Absolutely marvelous piece of mineralized Dogwood! You did a very nice job of wrapping, BTW! After better than 40 years of research on Native Americans and their tools, etc., I have found more of the crooked knives with crooked blades used for hollowing out the bottom of bowls, with the straight upper portion of the blade being used to smooth and thin the sides of the bowl after getting it sufficiently deepened. I have seen both straight and crooked blades on these wonderful tools but, by far the most I've seen and seen used by Natives is the more crooked bladed styles! I've never thought to make one but, you have inspired me to try to make one in my forge! Thanks, Walter for the video! It was informative!
Loved it! Awesome project and beautiful result! I'd love to see some more "recreation" type vids like this where you simply use hand tools 👍. Thanks for sharing.
I made several different types of these blades for my Mother to make splints and decorations for basket weaving. All my blades are made from old files. I wish I had a video camera back in those days. I made them about 30 years ago and she still uses them today. My Mother turned 73 on the 13th of December and she also does a lot of bead work. We are Mi'kmaq First nation from Nova Scotia.
Very interesting subject you chose Mr. Sorrells. "I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new." comest to mind. Thank you for that.
I've been watching your channel for a long time. now I'm watching you on forged in fire and feel like one of my friends is on the show... then i realized that watching your show as long as I have, I really do view you as a friend. dysfunctional veterans get friends any where we can. I hope you kick ass and win the show.
Great video. That dogwood is incredible, almost like ebony. I enjoyed learning about the east coast crook knives, I have made west coast style for years. They are also used palm up, but with both sides of the blade sharpened. They are incredible carving tools.
I'm part Ojibwa of the Algonquin Nation. I can tell you flat out that the knife can be either left or right handed, that it does in fact have a crook at the end for gouging spoons and such. You can craft everything from canoes to snowshoes with it. As to what metallurgy is behind it, I cannot say, but it is flexible/ductile. Serious pain in the ass to find a proper slipstone for it without going to the Lee Valley catalogue or Garret Wade. Yes, it can be drawn toward you with your elbow locked towards your midsection. Your elbow is the stop to prevent injury. Your execution is exceptional, your quality is equal. Your research on this particular item is not up to scratch. I very much enjoy your tutelage, but you made something else. Elk or Reindeer horn make good handles too. Natural curvature. Like Ashley Graham... I digress... my bad! Overall, thumbs up, but I'd like to see a do over... with a hook! Better than I can forge, but not what a woodwright, or my ancestors would use for the same tasks it was intended to use. Thank-you for your time all the same.
I'm neither a historian , nor a metallurgist m'Lady. I could recommend Roy Underhill of Colonial Williamsburg. His Gung-Fu (translated as "skill") is remarkable as a historian, woodwright, blacksmith, craftsman and by my account (without meeting his family) probably a gentleman of quality. He could answer your questions based on the time frame apparent. I only know the tools I've worked with. Smelting of various ores was done in North America before my whitey ancestors came, but it was based on ores that had lower heat requirements, such as copper derived from malachite. Green tinged stones sitting in depleted streams. Not the hardest material, but it hardens as you work it or strike it. All the same, I'm not sure if they ever added tin to the copper or understood alloys in any way until steel was given by way of carbon/iron bonds that we use to this day with very specific measurements that give us cast iron (which has high carbon without ductility, thus breaking easily), wrought iron, which is my favourite for withstanding abuse, and tamahagane (the best steel based on carbon content used by swordmasters in Japan). I can be long winded, but I hope this directs you towards your answers Rachel..
Like I said at the beginning, I have zero expertise in this...so I'm not making any claims to any deep knowledge. The main source I used -- the book that I linked to up in the description -- has photos of a number of very old Mocotaugans, and most of them have straight blades. It could be that over time or between different parts of the country, etc. there may have been a fair amount of variation. Just speculation on my part.
Does anyone know if there is some difference between what is referred to as a "Crooked Knife" and a "Mocotaugan" ??? They seem identical except for the curve near the end of the blade. So I think they are one and the same.
