Knives Of The Civil War

jr baker

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Feb 1, 2011
Location
covington tn
What knives would have been used in civil war I know they carried bowies. Was any knives issued. and would very many of the soldier both north and south would carried pocket knives thanks
 
Mr Baker.

Probably the most common knife of the CW was the pocket knife. They were light, utilitarian, and cheap. The big D guard bowies often didnt survive the first year of the war, being sent home or just plain tossed. Period correct pocket knives are out there, just look for em.. I carry a pocket knife in all my impressions, US or CS, officer or enlisted. Do a little research.. its out there.
 
I'm not sure of the actual popularity of Bowie knives/belt knives, you see them in an awful lot of early war personal photographs though,and not just Southern men. As for pocket knives, I can't imagine a soldier without one. In some of Greg Coco's book's dealing with the post-Gettysburg battlefield, it's clean up, and burial of the dead, accounts often mention pocket knives being amoung the effects of the dead, (those who weren't robbed that is).
 
I'm not sure of the actual popularity of Bowie knives/belt knives, you see them in an awful lot of early war personal photographs though,and not just Southern men. As for pocket knives, I can't imagine a soldier without one. In some of Greg Coco's book's dealing with the post-Gettysburg battlefield, it's clean up, and burial of the dead, accounts often mention pocket knives being amoung the effects of the dead, (those who weren't robbed that is).

Agree strongly, "...of what use is a man without a pocket knife?" it was once asked. Good question.
A thousand and one uses, the pocket knife was a simple tool almost no soldier would have been without for long. Mine is like an old friend. The Bowie knifes and D-guards are somewhat over-represented.

A pocket knife would have accompanied the soldier from home. It was not an item of issuance.
Every soldier was a civilian once. Many civilian men carried a pocket knife, and virtually all
men employed in agriculture or a skilled trade needed to have one handy.
 
I would tend to agree Craig, what is a man without a pocket knife? No man who worked the farm went without one. I carry one on my person all the time when in and out of uniform.
 
Period pocket knives are regularly available at antique shops for veryreasonable prices. Trick is to id what a period style might be which could be very regional. Simple folding clasp knives have been around since Rome.
 
I would tend to agree Craig, what is a man without a pocket knife? No man who worked the farm went without one. I carry one on my person all the time when in and out of uniform.

If I have my pants on, I am carrying a ocket knife.. and have since I was about 8 years old. It is a tool that can be used for such a wide variety of tasks that I cannot imgaine life without one.. to the point that when I have to fly, mine goes in checked baggage so I have it when I get to where I am going.
 
IMG0047.jpgIMG_4585W.jpg

I got these off of another forum. The pic with the multiple knives is from the Steamboar Arabia Museum IIRC.
 
I have been collecting pocket for just about all my life I have I think close to 40 knives I don't have any that civil war era but I will one day. But I do have 3 knives that was made after the civil war but the company that made them was in business before the war it is the new york knife company of waldan ny. I just got through making a bowie knife I can't post picture on here so I am on photobucket my name on it jr baker 1990
 
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