Regarding the "curved knife" -- I have always seen that referred to as a "Green River Knife," the primary tool of the skinner/hunter/trapper of the day. The design stuck because, simply, it worked. They were manufactured in their untold thousands/millions and used across the continent. Each one has tales to tell, and is worth keeping.

There are many other made-for-purpose antique knives. I have a couple that were hand-made by my grandfather, from old circular saw blades (the kind that were six feet across). One is a genuine pig-sticker, used to slaughter hogs. The other is a turkey knife, which was used to slaughter turkeys; the method of its use is ingenious and likely quite humane, though a bit freaky.

I suspect Blast is already in enough trouble with the distaff half; this is just full public disclose, all tell and no kiss, throwing oneself on the mercy of the court.

I was at least expecting pasties and tassels, though. Burlesque is back, and so it should be; a thoughtful counterpoint to the increasingly vicious stuff on the Web.

Blast, all, after careful examination I conclude the young women at issue were in fact NOT TOPLESS! The closer I looked the more conviced I became that these women were fully equipped with the tops that nature intended for the fairer sex. It was somewhat annoying to find my computer somehow glitched some black bars over areas of interest, however.

Every now and then when visiting my old tramping grounds in the midwest, I have occasion to explore the old dump near my bro's farmhouse. We have found old glass and crockery there going back 130 years.

Doug is correct on the above. These knives are not all that rare up here and can found here time to time in old homes, garages, antique stores, yard sales, estate sales etc. The knives on their own are just another old knife, but as Doug also alluded to, the tales those knives could tell, make them worthy to keep.

Whenever I find such an old item it never fails to intrigue me. I always wonder who owned it, what made them buy/make it? What/where did the owner(s) go and do with the item and how/why did it come to be here where I am now seeing it...perhaps over a hundred years or more later?

Mike: Thanks for sharing your very unique find and story.

I have found many things over years while tramping around in the outdoors, however my most prized find is a small dinosaur bone (2-1/4" x 2" x 1/2') that according to a paleontologist is thought to be about 145 - 100 million years old (give or take a few million years either way). This era of time is more commonly known as the Cretaceous Period.

Teslinhiker - WOW a dinosaur bone is a terrific find, Nice. I have also always wanted to find a meteorite piece (something from another world).

With my Father about 40 years ago we found numerous First Nation Artifacts (arrowheads, pottery pieces, a tomahawk head, skinning flakes). They are proudly displayed in his living room to this day. Mike

SwampDonkey, finding a meteorite is easier than you think, if you're willing to settle for micrometeorites.

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/edu/micromet.htm

Get a rare-earth magnet (neodymium) and a petri dish or a glass bowl. Put your supermagnet in the bowl and run it through the collection area mentioned in the article above. Reason for the glass or plastic is that neodymium magnets are so strong that once the micrometeorites are picked up by the magnet they are stuck forever: The bowl allows you to pull the metallic meteorites from the debris, then separate them from the magnet.

Not as romantic as finding one out in the woods on your own, but it does have a tad of coolness. But when you show your collected tiny pile of micrometeorites to people, most will yawn, and they won't believe you.

Neodymium magnets are extremely powerful. You can pick things up through your hand. I had one that could affect a computer monitor 6 feet away.

Thanks Newsman! I really would like a meteorite big enough to handle and display buy micrometoerites would be a cool project to do with my kids.

Neodymium magnets may also be useful when doing hand MAGIC, now I just have to think of a fun trick. Mike

Hiking John Muir Trail one summer I pitched a camp earlier than I would as an afternoon storm was coming in. Walking around the area a bit I found several arrowheads. Most were broken but a few were in excellent condition.