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WANTED French Trade Knife

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Cruzatte

50 Cal.
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
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Location
Lawrence, KS
Well finished blade 6" long, partial tang.
flippedGHboucherons.png
 
You are most welcome.

I learned of this blade on the forum not long ago. It is the only readily commercially available blade I know of and from which I can see could be modified to look like the second original knife in the photo you posted.

Since it is a Russell Green River USA blade, I imagine it should be at least an OK to good blade, though perhaps/probably not as good as one made by LRB or other custom makers.

I have looked at it a dozen times trying to figure out if it could be modified to more closely resemble an English "Scalper" Trade Knife of the FIW period. The problem with that, though, is most of the English Scalper blades had upswept points or at least fairly straight along the top of the spine.

I don't know for sure, but I don't think a French Style Trade Knife would have been available in Virginia during the Pre FIW years to early FIW use, but I could be mistaken about that.

Gus
 
Out here in what was once Louisiana, the French influence was palpable. They were even trading in Santa Fe 90 years before William Becknell.

I don't think LRB is taking new customers and according to his web site, hasn't been since 2017 due to a backlog in orders and hurricane damage to property.

In light of the foregoing, that TOW blade looks pretty good. And my observations concur with yours about English trade knives being slightly upswept, or straight across the spine. I'm relatively certain that the cross L mark on the blade can be polished off with no harm done if it isn't too deeply engraved, but rather applied to the surface. Anyway, for under $30 what have I got to lose?
 
You need to get ahold of Ken Hamilton from Maine, who is a noted reenactor, living history practitioner & anda recognized authority and maker of early French edged weapons. He sells what you want that are exact replicas!

PM me ... as a reminder ... and I’ll get you his contact info.
 

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