Culver Knives

Knife Models

I have always been interested in history.  While doing blacksmithing demonstrations for the Kansas State Historical Society, I studied the history of Kansas during the 19th century.  I have named my model knives after historic trails that ran through Kansas.  I have provided a brief history of each of the trails that I have named my knives after.

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Santa Fe Trail Hunter - A handy field knife with a dropped point.  This knife works well in any position.  4 3/4 inch blade, 9 3/4 overall.  Shown here with buffalo horn handle and stainless steel fittings.

The Santa Fe Trail was an ancient passageway, used regularly after 1821 by merchant-traders from Missouri who took manufactured goods to Santa Fe to exchange for furs and other items. Mexican traders also used the trail, going to western Missouri to trade goods.  The trail began in Missouri and ended in New Mexico.  It entered Kansas at Kansas City or Fort Leavenworth, crossed Kansas diagonally for over 400 miles and exited in the southwest corner of the state.

Cimarron Cut-off Hunter - A smaller version of the Santa Fe Hunter.  4 3/8 inch blade, 8 7/8 inches overall.  Favored by folks who like a smaller knife. It also carries on the belt better than a large knife.  Shown here with amber stag handle and stainless steel fittings, with a brass, black and stainless steel ferrule behind the guard.

The Cimarron cut-off was a shortcut that left the Santa Fe trail route west of Dodge City, Kansas. This route was 100 miles shorter than the original Santa Fe trail and saved ten days travel over the original Santa Fe route.

Great Western Trail Hunter - A good all around field knife, the straight spine and long point on this knife make it a great knife for capeing trophy animals.  5 inch blade, 10 inches overall.  Shown here with sheep horn handle and stainless steel fittings.

The Great Western Trail originated at Bandera, Texas, just to the NW of San Antonio and ended at Dodge City, Kansas.  Used primarily as a cattle trail to bring cattle from Texas to the railhead at Dodge City.  Also know as the Doan Trail.

Rath Trail Skinner - This is a stout little skinning knife for large game.  The long upswept edge works well for removing the hide from large game.  4 1/2 inch blade, 9 1/2 inches overall. Shown here with an amber stag handle and stainless steel fittings.

The Rath Trail was established in 1874 by Charles Rath and Fred Leonard as a buffalo hunter's trail between Dodge City Kansas and Adobe Walls Texas.  A buffalo hunter’s outpost was established at Adobe Walls to await the spring migration of buffalo from the lower plains of Texas to their summer grazing area in the north.  The presence of white buffalo hunters in Adobe Walls, with the obvious intention of hunting buffalo on Indian hunting grounds, precipitated an attack by the Indians in June of 1874. This battle between the buffalo hunters and the Indians became known as the famous Adobe Walls Fight.

Overland Trail Bowie - A modern fighter with English Bowie styling.  8 inch blade, 13 1/4 inches overall.  Shown here with elephant ivory handle and stainless steel fittings.

The Overland Trail ran westward from Atchison, Kansas, following the Oregon Trail more or less, with some diversions, such as the Oketo Cutoff in Kansas.  The Overland Trail refers specifically to a portion of the route, established in 1862, that avoided the Indian uprisings that were occurring on the Oregon Trail farther north.

Pony Express Route Bowie - A bit of old west flavor in American Bowie style.  9 1/4 inch blade, 14 1/2 inches overall. Shown here with curly maple handle and stainless steel fittings. Beginning in St. Joseph, Missouri, the Pony Express followed the 2,000 mile California Trail to Sacramento, California.  The route went through the present day States of Kansas, Nebraska, the northeast corner of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Chisholm Trail Camp Knife - A rugged camp knife useful for clearing brush, cutting kindling and tent poles.  A 10" blade of 5160 with stainless steel fittings and canvas micarta handle.

Chisholm Trail - Scot-Cherokee trader Jesse Chisholm first marked the famous Chisholm Trail in 1864 for his wagons.  It started at the confluence of the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers at the present site of the Twin Lakes Shopping Center in Wichita to his southern trading post in Indian Territories, southwest of present day Oklahoma City.  Chisholm used the trail to trade with the U.S. Army and Native American tribes.

By 1870 thousands of Texas longhorn cattle were being driven over the Chisholm Trail to the Union Pacific (later the Kansas Pacific) Railroad shipping center at Abilene. By 1871 as many as 5,000 cowboys were often paid off during a single day. Abilene became known as a rough town in the Old West.

In the five years from 1867 to 1872, more than three million head of cattle were driven up the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene.

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