Respectfully, my work is more on the organic end of things. Happy to fit a haft to the eye though (which is a skill better learned than offered. Makes hiking/camping that much lighter and less bulky when going through the sticks). Besides, the whole point of using a tomahawk was that it was light and versatile during a time when there wasn't a lot of steel traded. These days you want a long handled felling axe, a set of gluts (wooden wedges), a maul and a hewing axe even if you're minimalistic to build a cabin. If you're looking at just basic camping though, yup, a tomahawk head in your pack is pretty damned sweet.
Hi Walter, that's a beautiful piece of work, The handle look like it's almost as old as the knife design. Good choice. Thanks for sharing. Regards Shayne......
what a nice and functional piece! I can't believe the piece of wood was sitting there for 10 years and just waited for this project to happen ,can't wait to make one and added to my carving tool collection.
It's refreshing to see a historical knife being made which isn't a weapon! There were so many tools used on the frontier which were either hand made or trade goods. I can just imagine using this style of draw knife to make smooth stringers and frames on birch bark canoes. Thanks Walter for another fun and informative video!
Recently 'Samurai carpenter' interviewed a native carver. It amazed me how similar one of his tools was to Japanese Yari Ganna (a pear-like two-handed draw tool for rough removal of wood).
We used sinew and pine pitch mixed with charcoal and deer dung. I've not made pitch myself but I listen to what the elders say. Natural sinew is applied moist and when it dries it shrinks giving a tighter wrap.
An interesting little tidbit is that the Mocotaugan was the only trade item that the Hudson Bay Company ever listed in their catalog under its Indian name. (Yep, it's the same Hudson Bay Company that still makes top quality wool blankets to this day.) One thing though, it does need the crooked end on the blade. The Mocotaugan was said to be the most important item a Native American of the time owned, and it would be used for everything from making canoes to making spoons, cups & bowls. It was basically a do everything wood working knife, and without the bend in the end of the blade you lose a lot of that utility.
Brian Pierce .......No!, him not big Chief Suckerface. Him not tough enough, him wanna be seen here and have big pride think good things of himself......wait!, is that an eagle feather hangin out-cher-ass?? U in big heap sky-bird trouble!
I think Crook knife doesn't just come from the crooked handle but it would have also been made from a crook or fork in tree branches where the grain would naturally follow the bend and be very strong.
hey, big fan. saw you on Forged in Fire. it was an unfair competition. obviously the 2 easier forge welding techniques advanced to the final stage. awesome video sir
another way of finishing the wrap is a reverse ligature, sort of how the serving on a bowstring is finished or a fishing hook is tied off, it doesn't need the needle.
It sounds like after doing all that computerized and hi-tech work you needed to return to your roots to regain the inspiration. Good work on that knife, it was very enjoyable to watch and learn how you do things. I only wish I could do it as well.
My father had a mocotaugan. Used it for making snowshoes, paddles, axe handles and wooden spoons. It had about three inch blade and the tip of the blade was about 90 degrees from the rest of the blade. The knife was excellent for hollowing out wood. I was really hoping you'd put a good bend on your model. Good job though! Oh and I saw you on Forged in Fire!
Guess who I saw on Forged In Fire the other night??? I could not believe what I was seeing...so sorry for you, that was so strange...you're STILL my go to guy for knife stuff...Thanks and keep up the video work...
"It was also kind of fun..." I think that's the biggest part right there. For most of us hobbyists, it's about what's fun. Some people get too caught up in historical accuracy or modern practicality, and forget that a big reason why we do this is just because we enjoy it.
Put the bevel on the underside of the blade. Placed on top you can not plunge into a cut and then back up and out. Try a chisel bevel up and down on a piece of wood as a test. Bevel up and it will have to break the wood out to bring it back out of the cut. Gouges are ground on the under side except for a specialized gouge that is ground incannel. Try a gouge for something like a spoon or bowl and then regrind the gouge with the bevel on the inside. You won't like that at all. Using Dogwood was an excellent choice for this project. It has an interlocking grain and is extremely tough. The more you us it the more polished it becomes. It's traditionally used for shuttles used in weaving cloth. As it slides back and forth on the warp threads it becomes glass smooth without any real wear. I've used it for tool handles, carving mauls, gears in wooden clocks, shuttles for net weaving, tuning pegs and there are no finer wooden wedges for splitting out planks than Dogwood. I just learned of your videos tonight, I have enjoyed them very much.
