Cowboy knives

[RugerNurse]

What kind of knives/brands did cowboys use around the early 1900s. Probably a PM2 right?
It’s been a lazy Sunday so I’ve been carrying my Victorinox Recruit and wondering what kind of tasks they did vs today with the modern steels and locks we have on knives. Do we do more “hard use” stuff like people say?

[James Y]

I'm not sure, but I would guess that many cowboys carried Barlow pattern pocketknives. There were also stockman and cattle knives (basically, more robust versions of stockman pattern knives). Possibly made by companies like Case, Camillus, Remington, Cattaraugus, and others.

Jim

[Blaine in the Rock]

My father is a farrier and "cowboy". I immediately pictured hoof knives. Also probably the Bowie and variations.

[Murphy Slaw]

Case didn't get started until the very late 1800's, actually forming Case Brothers in 1900.

Schrade too, was late to the game, as far as cowboys go.

I'm guessing most fixed blades were made by local blacksmiths in the middle 1800's.

[jwbnyc]

I would bet most were made in Sheffield, England, imported, and sold in dry goods stores.

Later on, there was Russell for sure.

[Doc Dan]

Most likely used a jack knife in their pocket and maybe a practical belt knife with a 4 inch blade or so. The Wild West was mostly gone and there was no need to be encumbered by a huge knife.

[riclaw]

Arizona Gostriders did a video on knives in the Old West. Might not answer your question, but fun to watch either way.

[Murphy Slaw]

It does make ya wonder. Some people now claim the Bowie knife was nothing but a kitchen knife.

I prefer the "legend"...

[twinboysdad]

I had always heard Stockman and each blade was dedicated. Spey blade was for castration only, Wharncliffe was the EDC blade, thus why it sat the highest up. And lastly the clip point was for eating and kept clean(er). Who knows how much of that is true?

[Manixguy@1994]

I remember years ago an article in BLADE about the Bowie knife . I’m not sure if it is anywhere in the wild , but was very interesting . Dan

[James Y]

I'm not sure about cowboys, but I heard that mountain men often carried a skinning knife on their belt, which looked like ordinary butcher knives, that were seen as much more practical for use than the fancy Bowie knives. I also heard that the original Bowie knife that Jim Bowie carried was fairly plain-looking, like a large kitchen knife.

For pocket knives, Barrow.patterns were popular because they were built solidly, and were relatively inexpensive.

Jim

[twinboysdad]

Sodbuster too, basically the American “peasant” knife like Euro friction knives

[RugerNurse]

I'm not sure about cowboys, but I heard that mountain men often carried a skinning knife on their belt, which looked like ordinary butcher knives, that were seen as much more practical for use than the fancy Bowie knives.

Interesting, I’m sure skinning game was very common. Just curious because large knives today always the connotation of survival and bushcraft. Mountain men of those days I assume didn’t baton wood with their knives.

[Murphy Slaw]

Mountain men of those days I assume didn’t baton wood with their knives.

I'm guessing a knife was an extremely valuable tool to a mountain man. With a replacement being few and very far between I would think knife abuse would be unheard of in those days.