English Roach Belly Trade Knife

I love the English Roach Belly knives. I am finding difficulty in locating accurate information on them. I have contacted the Fur Trade Museum but they are covered in request so I may never get a response. Can anyone provide me with a source for information on the Roach Belly? Thank you in advance

The historical Roach Belly knife was a short blade with a pronounced upswept curve and a sharp point.

It was most likely named after the common Roach Fish, which had a similarly round curving belly.

The English Trade Knives were modeled after the other straight-forward English trade goods of the period.

Although the trade knife handles are usually of hexagon form, rather than the rounded form of the French drop points, the Roach Belly knives had a rounded handle..

The Roach Belly pattern was known in 17th century Britain, and also quite common in the American Colonies because it was inexpensive and versatile.

Most have a rather short (IMO) blade, around 4-1/2"-5", but I prefer the earlier versions, which had a larger (6"-7") blade.

I re-handled one of the shorter versions in Stag/Ebony, and it's just right for skinning.




T.O.T.W. carries a repop English Roach Belly Trade knife: https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/464/2/KNIFE-ROACH-4

There are also many other makers/vendors.

This one is from Townsends: https://www.townsends.us/collections/axes-knives-tomahawks/products/roach-knife-kn

I have yet to see any existing original example of a Roach belly knife. If they exist, I would guess they would go back to the mid 19th century, perhaps... if they exist. Looking at known 18th century knives, I have seen nothing like the roach belly at all. Something of this basic shape may have existed, of course, but from what I have seen, they are definitely NOT the common form of trade knives of the 18th, or even the 19th centuries.

Correct me if I've been misinformed, but isn't there a roach belly trade knife from the early 18th century in the Museum of the Fur Trade's collection?

Cruzatte said:

Correct me if I've been misinformed, but isn't there a roach belly trade knife from the early 18th century in the Museum of the Fur Trade's collection?

Click to expand...

There are several Roach Belly knives at the Museum of The Fur Trade.

But, what do we really know the actual time period of these roach bellys in the museums collection. Being in a museum is not real provenance in itself.

I can not address the provenance. I do place creditability to Dr James Hanson, historian, The Museum of t he Fur Trade. He provided me with pictures of one that have been discovered and of a replica based on the original. In Volume 3 The Encyclopedia of Trade Goods : Tools & Utensils of the Fur Trade, he provides a picture of one identified as a late 17th century roach belly that was discovered in New England. He states "the Rochebury or Roach belly" style knife was imported in immense quantities by HBC.