Great Video, Dogwood is hard enough that they used it for splitting wedges when they couldn't get steel. I admire your patience working with that wood.
the crooked knife's handle bend is supposed to come from a branch to make it more solid and exploit the natural strength of the wood. The blade is supposed to be bent too. The knife back then was the utility knife capable of making snowshoe to spoons, to toboggan, to dog sled, etc.The curve helps with rounded edges and holes. The metal came from a file back 100-200 years ago with a 4-5 inch blade and wet rawhide string to secure the blade to the handle. When the rawhide string dries, it tightens everything up.
I have some good steel that is both to thin and narrow for any kind of knife blades and some azalea wood that I have drying. I think I will have to make me a few of these that way I can save my sand paper and grinders when I make handles for axes and such. Thank you again for a great video.
Ray Mears and his indian mate made a canoe out of birch bark using a crook knife, it didn't look like this one mate, it was bent in a couple of different angles, smaller blade too. i do enjoy your videos, relaxing voice
I was going to agree with the people below that the knife should have a crook near the end. I first saw this knife when I read the book, "The Survival Of The Birch Bark Canoe". Thank you.
I've not seen any Dogwood with mineral staining like that. Pretty cool look. Seems everybody makes these knives with the bevel on top when it needs to be on the bottom of the blade. Top bevel plunge into the cut but cannot be brought back out without breaking the chip off. Bottom beveled blades slice down and can be brought back out of the cut in one continuous cut. Look how a gouge is sharpened. Special gouges are sharpened on the inside, but you certainly aren't going to make any hollow spoon or bowl type cuts with them. Incanel I believe is the term for that grind. If you make one put the bevel on the bottom and you will have a great tool. Bevel on top you'll have a conservation piece as it is very nearly usless.
pure bitumen/asphalt is a great alternative to natural pitch, that can be hard to find and quite expensive .. even though it doesnt smell nearly as nice. find a friendly road worker to hand you some scrap material, and you're set for years to come.
For some reason, whenever I saw photos of this knife I always assumed it was some really weird war club. I never realized it was a knife or that it was that small.
as a native American I respect ur attention to detail an appreciate that u explain the history of the use of this thank you for the video sir
TheKRiddler ...................liar.
Absolutely marvelous piece of mineralized Dogwood! You did a very nice job of wrapping, BTW!
After better than 40 years of research on Native Americans and their tools, etc., I have found more of the crooked knives with crooked blades used for hollowing out the bottom of bowls, with the straight upper portion of the blade being used to smooth and thin the sides of the bowl after getting it sufficiently deepened. I have seen both straight and crooked blades on these wonderful tools but, by far the most I've seen and seen used by Natives is the more crooked bladed styles!
I've never thought to make one but, you have inspired me to try to make one in my forge!
Thanks, Walter for the video! It was informative!
Love that dogwood. You'll never find another piece like that. Great project.
Loved it! Awesome project and beautiful result! I'd love to see some more "recreation" type vids like this where you simply use hand tools 👍. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful Project!
It's incredible how many things men made in the past without our tools and science!!!
I made several different types of these blades for my Mother to make splints and decorations for basket weaving. All my blades are made from old files. I wish I had a video camera back in those days. I made them about 30 years ago and she still uses them today. My Mother turned 73 on the 13th of December and she also does a lot of bead work. We are Mi'kmaq First nation from Nova Scotia.
Very interesting subject you chose Mr. Sorrells.
"I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new." comest to mind.
Thank you for that.
Of all of your videos, I somehow found this to be the most interesting. Thank you very much for this.
Out of all your work I've ever seen that's my favorite
I've been watching your channel for a long time. now I'm watching you on forged in fire and feel like one of my friends is on the show... then i realized that watching your show as long as I have, I really do view you as a friend. dysfunctional veterans get friends any where we can. I hope you kick ass and win the show.
Great video. That dogwood is incredible, almost like ebony. I enjoyed learning about the east coast crook knives, I have made west coast style for years. They are also used palm up, but with both sides of the blade sharpened. They are incredible carving tools.
Another beautiful knife. Thanks.
It was very enjoyable and relaxing to watch you craft that beautiful blade. Thanks for sharing it with us.
there is something very rewarding about making your own tools. I like it a lot 👍🖒
Great build, Walter! love these types of videos on historical knifes, always a pleasure learning.
