Early America Folding Pocket Knives

Authentic Reproductions of 18th & 19th Century American Knives

Folding Pocket Knives were popular among troops during the American Revolution. Pocket knives have a long history that dates to 1st century Roman sites. By the early 1700s, little had changed in their design. As American coastal areas developed, the inland frontier pushed westward. The custom of wearing belt knives for farmers and tradesmen in 'civilized' colonial regions were replaced with folding knives to the point where they became almost universal accessories. Specimens have been found from long (ten to twelve inches in length), mainly designed for fighting, to smaller (two to three inches) for utility work and trimming quill pens.

TahChee & His Knife

Tahchee & His Knife

The first thing you notice when viewing this likeness of Tahchee is not the knife but his eyes. In 1833 A P Chouteau wrote “Dutch (Tahchee) is looked upon as the most sagacious and daring war Captain in the Cherokee Nation west of the Mississippi…Dutch may be known, by a slight description among a thousand warriors, by his remarkable black, keen, restless eyes.”
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Making a Parfleche Knife Sheath

Bowie Knife Origins: A Brief History: Many Claim "Creator of Sandbar Bowie" Status

In 1838, Rezin P. Bowie, brother of James Bowie of Alamo fame, claimed that he made the first Bowie knife while the Bowies lived in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. He designed it as a hunting knife and gave it to James for protection after his brother had been shot in the famous Sandbar Fight, which began in the Mississippi River across from the rough-and-tumble town of Natchez, Mississippi, in 1827.
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Making a Parfleche Knife Sheath

Making a Parfleche Knife Sheath

Native Americans made knife sheaths and storage containers from specially prepared rawhide referred to by the Europeans as “parfleche” (PAR-flesh). By using this kit, you will learn Indian techniques, including how to paint parfleche by using native tools and materials.
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