18th Century Styled Backwoods Belt Knife by Todd Daggett

 

I’m always very critical of my own work, but I was very pleased with the way this knife and sheath turned out.  The 4 1/16 blade was forged from spring steel and tempered very well. The blade bears a few of my touchmarks including a small flower on the back of the blade.  The tapered tang was driven into a piece of white tail deer antler that was formerly the handle of one of my hide scrapers.  The tang runs through a doomed pommel cap and is peened for strength.  A pewter bolster secures the base.

The vegetable tanned cowhide sheath was sewn with a hide thong and repaired with waxed flax thread and pewter rivets.

I know from experience that it handles very well accomplishing any task asked of it, from skinning coons to making pbj sandwiches (don’t tell my kids).

Photography by Jan Riser.