River Traders

During the Colonial Period, knife blades were often traded rather than finished knives. This saved space in shipping, and customers were often unwilling to pay for something they could make themselves (the handle portion). These are hand-made replicas of the finished knives. They are made of properly tempered 1095 spring steel and take a good edge. Like the originals, they are quite thin (about .062" or just under 1/16") so they are light to carry and make good slicers. The sides are lightly polished after heat treat and the residual scale resembles damascus. The knives are hand crafted here in the U.S. by Dean Oliver so each one is a bit different. They come with nicely figured Maple handles and brass pins. No sheath is supplied, but it's not that hard to make your own. If you prefer, I now have some quality sheaths made by Dean's wife Midge, shown below.