Primitive forged knives

[capnwilliam]

Especially since we're all broke after the Christmas holidays...collecting the really nice antique weapons like cutlasses and flintlocks is an extremely expensive hobby. I like old weapons, but I like to be able to pay me bills, too. I was searching for some less expensive sort of old weapon that I might be able to build a collection, and was thinking about primitive knives; by which I mean the rough sort of knives that might have been made by frontier blacksmiths.

Is anyone familiar with this area of collecting? Are the prices here equally outrageous?

I've heard about a book on the topic, but haven't read it yet; title is something like "Primitive Knives, 1700 - 1870". Is any mate familiar with it?

Would really appreciate any and all info on the topic.

Capt. William

[Duchess]

Especially since we're all broke after the Christmas holidays...collecting the really nice antique weapons like cutlasses and flintlocks is an extremely expensive hobby. I like old weapons, but I like to be able to pay me bills, too. I was searching for some less expensive sort of old weapon that I might be able to build a collection, and was thinking about primitive knives; by which I mean the rough sort of knives that might have been made by frontier blacksmiths.

Is anyone familiar with this area of collecting? Are the prices here equally outrageous?

I've heard about a book on the topic, but haven't read it yet; title is something like "Primitive Knives, 1700 - 1870". Is any mate familiar with it?

Would really appreciate any and all info on the topic.

Capt. William

Aye, I be thinking these would be equally expensive. As now they would fall under the antiquing catagory of Americana. Highly Collectible=Highly Expensive.

The Duchess

[Hawkyns]

Probably the best book on the subject is 'The Knife in Homespun America" by Madison Grant. OOP currently, but Alibris has copies

http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm?q...tches=4&qsort=r

For the blades themselves, check gun and knife shows, trade blankets at renezvous, and some of the online weapons auctions sites. If you were looking for useable modern copies, check the Historical Trekking website and go to their links page.

http://www.historicaltrekking.com/links.shtml

Plenty of knife cutlers, as well as lots of other suppliers. Prices are all over the place, depending on the name of the cutler, his rep, and his ego. At Ft. Fred, I picked up a drop-dead gorgeous French butcher knife, forged from an old file with curly maple scales. Cost me $105. Great all round knife, heavy enough for light chopping and shorp enough to cut food for dinner. Extremely common for the 1740's. Could have bought an original, but I'd rather have something I can use and you just never know if the old stell is going to snap.

Hawkyns