One of the most interesting projects I have seen you tackle.
It was very nice hearing the history of this tool and seeing how it worked at the end. Thank you Walter, great video.
A step back in time. Thanks, Walter!
This is one of my favorite blades you have made. The history, materials and overall beauty are amazing. Great job.
Super! I really like the approach. Great content as usual!
Really cool build ! Looks very exotic and interesting.
I'm part Ojibwa of the Algonquin Nation. I can tell you flat out that the knife can be either left or right handed, that it does in fact have a crook at the end for gouging spoons and such. You can craft everything from canoes to snowshoes with it. As to what metallurgy is behind it, I cannot say, but it is flexible/ductile. Serious pain in the ass to find a proper slipstone for it without going to the Lee Valley catalogue or Garret Wade.
Yes, it can be drawn toward you with your elbow locked towards your midsection. Your elbow is the stop to prevent injury.
Your execution is exceptional, your quality is equal. Your research on this particular item is not up to scratch. I very much enjoy your tutelage, but you made something else.
Elk or Reindeer horn make good handles too. Natural curvature. Like Ashley Graham... I digress... my bad!
Overall, thumbs up, but I'd like to see a do over... with a hook!
Better than I can forge, but not what a woodwright, or my ancestors would use for the same tasks it was intended to use.
Thank-you for your time all the same.
I'm neither a historian , nor a metallurgist m'Lady. I could recommend Roy Underhill of Colonial Williamsburg. His Gung-Fu (translated as "skill") is remarkable as a historian, woodwright, blacksmith, craftsman and by my account (without meeting his family) probably a gentleman of quality. He could answer your questions based on the time frame apparent. I only know the tools I've worked with.
Smelting of various ores was done in North America before my whitey ancestors came, but it was based on ores that had lower heat requirements, such as copper derived from malachite. Green tinged stones sitting in depleted streams. Not the hardest material, but it hardens as you work it or strike it. All the same, I'm not sure if they ever added tin to the copper or understood alloys in any way until steel was given by way of carbon/iron bonds that we use to this day with very specific measurements that give us cast iron (which has high carbon without ductility, thus breaking easily), wrought iron, which is my favourite for withstanding abuse, and tamahagane (the best steel based on carbon content used by swordmasters in Japan).
I can be long winded, but I hope this directs you towards your answers Rachel..
Like I said at the beginning, I have zero expertise in this...so I'm not making any claims to any deep knowledge. The main source I used -- the book that I linked to up in the description -- has photos of a number of very old Mocotaugans, and most of them have straight blades. It could be that over time or between different parts of the country, etc. there may have been a fair amount of variation. Just speculation on my part.
Does anyone know if there is some difference between what is referred to as a "Crooked Knife" and a "Mocotaugan" ??? They seem identical except for the curve near the end of the blade. So I think they are one and the same.
My lady is an Ojibwe too. How about you make us all a tomahawk? =)
Respectfully, my work is more on the organic end of things. Happy to fit a haft to the eye though (which is a skill better learned than offered. Makes hiking/camping that much lighter and less bulky when going through the sticks). Besides, the whole point of using a tomahawk was that it was light and versatile during a time when there wasn't a lot of steel traded. These days you want a long handled felling axe, a set of gluts (wooden wedges), a maul and a hewing axe even if you're minimalistic to build a cabin.
If you're looking at just basic camping though, yup, a tomahawk head in your pack is pretty damned sweet.
I love these and use them all of the time. I have made 3 so far
I knew that you'd be on forged in fire! Great work! Keep it up!
Hi Walter, that's a beautiful piece of work, The handle look like it's almost as old as the knife design. Good choice.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards Shayne......
what a nice and functional piece! I can't believe the piece of wood was sitting there for 10 years and just waited for this project to happen ,can't wait to make one and added to my carving tool collection.
Really nice work. That wood was rock hard!
I would love to see more knifes made like this on this channel
It's refreshing to see a historical knife being made which isn't a weapon!
There were so many tools used on the frontier which were either hand made or trade goods. I can just imagine using this style of draw knife to make smooth stringers and frames on birch bark canoes.
