So I discovered a collapsed trapper cabin, with a knife...

[shojin]

Awesome story and awesome find(s). I have my grandfathers old Western knife... It’s a keeper.

 

[Blue Sky]

Thanks for the info Msturm, love to see some pictures of that old camp someday.

 

[eveled]

Your post reminded me of this cool cabin someone else found. I thought it was a cool picture.

 

[000Robert]

Nice find and great job on that handle!

 

[Chronovore]

Nice job on the restoration. Now let me get this straight. You drank unknown whiskey from a quarter-filled bottle found in the ruins of an old cabin next to an old rusty knife with a rotten handle?

 

[Danke42]

Nice job on the restoration. Now let me get this straight. You drank unknown whiskey from a quarter-filled bottle found in the ruins of an old cabin next to an old rusty knife with a rotten handle?

It's called "livin' the dream" .

 

[gazz98]

Oh that knife is a beauty! Congrats on the restoration job.

As for drinking the unknown liquid in the unlabeled jar ... that too shall pass.

^ Get it? I crack myself up. I'll show myself out .. thanks.

 

[Conrad smith]

What a great find. Sweet knife for sure, enjoy it and use it . Can't wait to see the sheath you make for it.

 

[315]

Absolutely great find and an even greater job restoring the knife! Just imagine if you could fly over some of the great wilderness areas with x-ray vision and find abandoned cabins from homesteaders, trappers, miners and such and some of the treasures they would hold. I’m sure a lot of items would be so far gone no amount of restoration would help, but it would still be neat. Any idea if you can trace the origins of that cabin to see who may have built/used it? That would really make for a great ending, especially if that person were still alive.

 

[Msturm]

Now let me get this straight. You drank unknown whiskey from a quarter-filled bottle found in the ruins of an old cabin next to an old rusty knife with a rotten handle?

Well yeah. Certainly not all at once, moderation is important. It smelled fine, and i'm not sure whisky goes bad.

 

[Msturm]

Any idea if you can trace the origins of that cabin to see who may have built/used it? That would really make for a great ending, especially if that person were still alive.

Hey 315, great question. I have done a bit of digging into that, I spoke the DNR and they have no record as it was built illegally or before that was a no-no. After talking to a couple guys who live in the area one gentleman of about 60, had a grandfather who built a cabin somewhere in the general area, and he remembers using it as a kid with his father. It may be the same cabin, it may be a different one. Who knows?

As i said in the original post all that is left of the cabin is rubble, but there is at least one other trapper cabin tucked back in the woods in the area. I have a photograph of this other cabin, The original log structure looks to be much older than the rest. Here is a shot of the one still standing. (it has had some upgrades added recently. we put in a new wood stove, and someone added windows this year.)

This is not the cabin where I found the knife. This is another within about 5 miles of it. It is my guess that the gentleman I spoke to was referring to the cabin in this picture.

It is pretty cool to know that many generations of adventurous outdoorsmen have been trapping and hunting this same area.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

No sheath, I will have to make one. DOES ANYONE HAVE A DATE ON THIS? OR A PIC OF THE ORIGINAL SHEATH?

This sheath was made for my L66 by a local maker. It's based on the design of what I believe to be the original Western sheath.

 

[cbach8tw]

Absolutely great find and an even greater job restoring the knife! Just imagine if you could fly over some of the great wilderness areas with x-ray vision and find abandoned cabins from homesteaders, trappers, miners and such and some of the treasures they would hold. I’m sure a lot of items would be so far gone no amount of restoration would help, but it would still be neat. Any idea if you can trace the origins of that cabin to see who may have built/used it? That would really make for a great ending, especially if that person were still alive.

I wonder if someone could use LIDAR to scan the area? I believe it has been done to find ancient Mayan ruins overrun by the jungle, and to find ancient Egypt ruins in the desert. Would the colder temperatures or the different ecosystem affect such a scan? Just curious. Really cool knife and restoration and an even cooler story.

 

[22-rimfire]

You did a nice job on the handle.

 

[315]

I wonder if someone could use LIDAR to scan the area? I believe it has been done to find ancient Mayan ruins overrun by the jungle, and to find ancient Egypt ruins in the desert. Would the colder temperatures or the different ecosystem affect such a scan? Just curious. Really cool knife and restoration and an even cooler story.

LIDAR would probably work, but I just wanted to have X-ray vision

 

[cbach8tw]

LIDAR would probably work, but I just wanted to have X-ray vision

Me too. I remember those x-ray classes in the back of my Boy's Life magazine!!!

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Beautiful old knife.
I knew right away when you said "H shaped leather handle " you had a forked tang Western Cutlery hunter of some kind.

I believe by the tang stamp and model number located on the guard it would be '66-'72 or so as I was told with my f48A.

Close, Hickory - late 1967 to 1972. Model numbers moved from the pile side ricasso to the guard during the period of late 1967 to 1968 depending on the model. The "Bowie" version of the W49 has firm evidence (receipt and box w/ unused knife) of November 1967. Other model numbers moved as new runs were made during 1968.

It is possible that some models didn't change until as late as 1969, if there was no need for a run during 1968, although any knives that sold that slowly were never made with guard stamps and were discontinued. The L46-6 is one of those.

Western dropped reference the BOULDER, COLO from all stamps starting in 1973.

 

[eveled]

A Ace Rimmer that’s a beautiful sheath. I always liked oak leaf patterns in leather. You really treated the old Western proper.

One thing I noticed about my Western the angle of the pommel is more comfortable in a reverse grip than any other knife I’ve held. not that I hold it that way often. Just an observation.

 

[mbkr]

Hey 315, great question. I have done a bit of digging into that, I spoke the DNR and they have no record as it was built illegally or before that was a no-no. After talking to a couple guys who live in the area one gentleman of about 60, had a grandfather who built a cabin somewhere in the general area, and he remembers using it as a kid with his father. It may be the same cabin, it may be a different one. Who knows?

As i said in the original post all that is left of the cabin is rubble, but there is at least one other trapper cabin tucked back in the woods in the area. I have a photograph of this other cabin, The original log structure looks to be much older than the rest. Here is a shot of the one still standing. (it has had some upgrades added recently. we put in a new wood stove, and someone added windows this year.)

This is not the cabin where I found the knife. This is another within about 5 miles of it. It is my guess that the gentleman I spoke to was referring to the cabin in this picture.

It is pretty cool to know that many generations of adventurous outdoorsmen have been trapping and hunting this same area.

Is that a light fixture above your head and slightly to the left?
That cabin's not wired is it? Battery operated or does somebody lug a generator up there?
Or am I just seeing things again?

 

[mbkr]

I wonder if someone could use LIDAR to scan the area? I believe it has been done to find ancient Mayan ruins overrun by the jungle, and to find ancient Egypt ruins in the desert. Would the colder temperatures or the different ecosystem affect such a scan? Just curious. Really cool knife and restoration and an even cooler story.

I don't think cold would have any significant effect. Deep snow cover would probably be a problem though.