Revolutionary War American Pike made into a fighting knife, found at Lake Champlain (SOLD)

Being offered is a very interesting Revolutionary War relic – it is a pike that was made into a fighting knife. It has an overall measurement of 16 ½” and the widest part of the blade is 1 ¼”. This pike would have been attached to a long wooden pole, but it probably broke off just leaving the discarded blade. A scavenged section of bronze, maybe off some piece of equipment or cooking utensil, was hammered into the pike tang to fashion a knife. It was recovered many years ago at Lake Champlain, NY. This area was called the Battle of Valcour Island.
Valcour Island is on the western side of Lake Champlain between the present-day states of Vermont and New York. On October 11, 1776, the British fleet under the overall command of Guy Carleton traveled south on Lake Champlain from their supply base at St. John. Benedict Arnold was waiting in Valcour Bay, hidden from the British view until they rounded the island.
In the subsequent three-day battle, the British destroyed or captured 11 of the 15 Patriot boats. While a resounding tactical victory, the British were unable to capitalize on their control of Lake Champlain to capture Fort Ticonderoga. After a desultory probe, Carleton led his forces back to Canada for the winter.
This is a unique relic showing the ingenuity of a common soldier to create something he felt he could use. As expected, the iron has overall rust, but it remains solid – no chipping or flaking. In “The History of Weapons of the American Revolution” by George Neumann, he shows a very similar example of this pike (see pictures).