Church & Son
Well-Known Member
"I contacted a company in Sheffield England that has been in the knife business since 1700. I was trying to obtain information about knives that would have been available in 1803 and perhaps used by the Lewis & Clark expedition. The company told me that the majority of their utility cutlery was going to North America and Africa all through the 1700 & 1800s. Their records show a common butcher knife just like those used today."(Gene Hickman)
This butcher doesn’t have that romantic of a story, it came from a yard sale. The handle had been filed to more of a ball end and the front of the handle was splintered pretty bad. But it reminded me of the Plains Indians photos I’ve seen from the mid to late 1800′s where the blade has been sharpened to more of a recurve.
So it needed saving…and it needed a beaded sheath.
I cut away the splintered part and poured a pewter bolster, then wrapped rawhide around the handle. No name or mark on it and it had iron pins instead of brass.
It’s a big one, 15″ overall.
The sheath I have hours and hours in. All enjoyable. Something to do at night. It has a horsehide liner and brain tanned cover. It is the first one I've done with a beaded hanger, apparently the Indians didn't mind their knife bouncing around. The beads are #8 and #10 and the pattern taken from a bunch of photos, no specific sheath. I hand rolled the tin tinklers and the horse hair is from my lovely bride’s paint mare.
I hate winter but I love these wintertime projects…
This butcher doesn’t have that romantic of a story, it came from a yard sale. The handle had been filed to more of a ball end and the front of the handle was splintered pretty bad. But it reminded me of the Plains Indians photos I’ve seen from the mid to late 1800′s where the blade has been sharpened to more of a recurve.
So it needed saving…and it needed a beaded sheath.
I cut away the splintered part and poured a pewter bolster, then wrapped rawhide around the handle. No name or mark on it and it had iron pins instead of brass.
It’s a big one, 15″ overall.
The sheath I have hours and hours in. All enjoyable. Something to do at night. It has a horsehide liner and brain tanned cover. It is the first one I've done with a beaded hanger, apparently the Indians didn't mind their knife bouncing around. The beads are #8 and #10 and the pattern taken from a bunch of photos, no specific sheath. I hand rolled the tin tinklers and the horse hair is from my lovely bride’s paint mare.
I hate winter but I love these wintertime projects…
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