Golden blades

Amazing pic, N2S.

M.M.:

Did some more research on the Dene tribe, and their Pacific North West related tribe of the Tlingits. The Dene and Tlingits were bascally working copper in a stone-age culture. The Dene used their large coper daggers (10-24 inches overall) to hunt moose. The moose would get in the water to forage or cross a river, and the Dene would pull up next to the swimming moose, and stab at the shoulder/spine area. I dunno if they could really deal a lethal blow from this position, but I think stress and exhaustion overtook the swimming beast (maybe bloodloss was a factor, too).
Beats hunting a Moose Bull on land. I've seen those monsters in Wyoming, man. I was in a 4x4, and it was taller than the truck. It gave me a look like I was the outsider, and I'd better take that fact and my butt and leave, like *right now.* Which I what I did.

I digress. The book that I dug up with all of this info was a Yule gift from a friend. the book is called "Swords and Hilt Weapons", and is published by Barnes&Noble. over 40 pics and Illustrations, and covers from the stone age to the modern age, from asia, to america, Europe, India, and even khuks and their predecessors are discussed. Check B&N's website for more info.

Keith
 
My old man was a pathological liar but often had bits of real information tucked away somewhere in the depths of his mind that was true.
So with that disclaimer I can say that my old man once told me that the Northern Peoples who worked the raw copper once they got steel were able to weld the copper and steel together without flux.
Learning some of the things I have over the years as well as the multitude of knife and related lore I've learned here on Bladeforums.com I figure they must've used wood or perhaps grass ashes for a flux.

On maybe a similar note different wood ashes may have played a different part in the way the old ones processed their raw
copper.
I figure if ashes impart different flavors they could also impart different qualities to the forge or smelting fire.
The Cherokee once used different wood ashes for seasoning their foods with one wood ash being suitable for one dish while another wood ash went better with something else. I know this to be true because of not only some things I've read, but also from some oral traditions as one of our friends is quite knowledgable in Cherokee Cooking and Culture.
The old man also told me that the copper they used for knives was hardened very well and would last a long time.
I saw a really beautiful Copper Beaver Tail Dagger in a museum in Montana one year up around Gacier National Park when I went on vacation with my brother.
I would still give a lot to be able to hold that dagger in my own hands and study it even more closely than I did while it was locked behind the glass.
I have never forgotten what it looks like!!!!
 
Anyone interested in fantastic art/investment quality knives should thumb through Weyer's Knives: Points of Interest. It is a five volume hardbound collection of books featuring hundreds of high resolution photos by Jim Weyer. The Tut dagger above is an example of Weyer's work.

n2s
 
I would also like to hold one of those. Amazing, and to think that the folks were making this stuff waaaay before the next wave of folks came along.

The stuff I read suggested that The Dene used some sort of fish oil for forge welding.

I read about the Copper Complex culture in N.America, going back to 3000 b.c.e to 500 b.c.e. Fabulous stuff.

Yvsa, you part of a tribe? I have friend in the Lakota Sioux nation up here. Biggest tribe in this area, but many in the L.S. nationo come from other tribes.

Mitakoye Oyashen,

Keith
 
Originally posted by Ferrous Wheel
Yvsa, you part of a tribe? I have friend in the Lakota Sioux nation up here. Biggest tribe in this area, but many in the L.S. nationo come from other tribes.

Mitakoye Oyashen,

Keith
Click to expand...

Keith, I'm Cherokee & Osage and maybe some Mvskokee, better known as Creek.

I have some Lakota friends as well. A good friend of ours is a misplaced Tsimshian from way up North, used to work on the fishing and crab boats outta Alaska as well as on the big freighters, Karl fell about 2 stories down one of the holds one day and busted himself up pretty good, but Karl's quite the traditional dancer and a dayumed Huge Guy!!!!!!! Tsimshians are a pretty rare bunch down this way.

And Keith it's "Mitakue Oyasin." but trying to pronounce Tsimshian is worse let alone spell it. :)
 
Thanks for the background, Yvsa. Sorry for the mis-spelling, only said it, never wrote it before, so once in english for all:

To all of our relations.

Keith
 
Originally posted by Ferrous Wheel
Thanks for the background, Yvsa. Sorry for the mis-spelling, only said it, never wrote it before, so once in english for all:

To all of our relations.

Keith
Click to expand...

No problem Keith. I do Lakota and a couple of other languages fairly well with spelling and pronounciation, but the Northeastern names knock me for a loop ever time.
I mean like Punxsutawney if I got it right, but I know what it means, "town of the sandflies." ;)
 
Sorry I did no mean contact address! I meant internet address! I will never get that amount of money in my whole life to contact him:( . But that is O.K. I can still appreciate the pics.:)
 
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