America's Peasant Knife?

Slipperyfish said:
So I've gotten into peasant knives. I blame my brother.

France has the Opinel...Japan the Higo No Kami...etc.

Got me thinking, what is America's peasant knife? Must be US made and iconic. Has the Buck 110 been around long enough? What about the Sodbuster? Trapper? Bowie even! Whatever it is, if I don't have it I'll have to get it/them.

Let the debate begin and have fun. I know I will.
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This is an awesome and original question. Sweet thread ;)
 
Barlow, stockman and buck 110 and Bowie knives are good examples I guess. Interesting post either way.
 
scotchleaf said:
I think its funny to consider the results of inbreeding in the English Upper class vs. the descendants of the convicts.
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Nicole-Kidman-4.jpg
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Thank you scotchleaf, my thoughts exactly.

I believe North America had a worker who preceded the stockman: the hunter & trapper. Tough, working class, independent. Didn't these guys explore unsettled areas before the stockmen arrived?
What knives did they use.
 
This country never had peasants. That was main point of 1776. I would call the stockman the classic working American folder, at least until they all moved to the cities.
 
OK... So here is the list I must aquire to add to peasant/working man's knives of the world American collection.

1. Stockman
2. Barlow
3. Hudson Bay
4. Trapper
5. Handmade (by me) from some type of farm implement steel

Am I missing any. I knew this thread was gonna cost me:)
 
Slipperyfish said:
OK... So here is the list I must aquire to add to peasant/working man's knives of the world American collection.

1. Stockman
2. Barlow
3. Hudson Bay
4. Trapper
5. Handmade (by me) from some type of farm implement steel

Am I missing any. I knew this thread was gonna cost me:)
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Get a Green River blade and put a handle on it. You'll add one and maybe it would cover #5 as well.

This was a fine thread with good points well presented.
 
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mtangent said:
I believe North America had a worker who preceded the stockman: the hunter & trapper. Tough, working class, independent. Didn't these guys explore unsettled areas before the stockmen arrived?
What knives did they use.
Click to expand...

Here is a picture of knives that, according to the discussion in this thread, were recovered from the wreck of the Arabia, which sank in the Missouri River in 1856.

SteamboatArabiaknives1856_zps1b429908.jpg


Looks like mostly 1 or 2 blade slip joints, with perhaps a few friction folders.

Thread discussing knives of that era:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1113044-Hell-On-Wheels-Cutlery

Article on the Arabia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabia_(steamboat)

Again, if anybody has access to Levine's guide, that would be awesome. I think (repeat, think) the 3 blade cattle knife and stockman started to show up in the mid 1800s.
 
Dave, good suggestion on the green river blade. I'll probably do that, but still make one too.

Pinnah, great link for research. Gonna really dig in when I get some time.

Nimrod, I am assuming you mean I didn't list it. I have a USA made Schrade LB7, but I guess that isn't exactly a 110. It is iconic. I don't want the anniversary one though.
 
I would actually take the Schrade LB7 over the Buck 110. That was my choice years ago when I knew little other than Schrade were good knives. I bought my first 110 in ~1990 at a blade show; actually I believe it was "the blade show" and I didn't even know it. It is one of the full damascus ones with stag handles. Nice. But I only purchased my first regular 110 a couple years ago and I haven't used it for anything. Too many other toys now.
 
Do you think something birthed in 1964 can qualify in this category? I would think it all too recent. Despite being a great general purpose knife, it was conceived as a folding hunter: a sporting knife, not a workers knife.
 
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