An EDC For The First Thanksgiving!

What are you most thankful for?  Thanksgiving is just a few days away. And that means a whole host of delicious foods!  We all know the traditional Thanksgiving story, the pilgrims and Native Americans coming together to share a meal after a bountiful harvest, agreeing to help each other through the coming winter.  But, seeing as how this is a knife blog, I have always wondered what they were carrying.  Back then the world could be quite the dangerous place.  So it was important for the early settlers to be prepared for anything.  So what were they carrying?

The Native Americans of the time did not exactly have metals and forges on hand, ready to create knives as we know them.  So instead, they used several different materials.  It was custom to use all the parts of any animal they killed, as a way of honoring them.  So, it makes sense that their knives also came from these same animals.  Often times the crafters would sharpen down the bones of the animals to serve as the points to spears and the edges to knives.  This method was the easier of the 2 more popular methods, but not always the most reliable.  The bones would easily chip, and crack.  Meaning they could really only use them a handful of times before they would need to create another.  So, this brings us to the second method.

  No doubt you have seen the stone arrowheads they created, well they also used that same practice to create knives.  They would strike 2 rocks together, effectively sharping one into a point.  While this method created a more durable knife, it was a bit more time consuming.  Grinding down the rocks was not as quick a process as grinding down the bone.  But, the finished product did tend to last longer.

What about the Pilgrims?  They also carried their own knives.  Life back then was hard.  Materials were scarce so, much like the Indians, they had to improvise.  Often times they would re-purpose knives they already had.   Why make a new knife, when you already have one?  Often times they would carry with them kitchen knives, or knives used on the farm.  These knives were not necessarily designed for hunting or defense, but when times are tough you make do with what you have.  It was not un-common to see hunters heading out for the day with a carving knife strapped to their belt.  We don’t suggest this practice now, but for them it worked.

So there you have it, a little bit of history for you this Thanksgiving.  Keep in mind this is just scratching the historical surface.  There were many different knives, all created in a unique matter.

Do you have any historical info you would like to add?  Let us know in the comments below.  And don’t forget, the Grindworx black Friday sales begin Thursday night at 7 pm MST.  So be sure to log on and take advantage of all the awesome sales being offered!

From our family to yours, we hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! If you are one that loves to go hunting around Thanksgiving, be sure to check out our Best Budget Hunting Knives.