Dag Trade Knife

Church & Son

Church & Son

Well-Known Member
or Bayonet knife or Beavertail knife. About all the same, depends on who you talk to.
NDN’s also called them “stabbers”. I think the Beavertail was full tang and the Bayonet was stick.
This one is a stick tang.
Imported by Hudson Bay Trading Company by the thousands in the 1700′ and 1800′s from makers
such as Sorby, Jukes and Coulson.

This one I done from memory, I saw the original in a private collection and didn’t get a picture.
The sheath was rawhide with a tanned wrap with a small tail added to the bottom.
The beads were large pound size and the smaller seed beads in a “zippered” effect around the edges
appeared to be added later. Also a rawhide braided hanger. The hardwood handle was split and been
wrapped up with rawhide strips.

My rendition, 12″ overall with half sharp x 2″1/4″. Blade is from a crosscut saw.
My rawhide and leather, usual finish of grease, dirt and shellac.

stabber1.jpg

stabber2.jpg

stabber3.jpg


The last one is on my "cactus stump"
Thanks for looking….Randy
 
Thanks Gentlemen...It was scary working from this burned out memory..
I love these knives and their history. The Hudson Bay company dominated the early fur trade period, sort of like an 1700's Wal-Mart, in 1821 Hbc merged with the North West Company based in Montreal. The resulting enterprise now served the continent – all the way to the Pacific Northwest and the North (Alaska, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) and are still in business today. Now called "the Bay", it is still huge in Canada.
Wonder if they still have any original Green Rivers laying around?
 
Howdy Randy - VERY nice piece. That tabbed style sheath is a Blackfoot style (I've got several images of originals if you want them I can post them). Without seeing the original I can't say for sure but I'd bet the zigzag style of beading along the edge is what is known as a fret stitch, nativetech.org shows how.

As for Dag blade styles they did change over time - here's some images from the Fur Trade Cutlery Sketchbook showing these different styles for those so interested in such esoterica:

dag-bayonet.jpg


dag-dague.jpg


dag-hbc.jpg


and some were produced here by companies in the States as well as a bunch by local smiths -
dag-amer.jpg
 
Thanks Chuck, didn't think of that book, I have it somewhere. I wanted to say Blackfoot but couldn't find it in my unorganized piles of books and thousands of less organized saved pics. I even made notes on this knife...but they got themselves lost.
That top edged zipper is called fret, thanks, and the bottom is fret with more beads between. Mr. Barth's book calls it"scalloped edging".
I'm just scratching the surface on beadwork and times. I appreciate all you have shared, tons of knowledge on the subject of beadwork and leathers. I'm really getting interested in the Upper Missouri fur trade.
Also I have a new appreciation for you and those that have worked in the pound and pony beads, those things are boulders compared to the seeds I play in, they do not stay where you put them....

Thanks again everybody, means a lot......
 
Randy,
I love your style and, like with Mr. Burrows, the education. One day I would love to sit down with you and enjoy a smoke from the peace pipe and go to the place where you come up with your creations. :thumbup: Wade
 
Thanks Brother Wade..
We'll smoke the pipe fur shur...but I'm not sure a sane mind would tolerate that place I go.
Took me a long time to make friends with the other people in my head....BUT, the Soggy Bottom sounds inviting....
 
Randy and Wade no wander you two yahoos are picking on me you both smoke the same Damn pipe. NICE JOB.. KT :p:58::p
 
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