I.D. help with old dug knife.

[GatorBoy]

I've had this for over a year now.. and still have very few answers. I think this could be an amazing find but I just don't know for sure. any help with the style or lettering will be a great help. the site this knife came from has yielded artifacts from Native American to 1600's Spanish.. And Second Seminole War. When found it was almost completely incased in sandstone that also had native American pottery chards in it. in one photo you can still see a piece stuck on the handle. Also on the left side of the handguard there is a very small secondary etching that appears to be the word paid.. as if a tax was paid on it. Again..Any info at all will be a great help...thank you.

 

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[GatorBoy]

 

[Terry Soloman]

Why haven't you taken it to a local college or university? I am sure the faculty of the history department would love to help you.

 

[GatorBoy]

I would like to think that as well I'm just skeptical about Florida laws and their involvement with folks who may confiscate it or put me under a microscope.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Little late for that now Gator.. Public forum monitered by local, state and federal watchdogs. I'm surprised they aren't knocking on your door right now.

Just kidding.. kind of.

 

[GatorBoy]

Hey..I'm not that bad. Ha..kinda

 

[austin]

Geofact/rock. Just kidding, wanted to piss you off. You get lucky tonight boy. No, not that kind of lucky, other kind. Me overly educated, retired, almost 65 year old college prof. who been teaching very boring subject-history. Seriously, I have a couple of knives like that, one a kitchen knife with a cute pink speckled handle (no, I'm straight) that dates from the 1950's and a Norwegian 1930-1950's knife. Both have the same handle, but neither has the tang. BUT, I have seen many norwegian knives with a tang. They were fisherman's favorites back in the day. Still, could be wrong, has happened many times in past. Wrong about women, whiskey and excitement of history. Adios, Kemosabe

 

[GatorBoy]

Anything is possible thanks. Funny to find it amongst native American pottery from a tribe that went extinct in the eighteenth century. They still make handles that look like that today.And made Spanish cuttoe knives like it in the seventeenth century. I think more info needs to be taken into account then just shape. When I find a pink one at that site I will agree.

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

The handle looks lime a french design from around 1875 or so j have had french bayonets and swords with brass hand guard like that this is at least 130-150 years old. So this could be from the revolutionary war easily I will do some research in my 20 books this week and let you know what I find. I have my whole house full of weapons I am still trying to research now lol I will send some pictures.of some if you want.

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

That is a awesome find I have 2 metal detectors and dieing to find a blade ir weapon. That could easily be spanish late 18th century as well. I have had blades that were german and had american handles and american blades in german handles. I have a few machetes that the blades are made in england and handle and case say Jamaica man. What I am trying to say is weapons are a mystery sometimes especaily in this case the blade is gone. It looks lime it was a bowie or boot knife how big the handle is. Also the markings on the handgaurd could be Hallmarks to the maker not sure its hard to tell in pictures.

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

http://www.ambroseantiques.com/swords/1849knife.htm

There is a ametican made bowie with similar look its from 1850 yours definetly is older but just thought I woud show you what I foind so far.

 

[GatorBoy]

Thank you so very much for your help and in taking an interest in my find. I can provide whatever photos you my need. I mean it!! THANKS!

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

Looking at more knives on this website I see a very close match. They have bras hanguard, 3 pins in handle, same type of curvature on the pommel or bottom of handle so this could be american made. Still dating 1820-1850 easily. I would keep it with whatever you found and look more in the area something happend there you may find other artifacts. Gl nice find
http://snyderstreasures.com/pages/edged_weapons.htm

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

You should email the person on the contact info of the website I linked maybe they can know exactly what it is.

 

[GatorBoy]

Thank you I will do that. I have buttons Flint and pipe frags. From the same site from second Seminole war there was a fort in the area.

 

[themanwhogetsthings711]

I emailed that guy for a few of my weapons he don't identify things for free. I just entered a weapons forum I may have to enter a few more to identify my pieces. Just looking at others this was a bowie from 1830-1850.
Did not see any handles made from anyone else. I love old rusted stuff

 

[GatorBoy]

Thanks..

 

[BosnMate]

From what I can see in the photo it looks like there is grain in the iron, which makes it look to me like wrought iron, not steel. if so that means the knife would be very old, back during the the time when steel was hard to get and spendy. There were wrought iron axe heads that had narrow edges of steel welded to the iron. Today everything is made from some sort of steel, even nails are mild steel and I don't think it is possible to find any true wrought iron. When I was a kid there were nails made from wrought iron, and I would try to pound them into a knife blade using a rail road tie for the anvil. Pounding on wrought iron cold separates the grain and the nails wouldn't flatten, they'd splay out and the grain would separate. It was years later that I learned that wrought iron had to be worked red hot. My guess is the knife is very old Spanish.

 

[BosnMate]

Looking at the last photo, it looks like the remaining knife blade is still in part of the sheath.

 

[GatorBoy]

Very good info.. Thank you very much for the input. After all my researching I am leaning towards Spanish myself. The lettering on the handguard Seems to fit as well. I sure wish I could decipher it.