Scalping Knife / Hunting Knife

Every member of the Corps of Discovery carried a large knife that served as an all-purpose tool for butchering game, preparing food, cutting wood, making repairs, and self-defense. These “scalping knives” (so named by the trade, not necessarily their use) were standard frontier equipment with fixed carbon steel blades. The expedition also carried large quantities of knives as trade goods for Native nations, who prized steel blades as far superior to their traditional stone and bone tools. John Shields and William Bratton, the expedition’s blacksmiths, repaired and sharpened knives throughout the journey, and at Fort Mandan their knife-making was a valuable trade commodity.