Civil War Knife?

[jmquinlan]

Hello everyone. I live on old plantation land in NC in an area where many Civil War battles took place. Found this while digging in the yard about a foot down. Does anyone recognize this as being from the Civil War era? I don't want to toss it if it belonged to a soldier that was present on this land one day. I would appreciate any help or identification that you can offer.
Thanks! John

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Maybe someone might know

 

[scooter748driver]

Welcome from the Fort Sumter and the Fredericksburg forums.

It doesn't look like any sort of fighting knife to me, but then again I am not an expert in anything. Maybe more like a knife to be used as a tool or something? The experts will be along soon for the answer.

 

[UCVRelics]

Welcome From The Heart Of Dixie. Looks like just a larger kitchen knife.

 

[7thWisconsin]

That looks like a butcher knife, but that doesn´t mean that someone didn´t carry it as a fighting knife. Most ¨scalping knives¨ look like that.

 

[Mrs. V]

I see in your future several CWT pards asking to metal detect on your property…and yes, looks like a kitchen knife. The "waist" just before the rounded tip is interesting. I bet this is a knife for a specific purpose..

 

[johan_steele]

I agree with those seeing this as a butcher or kitchen knife, it lacks the style of a period fighting knife from the region.

 

[CowCavalry]

Looks like an "Old Hickory" brand knife to me. Good knives.

 

[Woods-walker]

Hello everyone. I live on old plantation land in NC in an area where many Civil War battles took place. Found this while digging in the yard about a foot down. Does anyone recognize this as being from the Civil War era? I don't want to toss it if it belonged to a soldier that was present on this land one day. I would appreciate any help or identification that you can offer.
Thanks! John

View attachment 462630

It's very similar to some 19th century tobacco knives i ve seen. It's too difficult to tell w/o some sort of scale to go by and the condition your knife is in. I would keep it ( but I lam a sucker for old knives)

 

[JenkinsFerry1864]

Hello everyone. I live on old plantation land in NC in an area where many Civil War battles took place. Found this while digging in the yard about a foot down. Does anyone recognize this as being from the Civil War era? I don't want to toss it if it belonged to a soldier that was present on this land one day. I would appreciate any help or identification that you can offer.
Thanks! John

View attachment 462630

with something in that shape its probably impossible to know but its interesting

 

[jmquinlan]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the responses!

 

[Skilledhunter]

definitely not a Bowie knife

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Welcome - Here's hoping you find more treasures to share with us!

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Keep digging! There's more good stuff just waiting for you.

 

[Rhea Cole]

What you have is a "Green River" pattern knife. It is an excellent all around knife that you can still purchase for less than $20.00 from the original manufacturer.

The clipped point made it useful as a skinner. The overall design made it the only knife a frontiersman needed to carry. Between 1840 & 1860 (+/-) 60,000 of this pattern were shipped from John Russell's Green River Works near Greenville MA.

The knives were packed in barrels that were ubiquitous all over the western frontier & beyond. Russell also mass produced various other patterns specifically adapted to certain tasks such as a curved skinner. Recognizing the superior quality of Russell's knives. European manufacturers began stamping Green River on their blades, too.

Individuals who are not familiar with the durability of C1095 carbon steel assume the ten pound modern Bowie knives were the choice of CW soldiers. The carbon steel used in today's Russell Green River knives has a perfect combination of hardness & flexibility.

Unlike movie prop Bowie knives, actual frontier & CW patterns were a Green River knife with a sharply angled clip. You can see a variety of patterns at the Museum of Coastal Carolina & the UNC catalogue of the cargo of the blockaderunner Modern Greece available online.

I traced a pattern of a Bowie knife in the M of CC case. At home it was an exact match for a Green River knife I found under the porch of a historic house. Russell has been making that pattern for over 180 years, so only a metallurgical analysis can determine the age of your blade.

Note: <planetarium.org> is the website for both The Museum of Coastal Carolina & the Ingram Planetarium. It is on the coast at Ocean Isle Beach NC. Amongst the artifacts from the Modern Greece is an intact case of Enfield pattern rifled muskets. I am not aware of any other place where you can see that. The museum is a delight for children.

<historic sites.bc.gov>. Fort Fisher
1610 Fort Fisher BLVD Kure Beach NC is south of the M of CC. The museum also has relics from Modern Greece's cargo.