The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife
by Ned Jalbert
The Woodland Indian's Indispensable Survival Tool
All-inclusive Resource Guide
An antique post card showing three crooked knives in the collection of
The Robert Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine.
​
​
​
Author's note: The elaborate knife in the middle is identified on the post card as made by "Sabbitis Soloman in 1863". I believe this knife is actually the work of Soloman Sabbitas the son of the highly respected Abenaki guide Mitchell Sabbitis from Long Lake, New York
https://www.theadkx.org/abenaki-people-in-the-adirondacks-mitchell-sabattis/
FOR THE CROOKED KNIFE ENTHUSIAST
Index
​
-
The Crooked Knife from a Native American Perspective
-
Crooked Knife - General Information Sites
-
Bushcraft Sites for Crooked Knife Enthusiasts
-
Crooked Knife related Bushcraft Courses
-
Knife Makers and Blade smiths- how to make a Crooked Knife
-
Blacksmith Organizations
-
Early Pioneers of the Crooked Knife Renaissance
-
Museums with Notable Crooked Knife Collections
-
Contemporary Crooked Knife Makers
-
For researchers and students; A Crooked Knife Bibliography
​
​
​
​
THE CROOKED KNIFE FROM A NATIVE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
​
CESAR’S BIRCHBARK CANOE- CESAR NEWASISH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFCxxAKafc&t=3185s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFCxxAKafc&t=1258s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFCxxAKafc&t=943s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFCxxAKafc&t=1550s
​
NATIVE ARTS IN CANADA
AN OJIBWA ELDERS ART AND STORY
https://www.native-art-in-canada.com/crooked_knife.html
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
CROOKED KNIFE- GENERAL INFORMATION SITES
CROOKED KNIVES: TOOL OF THE TRADE the Hudson Museum, University of Maine
https://umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum/exhibits/online/crooked-knives/
CROOKED KNIFE: WIKIPEDIA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crooked_knife
THE CROOKED KNIFE: HISTORY, DESIGN AND USE WITH JARROD DAHL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59rK3N-H3E0&t=37s
CHERRY GALLERY ( MAINE )
https://www.cherrygallery.com/journal-posts/figural-crooked-knife
THE NATIVE -AMERICAN MOCOTUAGAN/COUTEAU CROCHE/CROOKED KNIFE- PAUL H.S. GABORIAULT
https://niftydeluxe.net/mocotaugan.html
MOCOTAUGAN: THE ART OF THE CROOKED KNIFE – TRIBAL ARTS MAGAZINE, ISSUE 38, SUMMER 2005
https://www.tribalartmagazine.com/en/back-issues/99-tribal-38-summer-2005.html
INSIDE THE IAIS ( THE INSTITUE FOR AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES ) ; THE CROOKED KNIFE
https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/inside-with-iais-crooked-knife/440851430290327/
​
BLADE STORY- THOUGH THE CROOKED KNIFE IS AS COMMON TO CREES AS GEESE AND SNOW THE KNIFES HISTORY EXTENDS BACK TO THE STONE AGE- AMY GERMAN
​
MOCOTAUGAN: THE MOST FEARED KNIFE ON FACEBOOK – E.R. LONG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR-3o2JyPEA
​
​
BUSHCRAFT SITES FOR CROOKED KNIFE ENTHUSIASTS
MAKING A CANOE WITH A CROOKED KNIFE – RAY MEARS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmHqrHr8xg&t=269s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmHqrHr8xg&t=1346s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmHqrHr8xg&t=1840s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmHqrHr8xg&t=1655s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmHqrHr8xg&t=809s
THE MOCOTUAGAN- CANADIAN BUSHCRAFT PRESENTED BY NICK DILLINGHAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofxsgaTzbU
​
HOW TO USE A MOCOTAUGAN OR INDIAN CROOK KNIFE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMlLlnBSXHg&list=RDCMUClMEnHqmmxP3QRnMF4fAZdg
​
​
CROOKED KNIFE RELATED BUSH CRAFT COURSES
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
WILDHUMAN HANDS ON COURSES FOR MAKING AND USING CROOKED KNIVES
https://www.wildhuman.com/product/bushcraft-courses/crafts/the-crooked-knife/
NORTH HOUSE FOLK SCHOOL- MAKE YOUR OWN CROOKED KNIFE
https://northhouse.org/course-session/crooked-knife-make-your-own-2-3-2023
AXE AND PADDLE BUSHCRAFT - STEVEN AND KIRSTY LA SAY
https://www.axeandpaddlebushcraft.co.uk/bushcraft-courses-workshops/
​
​
​
​
KNIFE MAKERS AND BLADE SMITHS - HOW TO MAKE A CROOKED KNIFE
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
FORGING THE A NATIVE AMERICAN CROOK KNIFE- THE MOCOTAUGAN
WALTER SORRELLS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBIS6iToiYQ
​
MAKING THE MOCOTAUGAN- NATE JOHNSON
http://ivegottwohands.com/2017/02/making-the-mocotaugan-the-crooked-knife/
​
HOW TO MAKE A HOOK, CROOKED KNIFE & BENT KNIFE - CARIBOOBLADES
https://www.caribooblades.com/diy-crooked-knife
CROOK KNIFE - GARY HUSTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llqoTERZAY8
MAKING A CROOKED KNIFE – ROBERT ZDARILEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOO-ZOyHc_w
MAKING THE MOCOTAUGAN (CROOKED KNIFE) – OLD WAYS RISING FARMS- AN 8 PART SERIES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A09W5IvzFsE
MOCOTAUGAN CARVING TECHNIQUES- STEVEN LE SAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcBSal2m10o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcBSal2m10o
​
​
​
​
BLACKSMITH ORGANIZATIONS
​
Author's Note: I would like to thanks Mr. Ted King of the New England School of Metalwork for his invaluable research helping to compile this All-inclusive Resource Guide
​
LINKS TO BLACKSMITH GUILDS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
http://www.feblacksmith.com/org.htm
​
NEW ENGLAND
​
NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF METALWORK
https://newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/index.php/
Please contact: Mr. Ted King
Associate Program & social Media Coordinator Coordinator
TKing@newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com
​
CANADA
CanIron - The Canadian National Blacksmith Conference is the bi-annual gathering place for blacksmiths throughout the provinces.