Thanks Walter for another fun and informative video!
Part How-To, part history lesson, all enjoyable! Thumb up!
Recently 'Samurai carpenter' interviewed a native carver. It amazed me how similar one of his tools was to Japanese Yari Ganna (a pear-like two-handed draw tool for rough removal of wood).
Doesn't look like the smartest tool ever but does look unusual, cool & as usual, reallly good finished product!
i think this will be my first knife i forge. thankyou for all the advice and how to videos.
I think this is one of the most honest knives you've ever made. I like it a lot!
I love both elements of this knife, the dogwood is amazing and the knife shape and use is inspiring
We used sinew and pine pitch mixed with charcoal and deer dung. I've not made pitch myself but I listen to what the elders say. Natural sinew is applied moist and when it dries it shrinks giving a tighter wrap.
An interesting little tidbit is that the Mocotaugan was the only trade item that the Hudson Bay Company ever listed in their catalog under its Indian name. (Yep, it's the same Hudson Bay Company that still makes top quality wool blankets to this day.)
One thing though, it does need the crooked end on the blade. The Mocotaugan was said to be the most important item a Native American of the time owned, and it would be used for everything from making canoes to making spoons, cups & bowls. It was basically a do everything wood working knife, and without the bend in the end of the blade you lose a lot of that utility.
Excellent work Sir.. Love all the old school approach ...
Hey nice video Walter, can't wait to see you on Forged in Fire!
Wait.... is he actually going to be on Forged in Fire!??
Brian Pierce .......No!, him not big Chief Suckerface. Him not tough enough, him wanna be seen here and have big pride think good things of himself......wait!, is that an eagle feather hangin out-cher-ass?? U in big heap sky-bird trouble!
Robert Langley what
Outstanding. More indigenous tools please.
Hey Walter you should make a Sgian Dubh, I think that would make an awesome video!
..... or maybe a copy of the SOG Pentagon..... my favorite GOMK that lived "center mass" on my plate carrier in the service.
I think Crook knife doesn't just come from the crooked handle but it would have also been made from a crook or fork in tree branches where the grain would naturally follow the bend and be very strong.
I like the scraper finish. that's how violins are finished, no sanding. sanding clogs the pores of the wood and actually dulls the final finish 👍
very nice! i enjoy native historic tools, weapons. keep up the good work.
Thanks for bringing this important bit of history to our attention. I enjoyed observing your rendition of this overlooked tool.
Just saw you on Forged in Fire! Your knife was so beautiful too
hey, big fan. saw you on Forged in Fire. it was an unfair competition. obviously the 2 easier forge welding techniques advanced to the final stage. awesome video sir
Very interesting project. Well done!
Now that is a handy tool. Good job!
that bit of dogwood looked cool. it can be a real pain working with wood that hard but its rewarding if you persevere :-)
Great video, as always!! Thanks for sharing
Cool video--I've only seen curved blade mocotaugans, so this straight blade design is great to see. Thanks for the great content.
Sweet Dude! Love you vids, some I have seen with hook on the end for hollowing or concave carving.
I have never seen anything like that. What a good looking knife and as always you did a fantastic job on it.
this is the kind of videos i do enjoy watching more on the historical/traditional and with hand tools :)
another way of finishing the wrap is a reverse ligature, sort of how the serving on a bowstring is finished or a fishing hook is tied off, it doesn't need the needle.
It sounds like after doing all that computerized and hi-tech work you needed to return to your roots to regain the inspiration. Good work on that knife, it was very enjoyable to watch and learn how you do things. I only wish I could do it as well.
Walter ! Great knife !
My father had a mocotaugan. Used it for making snowshoes, paddles, axe handles and wooden spoons. It had about three inch blade and the tip of the blade was about 90 degrees from the rest of the blade. The knife was excellent for hollowing out wood. I was really hoping you'd put a good bend on your model. Good job though! Oh and I saw you on Forged in Fire!
Awesome project!
That is an interesting and unique piece of Dogwood 👍
Guess who I saw on Forged In Fire the other night???
I could not believe what I was seeing...so sorry for you, that was so strange...you're STILL my go to guy for knife stuff...Thanks and keep up the video work...
Dude that turned out very nice!
I really liked this video. thank you very much.
