Original William Parker English Trade Blade
Jul 9, 2023 10:17:37 GMT -7
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Post by paranger on Jul 9, 2023 10:17:37 GMT -7
I was fortunate enough to pick up a freshly dug English trade blade from a Native campsite in Nortwestern Michigan this week. I find the condition remarkably good for something that has been in the ground for 250+ years.
This particular blade has a number of interesting characteristics. It measures 7" which is typical of a "large" English blade and bears the sword-over-V-over-I cutler mark of William Parker, first registered with the Hallamshire guild in 1739 and listed as Master cutler in 1761.
Where it gets interesting is that this appears to have been a 2-pin handle, which - though known - is far less common than the 3-pin configuration for English knives. Further, the spine thickness measures in at .110" which is closer to what we commonly see on boucherons than the generally thinner English ones, which are typically closer to .090"
This example appears to be of the full width tang variety, as the pin holes are centered on the tang. This trait is generally associated with later (post 1781) blades, but the narrower blade profile and slightly upswept tip on this one echoes the earlier versions. As such, it is my estimate that this is a sort of transitional blade from the 1760-1780 timeframe when the English were assuming the Great Lakes Native trade of their former French allies.
want to upload image on google
This particular blade has a number of interesting characteristics. It measures 7" which is typical of a "large" English blade and bears the sword-over-V-over-I cutler mark of William Parker, first registered with the Hallamshire guild in 1739 and listed as Master cutler in 1761.
Where it gets interesting is that this appears to have been a 2-pin handle, which - though known - is far less common than the 3-pin configuration for English knives. Further, the spine thickness measures in at .110" which is closer to what we commonly see on boucherons than the generally thinner English ones, which are typically closer to .090"
This example appears to be of the full width tang variety, as the pin holes are centered on the tang. This trait is generally associated with later (post 1781) blades, but the narrower blade profile and slightly upswept tip on this one echoes the earlier versions. As such, it is my estimate that this is a sort of transitional blade from the 1760-1780 timeframe when the English were assuming the Great Lakes Native trade of their former French allies.
want to upload image on google
