I Wilson Knives

[Rick S]

I Wilson knives are highly collectible in the United States. These were the knives used by our Mountain Men during the fur trade era. I found one in a junk shop in good condition that I bought for 10 cents. Believe mine was manufactured around 1800.

Do Bushcraft enthusiast hold them in as high esteem as the Americans?

 

[bushwacker bob]

No, but knife collectors may. I suspect most of its value would lie in the States as over here most would just regard it as an old trade knife.
Got any pictures?

 

[demographic]

I Wilson knives are highly collectible in the United States. These were the knives used by our Mountain Men during the fur trade era. I found one in a junk shop in good condition that I bought for 10 cents. Believe mine was manufactured around 1800.

Do Bushcraft enthusiast hold them in as high esteem as the Americans?

Never heard of them, any pictures?

 

[Rick S]

No photographs. Don't know how to post them.

Your right they would be an old trade knife. Our buck skinners are very close to Bushcraft people except they do everything period correct back to the early 1800s. A Bushcraft festival and a buck skinners rendezvous are basically the same thing and same skills.

The trappers would bring their furs out of the Rocky Mountains and meet once a year at a rendezvou. They would buy supplies and the knives were I Wilson. Most of the guys use Russel Green River knives which resemble the I Wilson's but are not correct because they were not manufactured until after the fur trade.

 

[demographic]

Like this?

 

[sandbender]

For some reason those images do not want to appear in the thread.

www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Shadowbox_1.JPG

Or is that only happening for me?

www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/I_Wilson_Knife.JPG

Nice pictures anyway.

 

[Toddy]

I can't see them either

cheers,
Toddy

 

[demographic]

Its working for me now anyway, anyone else?

 

[jojo]

Can't see them..Any links?

 

[pwb]

Fingers crossed that this link to the pic works, as it's a nice knife



Pete.

Oh..bu@@er

 

[Tengu]

I cant see it but it sounds like a good bargain

 

[Geoff b]

Theres a discription here, on page 3
http://www.manuellisaparty.com/articles/pfd's/Some Thoughts on Butchers.pdf

 

[Rick S]

That is a good description. Mine is the thinner blade with more belly for skinning. My wife is a buck skinner and talked me out of mine.

For the last thirty years I have combed junk stores, antique malls, farm sales, and estate sales. It used to be the norm to buy the carbon steel knives for a dime, quarter, and never more than a dollar. In the last few years they have been drying up and if you find one they are in glass cases with fairly good price tags.

I've bought a couple hundred. Must have handled thousands of stainless steel knives that weren't worth a cent and the effort to dig through. In all this time I've only seen one I Wilson. So if you find one buy it. If you don't like it you can always send it to me.

 

[sandbender]

These are the links for demographics images, for some reason simply clicking on the links below leads you to a 404 page, however if you right click, copy the link and paste it into another window or tab, the images will load.

www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Shadowbox_1.JPG

www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/I_Wilson_Knife.JPG