Can anyone list some books where a person could go to research knives from the mid 18th century to the late 19th century? I haven't been able to find much in the way of resources like this.
Thanks in advance.
SDS
Here are some places to start researching the actual knives and sheaths of the American West pre-1899.
- "Fur Trade Cutlery Sketchbook" - has scale drawings of knives well dated from the 1500's to the 1800's – a real cheap source and one of the best for ALL periods........
- “American Knives, The First History And Collector's Guide"
Harold L. Peterson
- "The Knife In Homespun America And Related Items"
Grant, Madison
- "American Primitive Knives 1770-1870"
Minnis, Gordon
- “The Bowie Knife Book”
Norm Flayderman
- “Bowie Knives and Bayonets of the Ben Palmer Collection”
Ben Palmer
- “Bowie Knives”
Robert Abels
- “Early Knives & Beaded Sheaths of the American Frontier”
John Baldwin
- “Peacemakers”
R. L. Wilson
- “The Skinning Knife”
M. H. Cole
- Firearms, Traps, and Tools of the Mountain Men
Carl P Russell
These are just a start and some may be out of print so use your local Interlibrary Loan to obtain them: there are many other books on the general time period/subject one chooses (i.e. Rev War, Mtn Man, Civil War) as well with several or maybe just one or two knives included, magazine articles, auction catalogs and websites (e.g. Cowans, Apache Junction, Butterfields, Greg Martin, etc., museum catalogs and websites (e.g. BBHC.org, Splendid Heritage, Autry Nat’l Center, etc.) all have good examples of actual period knives & sheaths and IMO are worth the time spent searching.
I also agree that Wick is very knowledgable on 18th century trade knives - the only thing I would add is at least for the later 1700's and on into the 1800's other common woods for trade knife handles were: Indian Rosewood, Gaboon Ebony, water buffalo horn was used on some types, and buck handled knives (most likely Sambar) show up frequently on English/American trade lists.
So much depends on what and where as to what is "correct" i.e. what was correct in 1750 Kentucky will not be the same as 1820 New Mexico. Also when discussing period knives one must realize there was a difference between trade knives, simple basic knives built in factories by the thousands, and the locally produced knives by American cutlers and blacksmiths.
A big argument of mine with the reenactors is that the knife shouldn't look old. The knives weren't old when the people carried them. Also the roughness of the blades is an insult to the smiths that made them.
Will - I must repectfully disagree up to a point.
1) Not all knives were new at the time, many were passed on from father to son, etc. so there was a variation in age and wear - a concept that many re-enactors follow i.e. the gear they have represents gear from 10-20 or 30 years prior to the date they are re-enacting - a concept well documented by period sources. Secondly living under the conditions that the frontiersman did at the time can age a knife and other gear real fast - I once spent 10 month living as close as possible to the conditions the Mtn Men did using only items they would have used and my gear, even when taken care of as well as possible aged FAST - there were periods when things just did not dry out for many days for example. Using a piece on weekends, or for even a few weeks of time, even over a long period does not age in the same way or at the same speed as long stretches of contiguous time. This is not only my personal experience either, but the experience of the original Mtn Men as written in the period resources as well as others who have lived the life for long periods of contiguous time.
2) As to the roughness of the blades - well not all smiths were that good even back then and not all were made by trained smiths and not all blacksmiths were trained cutlers either. There are plenty of rough looking originals that were made by locals who had basic smithing skills only. See teh books by Madison Grant and Gordon Minnis above for examples, but as with all research cross reference.
Also in the SW for one, there are plenty of old knives that were almost 100% forged and retained that from the forge look - not necessarily crude you understand i.e. no deep pits, or heavy hammer marks, or slag inclusions, but well forged with minimal filing or grinding much like the camp and bush knives that Tai Goo makes as an example.
3) For many who do the old thing it's a fantasy trip in many ways - i.e. grown up cowboys and Indians or Last of the Mohicans, et al, and for them it's what they want and it can be a good market for those so inclined - plus not all "period" knives are for re-enactors, many go to collectors who can be interested in the Frontier as colored by Hollywood, etc.
My own work for example includes both types - well documented styles like documented originals and "fantasy" pieces which can be very lucrative. IMO one should know the difference though and that takes research and being honest with the recipient/customer about what one is making.
4) There are period references to using files for blades but it was always localized and mostly post-1800. As to the imitation file blades such types of "mythology" unfortunately are rampant when it comes to history - doesn't matter who makes the statement such things should ALWAYS be verified by several sources when possible. On the other hand there is plenty of documentation for the NDNs knowing the difference between plain iron blades and real steel blades, whether knives or axes.
BTW - the term "fantasy" is not necessarily derogatory, but is a term coined by Alan Gutchess and the other Smiths at Colonial Williamsburg to describe work made with an old time look/feel, but that are not exacting replicas of original pieces.
There are several pics of excavated trade blades on the web - see here for just some examples - scroll down:
http://buffalotrace1765.blogspot.com/search?q=knife
Also look here - Lucas hasn't updated in a while but he has done some serious research into English trade blades:
http://sites.google.com/site/historicalfurtradewi/Home
A trade knife paper - based on excavated examples:
http://www.wyandot.org/petun/RB 31 to 36/PRI35.pdf
