My first find of the year, and maybe Civil War???

[normalizer]

I was hitting an old civil war site today, that's reputedly hunted out. Probably is, but you never know.

I decided to go into some hard to reach spots, steep sides of hills covered in trees/brush, where I figured it would have been searched less. I found several plastic shotgun shell husks, one bit of buck shot, a piece that I think -might- be camp lead, and this pocket knife.

Depth of the knife was about 3 inches, but the soil only goes down a couple inches before hitting limestone bedrock everywhere, not much topsoil to cover things up with.

The wood on the handle is so brittle that it began crumbling apart the moment I touched it, I took the picture as soon as I realized this so as to record it before it got any worse. It's wrapped up and I'm going to try and get better pics later, hoping it's still in once piece.

Initially I thought it was a fairly modern knife, as there seems to have been a LOT of camping and target shooting there over the years. After having googled civil war pocket knifes it's starting to look like it MIGHT be one, though I don't have the knowledge to judge it.

Opinions?

Going back tomorrow and focusing in more on that same area.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Gunrunner61]

It might be, But for some reason i'm thinking 20's or 30's, But then i'm no knife expert
either...............HH

 

[recondigger]

The scales on your knife are bone by the looks of them not wood. Nice find! as far as age I have no clue

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Looks like the knife in the photo which is a Civil War knife... Try getting more photos if you can, does appear to be Civil War.

 

[tennessee digger]

In my opinion I think it is civil war era and, like recondigger said, I too think it is bone.

 

[hamiddetecting]

Good start and good luck next hunt

 

[last1found]

The absent metal "logo" shape appears to be that of an Imperial brand knife. Have no idea what its age might be.

 

[dig kzoo]

Great find, way to think outside of the box at the site!

 

[normalizer]

It's a good thing I took that picture, it looks horrible now. I rinsed it off and the bone scale just splintered apart into several pieces. Have it soaking in evaporust right now... the main blade appears intact, the second blade broke in half and was either an awl or a smaller blade that was broken/sharpened so much that it looks like an awl.

I'll get some more pics asap.

What appears in the photo above to be a logo on the shield is gone now.

 

[normalizer]

This is the back of the knife, as found in the field.

 

[normalizer]

I've taken it out of the evaporust bath and am trying my ghetto electrolysis on it.

What's left if the scale, and part of the awl blade, are resting on top of a shaving cream lid.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

looks ruined now??

 

[joeyfresh]

They're one of the hardest things to date and there's almost a zero chance to say it was used during the civil war unless you found it at a campsite butt up against an enfield rifle. You'll find plenty more pocket knives so hopefully you next one will have makers mark to help identify and date. Keep at it!!

 

[screwynewy]

Cool knife. Like others have said it is really hard to date pocket knives since they don't fair very well to being buried in mineralized soil. I have learned the hard way too that some finds come out of the ground in the best condition that they can be. Too many times I have tried to clean up finds only to have them fall apart after adding water or trying to scrub them. I just had a CW eagle button fall apart trying to clean it. Maybe I haven't learned yet after all.