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What is the "Arkansaw" mark." ?
- Thread starter Jumbi
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- May 9, 2000
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Normally Jerry's knives are marked FISK parallel to the guard in the ricasso. Whenever I see one that it says has the Arkansaw Stamp the mark is FISK with an M S (Master Smith) under it and the mark is at a 90 degree angle to the guard, still in the ricasso. Maybe this is what is meant by the Arkansaw Stamp.
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- Mar 31, 1999
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Jumbi
Some would say it is because I do not know how to spell. Others would say I am just nuts.
I make my knives the older way by forging so I use the older style spelling. Since James Black did make a Bowie knife for James Bowie in Washington Arkansaw I also thought it was approiate that only Bowies are marked with that stamp but not all Bowies coming out of my shop. I did work for a short time in the Old James Black shop that is reconstructed in Old Washington Arkansaw.
Several of the makers from Arkansaw are beginning to mark some of their knives with the states name but they are using the modern more accepted method of spelling of Arkansas.
Some would say it is because I do not know how to spell. Others would say I am just nuts.
I make my knives the older way by forging so I use the older style spelling. Since James Black did make a Bowie knife for James Bowie in Washington Arkansaw I also thought it was approiate that only Bowies are marked with that stamp but not all Bowies coming out of my shop. I did work for a short time in the Old James Black shop that is reconstructed in Old Washington Arkansaw.
Several of the makers from Arkansaw are beginning to mark some of their knives with the states name but they are using the modern more accepted method of spelling of Arkansas.
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- May 9, 2000
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Jerry, whenever I see one of these knives I never see Arkansaw marked on the ricasso. Is it on the other side of the blade?
I grew up in Arkansas, from 1937 until I left in 1962. I never heard of the name of the state being spelled OFFICIALLY, "Arkansaw." My great, great grandfather was a U.S. Congressman from Arkansas, and I have a book from his library entitled, "The Constitution of the United States," which among other things, gives the admission dates of all the states, to that time, into the Union, spells the name, "Arkansas." This book was given to all members of Congress and was published in 1846.
There was a song called, "The Arkansaw Traveler," and a scurrilous book, supposed to be "hahahaha funny," written by Bob Burns, in the '30s, which had the term "Arkansaw," in the title. It denigrated the state and its inhabitants, and gave a false image of the state to outsiders that everyone there was a backwards, barefoot hillbilly, which was difficult to overcome.
If one looks on old maps, one sees the name of the state spelled "Arkansas," and the great river that runs through it, the "Arkansas River." I mean old maps of the 1850s vintage... which I have. Or look at the reproduction maps of the War For Southern Independence, and you'll see the correct spelling. Ad infinitum.
Anyone can put anything he wants on a knife, but the official spelling of the state's name has ALAWYS been "Arkansas."
Just thought you Arkansas boys would like to know.
L.W.
There was a song called, "The Arkansaw Traveler," and a scurrilous book, supposed to be "hahahaha funny," written by Bob Burns, in the '30s, which had the term "Arkansaw," in the title. It denigrated the state and its inhabitants, and gave a false image of the state to outsiders that everyone there was a backwards, barefoot hillbilly, which was difficult to overcome.
If one looks on old maps, one sees the name of the state spelled "Arkansas," and the great river that runs through it, the "Arkansas River." I mean old maps of the 1850s vintage... which I have. Or look at the reproduction maps of the War For Southern Independence, and you'll see the correct spelling. Ad infinitum.
Anyone can put anything he wants on a knife, but the official spelling of the state's name has ALAWYS been "Arkansas."
Just thought you Arkansas boys would like to know.
L.W.
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I'm from Arkansaw too. On my knives I've shortened it all the way down to Paris, Ar. That way, the viewer can interpret it however they want to. I had a hard time with the spelling while attending the Evelyn Woodhead sped reddin school. Before anyone corrected me I always pronounced it Ar-Kansas. Use your hooked on phonics skills here. It's one of them trick words that can be pronounced or used in more than one way considering the spelling and using proper english skills.
Kind of like this sentence: I 'can' open that there 'can' of 'maters with my knife. Or: I 'left' my shop door open and one of my 'left' handed dogs shut it for me. And how about: I 'laid' open my hand with my knife so I went and 'laid' down 'cause I didn't feel so good. Or maybe: I was in a 'race' one time and my rear main bearing 'race' spun and started leaking oil. And: Did you see that turkey 'light' up in that tree? Hard to see in this 'light'.
So I think us Arkansaw boys can sepell Arkansas any way we want to. But thanks for the history lesson.
Kind of like this sentence: I 'can' open that there 'can' of 'maters with my knife. Or: I 'left' my shop door open and one of my 'left' handed dogs shut it for me. And how about: I 'laid' open my hand with my knife so I went and 'laid' down 'cause I didn't feel so good. Or maybe: I was in a 'race' one time and my rear main bearing 'race' spun and started leaking oil. And: Did you see that turkey 'light' up in that tree? Hard to see in this 'light'.
So I think us Arkansaw boys can sepell Arkansas any way we want to. But thanks for the history lesson.
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LeanWolf
Technicaly you are right. However I have ran into many folks that pronounce it Ar-Kansas. I prefer to spell it with the Arkansaw version. I sell a good bit of my knives overseas and with the spelling at least they know how to pronounce the states name then. At the Historic Arkansas Musume in Little Rock I have seen the spelling with the W a couple of times on old things. I cannot recall right now on what but I do remember noting about it to one of the curators. But the state itself has always been technically named after the river.
And you are also right about the song. That and the Lum and Abner radio program seems to have done as much harm as good as far as how people look at the state.
Keith
Yes it is normally marked on the Obverse or public side which ever way you want to call it. If the ricasso is long enough [read big knife] I prefer to put the name 90 degrees.
Technicaly you are right. However I have ran into many folks that pronounce it Ar-Kansas. I prefer to spell it with the Arkansaw version. I sell a good bit of my knives overseas and with the spelling at least they know how to pronounce the states name then. At the Historic Arkansas Musume in Little Rock I have seen the spelling with the W a couple of times on old things. I cannot recall right now on what but I do remember noting about it to one of the curators. But the state itself has always been technically named after the river.
And you are also right about the song. That and the Lum and Abner radio program seems to have done as much harm as good as far as how people look at the state.
Keith
Yes it is normally marked on the Obverse or public side which ever way you want to call it. If the ricasso is long enough [read big knife] I prefer to put the name 90 degrees.