"It was also kind of fun..."
I think that's the biggest part right there. For most of us hobbyists, it's about what's fun. Some people get too caught up in historical accuracy or modern practicality, and forget that a big reason why we do this is just because we enjoy it.
nice video, Walter ! tanx!
Put the bevel on the underside of the blade. Placed on top you can not plunge into a cut and then back up and out. Try a chisel bevel up and down on a piece of wood as a test. Bevel up and it will have to break the wood out to bring it back out of the cut. Gouges are ground on the under side except for a specialized gouge that is ground incannel. Try a gouge for something like a spoon or bowl and then regrind the gouge with the bevel on the inside. You won't like that at all.
Using Dogwood was an excellent choice for this project. It has an interlocking grain and is extremely tough. The more you us it the more polished it becomes. It's traditionally used for shuttles used in weaving cloth. As it slides back and forth on the warp threads it becomes glass smooth without any real wear. I've used it for tool handles, carving mauls, gears in wooden clocks, shuttles for net weaving, tuning pegs and there are no finer wooden wedges for splitting out planks than Dogwood. I just learned of your videos tonight, I have enjoyed them very much.
That is actually a really beautiful knife
It would be interesting in seeing a live stream of you making knives/swords/et cetera
Excellent video! Thanks!
you're an awesome instructor.
Great Video, Dogwood is hard enough that they used it for splitting wedges when they couldn't get steel. I admire your patience working with that wood.
Congrats on Forged in Fire! Just saw an ad on History. Awesome.
the crooked knife's handle bend is supposed to come from a branch to make it more solid and exploit the natural strength of the wood. The blade is supposed to be bent too. The knife back then was the utility knife capable of making snowshoe to spoons, to toboggan, to dog sled, etc.The curve helps with rounded edges and holes. The metal came from a file back 100-200 years ago with a 4-5 inch blade and wet rawhide string to secure the blade to the handle. When the rawhide string dries, it tightens everything up.
such a different knife i love it!
Great video!
I have some good steel that is both to thin and narrow for any kind of knife blades and some azalea wood that I have drying. I think I will have to make me a few of these that way I can save my sand paper and grinders when I make handles for axes and such. Thank you again for a great video.
This is awesome!
Great video thanks for making it
Oh man, definitely do more videos like this!
Great video and great job.. very nice
I really like your videos!
Man, what is that acoustic track at the end? I've heard it in several of your videos now and it's wonderful.
Awsome! I like that piece
Love you Walter
Very neat. Thank You
Really cool video
Ray Mears and his indian mate made a canoe out of birch bark using a crook knife, it didn't look like this one mate, it was bent in a couple of different angles, smaller blade too. i do enjoy your videos, relaxing voice
nice to revisit
I was going to agree with the people below that the knife should have a crook near the end. I first saw this knife when I read the book, "The Survival Of The Birch Bark Canoe". Thank you.
I will cut that grove for blade at opposite side. Right now threads holding blade only, instead to be some wood between thread and blade. Good job.
Grand father made his from little files and his wrap was always copper wire. He got his handles from forked bushes.
I've not seen any Dogwood with mineral staining like that. Pretty cool look. Seems everybody makes these knives with the bevel on top when it needs to be on the bottom of the blade. Top bevel plunge into the cut but cannot be brought back out without breaking the chip off. Bottom beveled blades slice down and can be brought back out of the cut in one continuous cut. Look how a gouge is sharpened. Special gouges are sharpened on the inside, but you certainly aren't going to make any hollow spoon or bowl type cuts with them. Incanel I believe is the term for that grind. If you make one put the bevel on the bottom and you will have a great tool. Bevel on top you'll have a conservation piece as it is very nearly usless.
Nice!! I've never seen one . That sure was some very hard wood
Very nice
pure bitumen/asphalt is a great alternative to natural pitch, that can be hard to find and quite expensive .. even though it doesnt smell nearly as nice. find a friendly road worker to hand you some scrap material, and you're set for years to come.
Very cool it was a multi tool for its times
Hahahaaaa! Really great! Thank you! I enjoy this!
you make some of the tightest knifes i have ever seen
For some reason, whenever I saw photos of this knife I always assumed it was some really weird war club. I never realized it was a knife or that it was that small.