Notch on early Wilsons?

[tcalbert]

This came up at a gun show over the weekend...Its long been speculated that trade blades were once imported with out handles...its a common story, and maybe where theres smoke there really is fire? Following up on a few leads on that subject, Id like to ask, has anyone else seen this particular notch ( bottom of the blade up near the handle) on early Wilson butchers?

Some thought is being given to the theory that the notch may be a particular trait of blades that were initially imported with out handles..(mine is not a factory handle job, it was fitted up with its handle rather crudely...)

Fueling the theory, blades unearthed at old sites in the Rainy Lakes region of a similar vintage are handle less, with no evidence of rivets, (perhaps implying that they never had handles)and they have the same notch...while other blades of similar vintage but with factory handles dont have seem to have it....

The Cutlers directory folks in England have weighed in and said that technically no guild laws prohibited the export of handle less blades...but that such things would be up to individual companies... so...the legend could maybe be true?
TC

Attachments:

[sean]

TC,

Neat knife. Lets see the rest of it. This one is later than yours and does not have the notch yours does. As for the handles, I know of no evidence for unhafted butcher blades in the Western fur trade. Most were hafted in boxwood during the later years and red padauk in the earlier years. there is evidence for unhafted dags and bayonets. I suspect yours may have been rehafted by someone along the way.

Sean

Attachments:

[tcalbert]

Sean, here is the full image..
TC

Attachments:

[Iche Iia]

I was told but can't prove, that a notch like that was put in a blade so that the owner could round off the edges of things like belts or any heavy leather after they were made.

This may be total BS but it sort of makes sense it would give something a uniform edge. Don't take this to the bank though, it's just something i was told a while back.

[tcalbert]

After being in contact with the cutlers guild folks in England, they told me that the notch was commonly added by some blacksmiths on purpose during the forging as a courtesy mark to let the grinders know where to start grinding the edge.
TCA

[sean]

Yup, I think it has more to do with sharpening than anything. Personally I think it makes it a little easier to put an edge on that section if its notched. Your file or stone is not riding up against the edge of the grind line.

Sean