These two I purchased from a favorite family run shop in New Hampshire, a great cabinet of curiosities always filled with interesting things, ancient to modern. They came from a much larger collection of antique Inuit objects that I believe were formerly held in the collection of an academic institution in New England--many many beautiful tools and fragments of tools, most all of which I took the time to pick up and hold, one by one, to to my great pleasure. (And these two I felt like I could not then put down again.) The larger knife here is a "crooked knife," or mocotaugan, an essential tool with hooked end to the blade, used as a draw knife (pulled toward the user) with one hand, for hollowing, carving, and shaping wood (for canoes, sleds, tools, etc) among other things. The function of the smaller one I am uncertain of, but certainly for more precision work, with short blade with hooked tip and one end, and squared tip at the other. The handles are caribou bone, perfectly shaped for the grip of a hand, and the blades hand-forged iron-- as I understand it, these were often repurposed from trade goods like files and saws, brought to North America from Europe by the Hudson’s Bay Company. And indeed, the blade on the small one here bears a partial maker's mark on one side: looks like E&C. A great deal of knowledge and history and life held in these tools, which you can very much feel, very beautiful things.
Crooked knife: 7 1/4" l measured on the square, 15/16" w end of handle, visible blade 3 9/16" l . Smaller knife: 4 3/4" l, 7/8" w handle, blade 1". Both in very good antique condition with obvious long histories of use which is much of what makes them so beautiful. Good structural condition, sturdy and sound.
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