"He is a stout barrel-chested brute of a man. He is tough as iron, supple as a willow switch, strong as an ox, and like springs on the traps he carries he is always ready to leap into action to face the myriad of challenges he may find in the wilderness. Yet he is always ready with a laugh and a song, and his eyes glint when he has the opportunity to partake of the alcohol he carries for trade. He paddles his bateau along the rivers of the North American continent which are the highways of his day, spreading his culture but also blending it with those of the indigenous tribes he meets along the way. He is a Frenchman, one of the earliest of the intrepid breed of explorer. He is a Voyageur.

   He carries with him everything he needs to make a life in the woods. His kit may include a primitive bow, an axe and or hawk, and as important as anything else, a knife. He carries several of these. Often there is a small knife hanging around his neck for minor chores, and another in one of his knee garters for emergencies. His everyday working knife, though, is worn his belt sash, or ceinture, and he relies on it for everything else. It will cut carrots and caribou or leather and lynx with equal facility. It isn't huge as Hollywood would have us believe... perhaps with a 6" long but thin flexible blade with a handle made of plain wood or bone. This is the same kinds of knife he carries to the Indian tribes to trade for furs, but his knife has known adventures that we today can only dream of!

   The Voyageur knife is 10 and ¼" inches in length with a 6" blade, and at its widest point it is an inch and a quarter in width. It measures 1/8" in thickness along the spine and is made of 1095 carbon steel. It is edge-hardened and tempered to approximately 59-60 on the Rockwell scale. It can be handled in either oiled walnut stained smooth bone or premium Elk stag. Whichever you choose, this knife will evoke the spirit of those hardy and boisterous paddlers of long-ago. In your hand, the knife will beg to be used, and as you do the Voyageur within you will be tempted to shout, "Sacre Bleu, mon ami, de river is calling my name!"

   

     

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Mighty fine looking blades, I hope you'll have a few at the show in Kalamazoo in January.  I'll be looking for them.

Good looking steel!

:D        

Good stuff right there....
ChuckC

Knives used in America from the 1600s up until the mid-1850s tended to be flat ground, and our knives follow that tradition. Hollow ground blades can produce a wickedly sharp edge, but they can much more easily chip or crack and, thus, they demand a much higher level of maintenance. Our knives actually incorporate what's known today as a compound bevel. The blades are flat ground leaving an edge that is about 25-40 microns thick. Then an additional edge bevel is added which allows our blades to be razor sharp but much stronger than a straight flat ground blade.

I love the simplicity of these knives!

I got a chance to test this blade this fall on deer. At first I wasn't sure it would be a good knife for dressing a deer but it turns out it is and I love it. The 6" blade works great for reaming the rear end and also for reaching in to cut off the wind pipe. Also the birds beak handle gives a secure grip when it's slick with blood.

I have more knives than any one man needs but this is one I'm glad to add to the "harem"    

QuoteThe blades are flat ground leaving an edge that is about 25-40 microns thick. Then an additional edge bevel is added which allows our blades to be razor sharp but much stronger than a straight flat ground blade.

This is, in my opinion, a great edge for outdoor or camp cooking use. If I did not dabble at making knives myself, I would, without doubt, own one of these.

I may anyway since I have been known to collect a few other than my own.    

Great looking knife Ron!

Lin, I know C L would be tickled pink to make a knife for you.

Thank you for your comments    

quote:

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Originally posted by Ron LaClair:


I have more knives than any one man needs but this is one I'm glad to add to the "harem"            

Just remember, if anything ever happens to Ron, my initials "R.L." are carved into all those knives and hawks that I've loaned to him and I will want them back.