"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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Topic: A knife for the adventurous spirit (Read 3863 times)
