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Red Handled Scalper

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LRB

75 Cal.
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This one is a William Parker pattern English scalper. Parker was registered as a cutler in Sheffield England in 1761, and supplied some of the scalper type trade knives to the colonies. I made this one with a 7" blade of 01 steel, tapered in both directions from the junction of the stained boxwood grip. The leather wrap is eastern white tail raw hide, secured by raw hide lacing. This is meant to represent a grip repair, or reinforcement. The round indention on the grip is to assist getting a rifle ball started into the rifles muzzle. There is an original example of this in the Madison Grant book. The scabbard is a common center seam type, dyed with vinegaroon, and also having a field repair of deer raw hide. Both items are aged to represent some amount of hard and long use. Hope you enjoy a look.







 
Another simply elegant and beautiful one! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I like the addition of the short starter too.
 
Wick,

That is fine craftsmanship and interesting in how you made it as a knife that had already been in use and modified and repaired. The indentation for starting bullets and the additional leather to support the bottom of the sheath is really neat.

I especially like the leather wrap around the front part of the handle, though. It demonstrates the weakness of the authentic partial tang construction and an authentic repair or reinforcement of that area. I REALLY like that!!

PLEASE understand I am not being critical of your work AT ALL, but rather being critical of the original design of the partial tang knife. Not long after I got into this hobby in the early 70's, an older mentor of mine would often say, "When something is accurately reproduced it will have all the strengths, but also all the flaws of the original design. That's why they changed and improved things as time went forward." Thus the reinforcement/repair you made to the front of the handle adds a higher level of authenticity to your work.

Gus
 
Thanks and understood Gus, and for the most part I agree, but used accordingly for their designed purposes, they will hold up pretty well. I don't really know how much extra stength the rawhide adds. Some to be sure, but the partial tang is still an inherent weakness. I don't advise heavy prying with any knife, and especially with a partial tang.
 
I think the biggest "problem" with the partial tang knife is that today, everybody wants a "bushcraft knife", and not a knife. They want to hack, chop, and "baton" (shudder) with their knife and do things they should do with a hatchet (or not at all). ;)
 
Agreed Chris. Many forget that the main purpose of a knife is to cut. All other needs are better done with the appropriate tool.
 
Wick- its all the knife magazines with photos of guys chopping down telephone poles with their super wammy bushcraft hog killer deluxe. For the younger folks- this is all a recent thing. No one ever did stuff like that years ago- or at least I never heard of it.
And...if a knife historically had a half tang then that's what we all should want. It's all about the history (at least to me).
And,as always- good knife Wick.
 
Stophel said:
I think the biggest "problem" with the partial tang knife is that today, everybody wants a "bushcraft knife", and not a knife. They want to hack, chop, and "baton" (shudder) with their knife and do things they should do with a hatchet (or not at all). ;)

That's why God gave us the cuttoe.
 
crockett said:
Wick- its all the knife magazines with photos of guys chopping down telephone poles with their super wammy bushcraft hog killer deluxe. For the younger folks- this is all a recent thing. No one ever did stuff like that years ago- or at least I never heard of it.
And...if a knife historically had a half tang then that's what we all should want. It's all about the history (at least to me).
And,as always- good knife Wick.

Actually the idea of a bush craft type knife is not that new: The late Elmer Keith designed a knife back in the 19400s or 1950's that was designed to be used with a "baton" for splitting the breast bone of animals as well as kindling, etc. Don't necessarily agree with some of the ideas that bush crafters have developed (often based on their idea of lightweight gear - i.e. why carry a heavy hatchet when you can use a knife that will do similar things at a much lighter weight.)

As for knives having half tangs being THE correct ones - well depending on time period and knife type the half-tang was the most common, but full tang trade knives of various styles were not that uncommon by the early 1800's, so one can carry such a type and still be PC/HC.

Wick - great piece and like you I like making sets like this that "tell" a story and the use of rawhide as a patch material on knives and sheaths is well documented for those of us out west in particular.
 
The ageing of this knife is very impressive and realistic, when in hand it already has that well used look and feel. Nice job as always Wick :applause:
 
That is a very impressive and beautiful piece of art! However, I strongly believe you should send it my way for a review! :grin: Beautiful again sir, very well done! :hatsoff:
 
I had the pleasure of briefly meeting and speaking with Wick and actually handling this knife at the CLA show last week. It is a beautiful piece of art, so light and well balanced. And quite believable as a historically correct artifact. I own a rifleman knife with a curly maple handle made by Wick and love it. His work is top notch, and he is a wonderful gentleman to talk to.
 
Beautiful tool. I marvel at the finish.
Tell me more--someone--about "the Madison Grant book". It sounds like a volume to add to my library.
Pete
 
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