lookin for a butcher knife blade

[Whiskey James SASS#85199]

Howdy all,

I'm looking for a few sources for a butcher knife blade or a finished one that is functional and not fancy.  I found a few blades in a mountain man shop but they were waffer thin.

Thanks a bunch,
Whiskey James

[ChuckBurrows]

Original butcher blades are thin - usually no more than 3/32" thick.
www.crazycrow.com carries the J Russell Com Green River butchers in sizes up to 10", both finished knives and blades. The only "problem" with the finished knives is the use of the three brass/copper rivets which IIRC is post 1885 or even later (would have to look it up and am just too tuckered out). The style of these blades hasn't changed since the 1840's.
An easy fix is to cover the grip and rivets with rawhide, a common "repair". The second option is to get the blade and put your own handle on using iron pins (#8 finishing nails are about the right size) in either a six pin or 5 pin pattern - exact pattern will depend on date - you'll need to anneal the tang or use a carbide bit though to drill the holes in the hardened tang. The third option is to keep an eye out for an original - EBay (caveat emptor) and some of the western antique sites often have them for a decent price.

Hope this helps..

[St. George]

All of the original butcher knives I've ever seen/handled have been thing - and that includes those with Native American provenenace.

That's so they could be sharpened rapidly for the task at hand.

It's also why you see rawhide'wrapped originals that have been sharpened down to 1/4" blades, since they were often sharpened with a rock by their owners.

You'll see good ones - even old ones - at garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores, antique shops and flea markets - so keep your eyes open.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

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[Delmonico]

I've got a lot of good old time butcher knives picked up at thrift stores and garage sales in varying states of how far they are ground down over the years.  Most I have to put new handles on and most get passed one to folks who apprentice with me in my cook camp to help them get started.  A friend of mine gave me a couple dozen in June she'd found at garage sales, never spent over 25 cents on any of them.

[Eric Davison]

Hello,
First post that I can share something on.  I got the 6" Green River butcher blade from Crazy Crow that Chuck is talking about and put a handle on it.  I really like it but I wish I had seen this post before I put my handle on.  Either way it is thin, sharp and it works because I skinned and butchered an antelope with it last Thursday north of Gillette Wyoming.

If you want another good blade from the same company the 4" ripper works great for removing the connective tissue from meat and paring as well.

If you are looking for a working knife that is. ;-)

[Delmonico]

If you are looking for a working knife that is. ;-)

Anything else is just a lousy pry bar.