Trade knife handle woods

[Rató:rats]

Hey guys. Just wondering about some of the less common woods used in 18th century trade knives. I know about cam and rosewood and beech but what about others. I’m particularly curious if cocobolo was ever used by the English or French for trade knives.

 

[LRB]

I would say for sure. Reddish exotics seemed very popular. Boxwood was also popular, although it is yellow, but a wonderful wood to work with. It is very tight grained, yet light in weight, strong and tough.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Boxwood was mentioned. Good quality boxwood is as common as unicorns these days. I have some pure white holly that would make a pretty anything resembling ivory.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I have actually researched this a little, although my period of interest is more toward the first half of the 19th century.

Beech was the most common wood. Carl Russell reported a sample of wood from a FURNIS scalper, submitted for laboratory analysis, was found to be Indian rosewood. Edwin T. Denig stated the most common trade knives on the northern plains in his day were hafted with "brazilwood" (pernambuco) or logwood. We know boxwood was used on Flemish and French trade knives, and one of my sources indicated boxwood was also used on English knives, but I've found nothing (to date) to corroborate this. Cocobolo (sometimes listed as "cocoa") and even ebony were used on better grades of knives.

One wood you don't see on trade knives is curly maple.

One problem for those of us who try to replicate these knives is simply finding the right woods. Beech is available, if you are willing to resaw large pieces into small ones. Indian rosewood is now being grown commercially, and is an ethical choice that is easy to find. Pernambuco is protected by CITES and is unavailable, but chakte viga ("Mexican pernambuco") is a closely related wood that is almost indistinguishable. "Boxwood" has been used for several different species. We assume the French, Flemish, and British cutlers used the European variety, but Castellano boxwood is all you are likely to find now. However, it should make an acceptable substitute. I have never seen cam wood or barrwood for sale, although I think these may be related to either shedua or Padauk (can't remember which at the moment) and one of these might be usable as a substitute.

Notchy Bob

 

[Rató:rats]

Hey guys thanks for all the good info.
Wick I was wondering if you’d show up here. As per your advice I ordered one of Kyle Wilyard’s trade knives and it has a cocobolo handle. It’s a 5 inch blade with a subtle drop point half tang with three pins. Can’t wait for the man in brown to drop it off.
Notchy Bob thanks for sharing. You wouldn’t happen to know of any primary documentation for cocobolo/cocoa handle trade knives? I’m particularly interested if they show up in trade invoices during the French regime or if it was a later choice wood of the NWC or HBC. With Spain being a French ally in the F&I war was there much of a lumber trade between Britain and Spain’s South American colonies in the mid 18th century?
Regards
Stephen

 

[Coot]

Tropical woods harvested commercially for the English market go back well before the 18th c. Look up the convoluted history of British Honduras (modern Belize). The Brits were there, cutting logwood which was used for dyes and mahogany for furniture in the 17th c. Once a haven of sorts for pirates as well as woodcutters, the Spanish asserted temporary control several times but the Brits always came back & British Honduras became a crown colony, later becoming an independent nation under the name of Belize.

 

[Brokennock]

I would say for sure. Reddish exotics seemed very popular. Boxwood was also popular, although it is yellow, but a wonderful wood to work with. It is very tight grained, yet light in weight, strong and tough.

I was just fixing to start asking around if anyone had heard from you. Thanks for posting.


O.P. listen to Wick.....

 

[Rató:rats]

I was just fixing to start asking around if anyone had heard from you. Thanks for posting.


O.P. listen to Wick.....

I’ll take that advice all day.
Hope you’re feeling better soon Brokennock

 

[Rató:rats]

Finally got my Kyle Willyard small trade knife. Nice size to put on my fowling pouch.

 

[Notchy Bob]

That's a beautiful knife! The handle wood is really pretty. Sorry I have not looked up the cocobolo references for you.

I bought a seven inch English scalper from Mr. Willyard several years ago. I sent him a piece of Mexican Pernambuco to use for the handle, which turned out well. He does beautiful work. He is not afraid to make the knife authentically. On those old scalpers, the tang was typically not as wide as the handle, which left a gap or empty space within the tang slot on the underside of the handle. I understand this was sometimes filled with "cutler's cement" (rosin and brick dust), and sometimes not. To the modern eye, it looks unfinished if it isn't filled, but it is an authentic feature and it really makes no difference in the function of the knife. It looks as if yours has that unfilled slot, too, in the old-time style.

Notchy Bob

 

[Rató:rats]

That's a beautiful knife! The handle wood is really pretty. Sorry I have not looked up the cocobolo references for you.

I bought a seven inch English scalper from Mr. Willyard several years ago. I sent him a piece of Mexican Pernambuco to use for the handle, which turned out well. He does beautiful work. He is not afraid to make the knife authentically. On those old scalpers, the tang was typically not as wide as the handle, which left a gap or empty space within the tang slot on the underside of the handle. I understand this was sometimes filled with "cutler's cement" (rosin and brick dust), and sometimes not. To the modern eye, it looks unfinished if it isn't filled, but it is an authentic feature and it really makes no difference in the function of the knife. It looks as if yours has that unfilled slot, too, in the old-time style.

Notchy Bob

Ya I agree the unfilled slot is a non issue. Feels comfy in the hand and gives a tactile indication of blade orientation. My 7 inch blade French boucheron by Ben Hoffman is different. The tapered tang is flush with the antler handle and the sides filled with a little cutler resin.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Nice boucheron! I was not familiar with Mr. Hoffman's work. It looks to be top-notch!

I like the smooth antler handle, and he got a really nice finish on the blade.

Notchy Bob

 

[Runewolf1973]

I picked up a really pretty board of Pau Ferro aka: Brazilian Ironwood. Should make some nice rrade knife handles.