​
ONTARIO
https://ontarioblacksmiths.ca/
https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/programs/arts-and-culture/blacksmith
​
MARITIME
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212116238865475/
​
SESKATCHEWAN
https://skblacksmiths.wixsite.com/skblacksmithassoc
​
MONTREAL
https://lesforgesdemontreal.org/pages/mission?logged_in_customer_id=&lang=en
​
PLEASE SUPPORT THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THE HERITAGE-TRADE OF BLADE MAKING AND BLACKSMITHING
​
​
​
​
EARLY PIONEERS OF THE CROOKED KNIFE RENAISSANCE
DAVID CAMERON
https://earthsea.ca/2004/08/the-crooked-knife/
STEVE CAYARD
HENRI VAILLANCOURT
http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/crooked-knife.htm
AARON YORK
https://americannativearts.com/bios/aaron-york
​
​
​
​
​
MUSEUMS WITH NOTABLE CROOKED KNIFE COLLECTIONS
​
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN ( NMAI )
https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/search?edan_q=crooked+knife
Authors note: The NMAI has an extensive collection of objects ( 133 ) labeled “Crooked Knife". This author feels strongly that many of these should not be labeled or exhibited as "Crooked Knives." Please see Mocotaugan Musings
​
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY
​
Author's note: Much like the NMAI, the Canadian Museum of History has an extensive and remarkable collection of crooked knives. Unfortunately, they also ascribe " crooked knife" to many, many knives that are not .
​
​
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
https://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?q=crooked+knife
​
THE McCORD-STEWART MUSEUM
https://collections.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/search/crooked%20
​
THE NELSON - ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
​
THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ART
https://dia.org/collection/crooked-knife-60390
https://dia.org/search?keys=crooked%20knife
​
MUSEUM OF FINE ART ( BOSTON )
https://collections.mfa.org/search/objects/*/crooked%20knife
HUDSON MUSEUM ( MAINE )
https://hudsonmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/Search?page=1&search_criteria=CROOKED%20&onlyimages=False
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
CONTEMPORARY CROOKED KNIFE MAKERS
​
​
​
TIM ANDERSON
https://www.instructables.com/CrookedKnife/
WILLIAM COLLINS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kTDhO9B9_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7JhVYtnt_8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9_pYPlHdMk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL4BcQdAW5c&t=15s
NATE JOHNSON
http://ivegottwohands.com/2017/02/making-the-mocotaugan-the-crooked-knife/
DON MERCHANT
http://poleandpaddle.com/tools/crooked_knives
http://poleandpaddle.com/tools/crooked_blades
BEN AND LOIS ORFORD
https://benandloisorford.com/videos/crook-knife-videos/
REID SCHWARTZ
http://instagram.com/reidschwartz
DARREN VENIOT
https://veinotknives.com/?page_id=329
​
WOODSPIRITHANDCRAFT
https://www.woodspirithandcraft.com/shop/crooked-knife-handle
​
​
Author's note: Many of today's most famous crooked knife enthusiasts credit Cesar Newasish and the 1971 documentary, Cesar's Birchbark Canoe", as their first introduction to the knife. A must see video for any enthusiast.
Circa 2003, A fine Horse Effigy Crooked Knife by David Cameron, NS., now in the permanent collection of the Robert Abbe Museum
Wild Human Bushcraft UK
Photo: Copyright Daniel Wildey
A thought provoking crooked knife with unique catlinite carved handle can be found in the Collection the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Accession number 2013.666
Imported steel crooked knife blades (shown left), were all made in Sheffield England, and sold by the Hudson Bay Company ( HBC) in Fort Albany, Ontario as early as 1748. A valuable commodity to Natives of the Eastern Woodlands, HBC records indicate that a "Mocotaugans" blade cost 2 beaver pelts.
Remarkably, each of these knives are left-handed Mocotaugan blades.
​
Manitoba Museum ( from top HBC 1324-A, 58-90-A,58-90-B / Photo by Andrew Workman )
Author's note : Based on archaeological site finds, it is estimated that one in every 10 imported " Mocotaugan" blades were left-handed
A beautiful contemporary crooked knife by Darren Veinot, NS, ca. 2023
CROOKED KNIFE BIBLIOGRAPHY
For researchers, students and collectors this comprehensive bibliography is essential reading.
The foundation of Mocotaugan; The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife; The Woodland Indian's indispensable Survival Tool was research and scholarship. This Bibliography consolidates all those resources in one place. If you have suggestions for other additions to this Bibliography please use our Contact form to submit entry ( APA style ).
