What does a bone knife blade look like?

[diggingthe1]

After seeing that amazing collection that went up for sale, I have been curious if you can tell if a knife blade has been in a handle. Could these be? Does anyone have any examples? The piece on the right is thicker at the top.

 

[Huzzah!]

Those look like thumb scrapers to me

 

[diggingthe1]

Those look like thumb scrapers to me

Me to but if you are scraping things the edges get smooth, here is another bigger one. I am just curious if you can tell if a piece was made for a handle! Thanks for the reply!

 

[gilmerman]

Nice artifact, I don't think any of can say one way or another if this as hafted. But it's a very useful tool and looks well used. Thanks

 

[diggingthe1]

Nice artifact, I don't think any of can say one way or another if this as hafted. But it's a very useful tool and looks well used. Thanks

Thanks gilerman, is there a way to tell if a piece has been hafted or made to be that way. Im just curious if they have a noticeable style.

 

[welsbury]

I know the Dakota area tribes had a knife with a inset blade. I'm sure other areas too.Steve Larson's threads probably has an example at least the bone part

 

[diggingthe1]

After seeing the all those bone knife pictures for that auction, it sure made me curious. Thank you I will enjoy looking through those. These are from Colorado.

 

[MAMucker]

The truth is, the usefulness of small blades or blade-lets can not be over-assumed.
A single small flake was the equivalent of today’s utility knife. It could easily cut through cord or gut,or be used to score bone or whittle hardwood.
Blade-lets were fitted in-line along the edge of bone and wooden shafts to create, knives, saws and farming tools. Flint blade-let Sickles were (and still are -at least until recently) used to cut thatch and grass in the Middle East.



Prehistorically, many small knife blades were used just as they were, with no handle. They were handy, easy to make and easy to store.

The two small quartz blades you have there were likely hand-held knives, but as Gilmerman notes, without residue or evidence left on the artifacts, no one can say if they were hafted.

The burgundy blade could also be the broken base of a leaf blade or preform.

Nice artifacts!

 

[old digger]

Here are a few knife blades that were inserted into the sides of buffalo ribs. The edges of a buffalo rib were hallowed out and several (two to three) thinly flaked blades were inserted to make one continuous cutting surface.

 

[MAMucker]

Very nice!

 

[quito]

Here are a couple examples of stone blade and rib handle that I have.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thank you for the replies Mucker and Digger. I think I have my brain wrapped around it now. I appreciate and learned from the responses. Here are two of my favorites that I guess could be. I wish the orange one was not broke. The petrified wood one looks very well used and I’m thinking it was definitely more of a multi tool knife, but thought you would like the pictures.

 

[diggingthe1]

Here are a couple examples of stone blade and rib handle that I have.

View attachment 1714532

Thank you for posting those examples, I appreciate it!

 

[tomclark]

Hoko Digital Image Archive

check out the pics in "Hafted Microlith/Microblade"

Not particular to your pieces but shows a bunch of small hafted scrapers.

 

[quito]

Here are some blades alone. I believe all of these would have been halfted to the split rib bone.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thank you tomclark for that wonderful link. I am excited to spend some time checking that out. Thank you quito, I can see how they taper to one side to fit in. Some of those look like when they dulled they could reverse them. Those are absolutely beautiful examples. You can pretty much tell they were made, or altered from a point, to fit in a handle.

 

[quito]

Thank you tomclark for that wonderful link. I am excited to spend some time checking that out. Thank you quito, I can see how they taper to one side to fit in. Some of those look like when they dulled they could reverse them. Those are absolutely beautiful examples. You can pretty much tell they were made, or altered from a point, to fit in a handle.

Dont think any of mine were made from a point. The smallest is over 2.5 inches and they go over 4”. I believe they were made to fit in a split rib. And yes, they would use both edges.

here are a couple that would appear to be made from a point, but I believe these were just large blades notched so they could be halfted at the base, much different than in the split rib.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thanks quito for showing those forms. They are new to me. I really like the piece on the right. This will keep me busy looking at my collection for a while! I need to get out and hunt more and find some!!