All About Pocket Knives

If you're a Canal Street collector, no doubt you've come across the Chestnut handled knives that Canal Street offers for sale. The handle material comes from an old barn in Hopkinsville, Ky. that has been dismantled for the wood. Here's a couple of photos from the Red River Gorge area where they have a display of a cross section of a Chestnut tree slab. I found it interesting, and hopefully so will you.

Very cool. I have a stockman and I love it. Hop town isn't too far from me either, my sister-in-law is from there so that makes it special too.

My pa used to talk about gathering wild chestnuts. He loved chestnuts, and so do I. He would always talk about how the old wild ones were better than these oriental ones we have now. Can you imagine what the deer would look like if we still had the number of chestnut trees that they claim we had in the early 20 th century? Wow!

There were a handful of trees that survived the blight, and work is being done to reintroduce the native chestnut. I hope I live to see it in my lifetime.

Very interesting Phil!

Colonel26 wrote:There were a handful of trees that survived the blight, and work is being done to reintroduce the native chestnut. I hope I live to see it in my lifetime.

I have heard of this too Colonel. I hope it's successful.
One of our national tragedies really, the loss of the Chestnut. It is every thing Oak is and more.

Great post, Phil.

Rockford is known as the Forest City because of the many old growth Elm trees that used to line our streets and populate our many parks before being decimated by Dutch Elm Disease in the mid-1950s. In spite of the name, Dutch Elm Disease, like Chestnut blight, originated in the Orient.

Phil, that's some slab! Really is a shame, I heard that when the trees flowered in springtime it looked like the mountains were covered with snow. Those trees fed a tremendous amount of wildlife, from deer, birds and squirrels to bear. It was an ecological disaster when those giants died.

Thanks for posting that Phil. I have been eyeballing those American Chestnut Canal Streets ever since they came out... sure are some handsome pieces of cutlery. Isn't there another maker that is offering knives made with wood from that same barn? Kabar maybe?? Is Canal Street making those for Kabar too I wonder?

313 Mike,

Not sure which knife you are talking about (KaBar) although I do know for a fact that Canal Street does make knives for Kabar.

I bought Kabars Dog Head Barlow and Dog Head Pinch Lock Backs with Copper Bolsters. These were manufactured by Canal Street exclusively for Kabar.

Tom

Here are a few of the Kabar dog's head reclaimed American Chestnut knives...Sure look like they were made by CS to me.
AG Russell is selling them....

LOL
I would bet my paycheck on it....those are Canal Street Knives

Tom

Mike that stockman is the spitting image of my Canal street stockman except for the dog's head shield.

I love mine.

Mike those Kabars were absolutely, positutely made by Canal Street. You can take that to the bank. BTW nice knives!

Our local Houston area club, the Gulf Coast Knife Club, had Canal Street trappers for this years club knife. We had a total of 26 knives. 12 handled in Reclaimed American Chestnut Wood and 14 were handled in Smooth Sunset Bone. The Chestnut wood trappers sold out fast. Very good quality knives.

Wayne

Canal Street makes/made the Kabar Dogs Head knives

Mike, great to hear from you, haven't seen you in a while!

We did the chestnut ones for them but have since then pretty much switched over to the copper bolstered line. Here's an example:

Dang that copper bolstered Barlow is handsome! What is the steel on those blades? That sure would age nicely with carbon steeled blades. Any reason why CS doesn't use carbon steel? In keeping in line with the Schrade tradition and the classic look of many of their patterns it sure would seem to make good sense...

I picked up a couple of Canal Street knives with the Reclaimed American Chestnut handles at the Voyles Show in Pigeon Forge, Tn. this weekend. One is a pinch lockback and the other is a Catskill Hunter made for the NRA.

Looks like you had a good show Phil!

I picked up a Canal Street Chestnut Barlow about a year and a half ago--beautiful knife! I'll find and post some pictures...

Anyone know the final production numbers of the Chestnut for each pattern?

I still have a pinch lock.