Scalper?

[yahoody]

Was thinking I needed a belt knife.  Looked around some and this one turned up.  7.5" blade.  12 3/4" over all.  Look period enough for 1860 to 1895?  Thoughts?

[Bruce W Sims]

I can only lend my own opinion...that and $10 will get you through any Starbucks.

I'm thinking that the hollow ground blade ought be a flat grind instead. Overall
I really like the architecture. Another case of less being more. 

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[St. George]

Looks like a modern steak knife.

If you want something to look like it's from the time frame, look for a common butcher knife with wood handles and a carbon-steel blade and no markings.

It would have been the most commonly-seen knife in existence on the Frontier - being traded for during the Fur Trapper Era, and being available from any Hardware or Dry Goods store, as well as from Sutlers.

Literally everyone found a use for one - far more than the massive Bowies and Arkansas Toothpicks one sees at matches - simply because they were 'usable' for pretty much every chore that would require use of a knife.

That's not to denigrate those other knives, but they belonged to an earlier era when single-shot pistols were common and a side knife was the second line of defense - once revolvers made the scene in profusion, knives got a bit smaller and handier to use for other, more mundane chores.

Go to your favorite search engine and look for 'Green River Knife' or 'Skinning Knife', and you should be rewarded with examples.

These were often available without handles because more would fit into a barrel, and because putting a handle on wasn't/isn't difficult, and many Indian blades will have rawhide-wrapped handles.

You'll find them at 'Crazy Crow', 'Track of the Wolf', 'Dixie Gun Works' and even at garage sales and estate sales - just look for the ones without hilts.

The sheaths carried them 'deep', too - so look at Indian-made sheaths to get an idea.

Scouts Out!

[MJN77]

It's not a bad looking knife, but to me it has a "modern" look to the blade. If you're not concerned about being super authentic, it's fine. For a more authentic one, St. George is correct about the green river type knives. Butcher style knives were the most common style carried by frontier folk. They're still handy. I use mine all the time. From cutting the strings off of hay bales to recently butchering one of our angus bulls that sadly broke one of his legs in a fight with our piedmontese bull. Those green rivers hold a hell of an edge. I carry one as my hunting knife too.

In case you're interested
http://www.crazycrow.com/green-river-knife-blades
http://www.crazycrow.com/green-river-knives
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/453/1

[Kent Shootwell]

Dandy looking knife and as we're "playing" cow boy I'd say wear it and be proud of your handy work. Scalpers weren't all that handy due to their size. Here's a couple of  real ones I got in a junk store in Nebraska, the makers marks tell the age. Note the rivets.

[Bruce W Sims]

Gotta love those old pieces!  

The more modern knives have those big fat brass/copper rivets which sorta
give them away. I have a more modern skinner that I tried to grind-down a bit
but the edge was worn enough that the result looks a bit off.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[yahoody]

My impression has always been a few kinds of knives that got "used".  Utility knife could be anything and  generally was.  If it would cut and could be sharpened it got used.  Likely under 4"  more common "eaten" or patch knife more likely around 5".    Fatal stab wounds can easily be accomplished with a 2" blade in modern clothing.   More blade is generally better for such things.

Trade knives..


Tomahawks and knives?
cap and ball guns and knives?
cartridge six guns and knives?

[Davem]

Well.....thoughts are dangerous things.  ANYHOW, if you look in the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, or similar places, you'll notice that an awful lot of the "Bowie" are actually sort of small, only around a 6" blade.  Dixie Gun Works sells:
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1457&osCsid=35uvnshj2kcsk7m6snv5c2mba0
This blade is a dead ringer for a lot of the knives of the day. Put on a double guard and stag scales (or jigged bone) and you are good to go.
   Scalpers- told mostly to native people who often sharpened them only on one side- using a file as a draw file.