here on these fascinating weapons. As you note, there is indeed some very good information available in a number of earlier anthropological studies, and relatively recently published works on Native American weaponry.

Ausjulius, again, outstanding and informative posts on these!!!

All the best,
Jim

ausjulius · 9th June 2008, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

VERY INTERESTING AND NEW INFORMATION TO ME AT LEAST

. I WAS AWARE OF THE USE OF ARMOR AND HAD SEEN SOME KNIVES BUT HAD NOT HEARD A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMOR OR FIGHTING STRADEGY BEFORE. THE WAY THE BATTLES WERE FOUGHT AS WELL AS THE ARMOR WITH BACK SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WARRIOR FROM THROWN OBJECTS FROM HIS OWN SIDE REMINDS ME OF THE GILBERT/KINGSMILL ISLAND ARMOR AND METHODS OF BATTLE.

WAS THE ARMOR SIMULAR TO THESE TWO EXAMPLES FROM THE GILBERTS?

yes the sibeiran and alaskan natives armour is very like this but made more of bone and wood, leather and fish skin,,,,
also complexed helmets were used, ill look if i can get some pictures ......
the technique as used in some micronesian islands was similar to the one use in the artic,,

David thanks for the norse link was interesting reading ,,.

i would say the the combative technique and weapons of the artic and subartic peoples of north american was far more advance than the plains indians,...
aspecialy the natives ofr alaska and these areas... although these areas realy had rather dense populations once you got out of the artic circle..
i did once read most of north americans native population was concentrated along the western coste of canada and alaska ,, something like 80% aspecialy northen british columbia and southern alaska. before the arrival of syphilius and small pox .
these peoples concept of warfare was much more advanced than the more nomadic plains people.. as most of these folk were seditary.
no doubt the inuit understood these techniques well but had less numbers and materials to use the , they did however use armour and group combative tactics ,, and relyed less of indivudial combat as the plains folk did.. and more on a group of persons armed for a specific task, such as spear throwers and persons with body armour for hand to hand fighting,, ect ect.
no doubt the plains folk were just rather to indivudialistic... and liked each to get in on the action

..
i think social structure played an big part in tactics also,, for exsample the tinglit they were very organised in combat and built defencive wooden fortresses and used body armour and rather organised fighting techniques..

mainly they had a herditory clan system like in the pacific and used slaves and the like.
it is interesting they never had any majoir clashes with the british,, and seem to have fallen mainly to syphilus introduced by traders and sealers.

ausjulius · 9th June 2008, 06:39 AM

bottom pair of knives are carving knives, they are for carvinf bone and wood for making kayaks..
there is a sharpener on a strong attached to the handel,, .. smart idea..

the upper fot it is some general use mens knives they are double edged. and have rougth forged blades, proably beat out with a stone hammer with a rounded head on a stone anvil..
the largest ahs a blade over a foot long.. about 33cm.. one is of copper.. the cutting edges are slightly concave..

7th June 2008, 09:58 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	VERY INTERESTING AND NEW INFORMATION TO ME AT LEAST . I WAS AWARE OF THE USE OF ARMOR AND HAD SEEN SOME KNIVES BUT HAD NOT HEARD A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMOR OR FIGHTING STRADEGY BEFORE. THE WAY THE BATTLES WERE FOUGHT AS WELL AS THE ARMOR WITH BACK SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WARRIOR FROM THROWN OBJECTS FROM HIS OWN SIDE REMINDS ME OF THE GILBERT/KINGSMILL ISLAND ARMOR AND METHODS OF BATTLE. WAS THE ARMOR SIMULAR TO THESE TWO EXAMPLES FROM THE GILBERTS? Attached Images

7th June 2008, 01:34 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,687	Very very nicely done Ausjulius!!! Thats what I'm talkin' about!! Thank you very much for adding the detail on these most interesting items. This is a little collected and studied field of arms, and it is great to have this kind of information available. All best regards, Jim

7th June 2008, 06:54 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,256	I don't mean to argue, but according to what i have read the inuit language does exist in Russia, though it is presently endangered. Wikipedia certainly isn't the end-all in research, but here is a good article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_language I think that certain Russian tribes can safely be counted amongst the Inuit people. Also, as i mentioned before, Canada is quite a big place, so i ask again, do you know what part of Canada these knives come from? East coast, West, Central? If you don't know that's fine, just curious. Thanks for all the other great info. Here is another informative article about the Inuit: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Inuit.html Here's an article that speaks a little about conflict and warfare between the Inuit and early Viking settlers. http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/Auth...y/excerpt.html Here is an interesting series of articles about Inuit warfare written from an Inuit perspective. I think that in general the Inuit did not engage in the type of organized, large scale warfare that took place among more southern Native American tribes, but this didn't make them pacifists. Scroll down to the bottom and read up for continuity: http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/nu...31/nunani.html Warfare among Inuits was very rare in the more sparsely populated regions where many of them live as on might expect. Certainly their major opponent has always been the elements and their fight to survive and find find food in a rather inhospitable environment. Jim, while i agree that this is a much less collected area of edged weapons i think that once you start looking for research material you will find that the Inuit have indeed been very well studied and information on their weapons and warfare can be found layered in the vast volumes of books and papers written about these intriguing people.

7th June 2008, 11:58 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,687	Hi David, Thank you for clarifying that. What I should have said is that the topic is seldom brought up in general arms discussions, and that it is great to see interest here on these fascinating weapons. As you note, there is indeed some very good information available in a number of earlier anthropological studies, and relatively recently published works on Native American weaponry. Ausjulius, again, outstanding and informative posts on these!!! All the best, Jim

9th June 2008, 06:39 AM	#7
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 480	bottom pair of knives are carving knives, they are for carvinf bone and wood for making kayaks.. there is a sharpener on a strong attached to the handel,, .. smart idea.. the upper fot it is some general use mens knives they are double edged. and have rougth forged blades, proably beat out with a stone hammer with a rounded head on a stone anvil.. the largest ahs a blade over a foot long.. about 33cm.. one is of copper.. the cutting edges are slightly concave..