Can Anyone Identify This Type Of Knife?

Claims to be 18th century. Possibly a seaman's knife? Any ideas anyone?

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/247977073/18th-century-bone-handle-whaling-knife?ref=market;

Images Of Period Knives.

17th Century knife with bone handle.

http://www.antiqueoakfurniture.co.uk/view_details.asp?prod_id=118

Dutch, 1604.

Dutch, 1608.

Dutch, 1628.

Dutch, 1651.

German, 1630.

German, 1635.

Detail from a Andre Bouys painting, 18th Century.

Central Piedmont 1600-1710.

http://rla.unc.edu/ArchaeoNC/time/contact_CPied_Fredricks.htm;

Mid 18th Century bone handled knife.

http://nmscarcheologylab.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/litter-bugs-of-the-past-a-social-historythe-narbonne-house-in-salem-ma/;

Remember, not all, or even any of your equipment has to date to your impression, you can legitimately use equipment from a much earlier period. I am using knives now that are over 100 years old, so there is no reason why they would not have been doing the same in the 18th century.

Author's Blades that he carries.

The Knapsack and Knife of TwoTongues.

Two Tongues is a member of our group, and he has kindly given me permission to show the knapsack and knife that he has made recently.

Showing three deer antler buttons securing the flap closure. Some neat work, and it looks just like I would expect a self-made knapsack to look like.

A great looking knife, good blade shape for skinning and butchering. TwoTongues tells me that this is an Abanaki design knife.

These images and the short posting are also available at:

http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=828

Thank you Two Tongues.

Keith.

20th Century Butcher Knife Conversion. Part One.

 As the knife was originally.

 After the conversion.

I changed the chape of the tang, which in turn changed the shape of the blade. I made and fitted a new handle using pins as in 18th century knives.

Making A Bark Knife Sheath or Liner. Part 2.

Reshaped Knife & Its Bark Sheath.

I have been wanting to make a bark sheath for a long time now, and I finally got round to making one. This one is made out of Australian Stringybark.

 The outer fibres of the bark have been removed, and I soaked the bark in water for 24 hours or until the bark sinks to the bottom.

 The bark is shaped and I have made a leather welt (above and below).

 Here I have stitched the bark sheath edges with linen thread. The holes are made with an awl wide apart so as not to split the bark.

 Covered with leather (above and below.

The finished product with the knife it was made for. Beading is #7 French white glass beads.

 This is the knife reshaped (above and below).

I did also experiment making a bark sheath from green bark of the Stringybark, but after it dried it curled and distorted. I found the best way is to use dried bark, soak it in water for roughly 24 hours or until it sinks, heat it over a hot fire, bend it and add weights. Then whilst it is still damp, cut it to shape with a tomahawk and knife. Before adding the outer leather sheath I also thinned the bark with my jack knife to reduce bulk and weight.

I have made a video, and will post it later.

The Survival Connection. Children.

The Survival Connection. Children.

Our 18th century living history group is very family oriented. In our group anyone can learn anything, regardless of their persona, & women can wear the same clothing as the men wear. The same goes for children. There are many advantages for children to be a part of a living history group. They can see & learn first hand what a past lifestyle was actually like, something they will not learn from history books. They get to participate in activities with their parent/s, & that is something sadly lacking these days. They will learn survival skills through play, which means that they will have fun participating & not see it as a lesson or a chore. IF a survival situation should ever arise, these children will be prepared & will not be scared or panicked; it will just be another activity or historical trek.

This is very important. Children can be a drain on your concentration & energy, how many children when told to stop actually stop? How many children run when they are told to run, no questions asked? How many children will come when you say “come here quickly”? I was very aware of this problem when raising my own three sons, & I made a point of explaining to them at an early age just how important it was to obey such requests without question, but I also taught them to use their own brain in such situations.

Children can learn how to throw a tomahawk from about the age of 4 or 5 depending on their manner & intelligence. Children soak up knowledge from an early age, even if at times they do not appear to be paying attention. The trick is to make it interesting, make it fun. Parents can help this process by reading interesting & exciting books & stories to their children. Children also love teaching & showing things to their parents. Some kids are better at some skills than their parents, & it is great for them to share these skills & the knowledge.

Note the knife & the tomahawk helve by his left hand. My boys were throwing the tomahawk proficiently by the age of 5 years.

Children need to know that they count; it is no good going all out on getting all the right clothing & equipment for yourself, & “making do” for your kids. In the 18th century the children wore exactly the same style of clothing as the parents wore, & that is how it should be, unless the child has objections. If your child is taught properly how to use certain tools, then there is no reason why he or she should not be trusted to use those tools safely. Accidents will happen, you have made enough mistakes yourself to know that, but we learn from our mistakes.

Games we organise for children include: Constructing primitive shelters, making simple wooden tools & then showing us how they are used. Prisoner’s base is a popular one as is hide & seek. Blind man’s bluff & sneaking up on someone without them hearing you are games that teach them to listen & pay attention to what is going on about them. Foraging is turned into a game when they have to find certain items such as edible plants & plant tinders. This can be a competition to see who can find something first, or who can find the most. But it must be “healthy” competition & is best done in teams, two or three children to a team. Follow the leader is another good one if fashioned to suit our needs.

Do you find collecting sticks exciting? No probably not, but children do with the right sort of encouragement. This will teach them which wood is best for fire lighting & which is not. It will teach them how to make a smokeless fire. You may take this skill for granted, but you had to learn it somewhere.


Traditional Children’s Games:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traditional_children's_games

Each of my sons had a tomahawk like this one when very young.

Shown in comparison with my own tomahawk.

My boys learnt to shoot with this .32 flintlock rifle when very young. It was made for my boys & is shorter than the average rifle, but they still needed a forked stick to rest it in at first because of the weight of the barrel.

Authenticity and Survival.

Authenticity and Survival. (copyright).

The majority of living historians strive for authenticity in the equipment they carry and use, but equipment authenticity requires more than just having the correct equipment for the period, it must also be correct for you. There are many historical variations in knives, axes, shot pouches, carrying methods, hats, you name it. But only some of these when put to the test of use in the field will be suitable for you. Why does it matter? Well safety for one, using a knife or tomahawk that does not feel right in the hand can result in an accident. A knife sheath that falls out of you belt is not desirable. So think about these things when putting your gear together, you have choices within the bounds of authenticity.

I have seen many a person wearing a shot pouch which hangs down to mid thigh, I can only assume it is worn this way because it is easier to get into. However, there are other considerations to take into account when wearing your accoutrements. A shot pouch worn so low in the field will lead to problems, mostly through lack of control when moving through the woods, or running or even kneeling. The pouch will swing about when on the move and touch the ground when you bend down or kneel. So sometimes there is a priority beyond ease of use.

I read that French woodsrunners often carried a knife attached to their garters. This may be true, but how? Under the garter, or tied to the garter? The garter secures the leggings below the knee, this means that if a knife were attached to the garter, it would be constantly in motion when walking, and when dog trotting or running it would be shaken about severely. This in itself is not damaging, but the likelihood of losing the knife is high. So I carry my legging knife in the top of my legging. It is secure there and I can feel it without it causing discomfort, and there is far less chance of losing it.

So think about these things when putting your gear together, try things out, and if they don’t work, do not just accept it as a period fact. Do something about it. On a long trek your survival may depend on you having the right equipment carried in the correct manner, and you having the necessary skills. Just as it was 300 years ago. If you are a woodsrunner, man or woman, act like one, be one. Think about your personal needs and combine this with authenticity so it all works for you.