Revolutionary War Fascine Knife, recovered many years ago at Fort Ticonderoga, NY

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War/Revolutionary War artifacts. Being offered is a Revolutionary War Fascine Knife, circa 1755 – 1785. It measures 15 ¾” x 2 ½” x 1” and has an intentional mark on the blade which appears to be “F I”. It was recovered years ago at Fort Ticonderoga, New York.

One of the common cutting tools of colonial soldiers was the fascine knife (also known as brush hook or brush cutter). It was a side arm/tool issued to both American and British light infantry, engineers, and artillery (including German troops). It served both as a personal weapon and as a tool to cut fascines and clear brush when needed.

Fascines are bundles of branches and sticks used to reinforce defensive embankments, trenches, and earth ramparts protecting artillery batteries. They were carried by detached infantry before attacking troops. These bundles filled pits and ditches dug before forts and redoubts allowing the assaulting troops to cross. Quite a few of these knives have been excavated from Revolutionary War sites indicating their popular usage.

Located on Lake Champlain in northeastern New York, Fort Ticonderoga served as a key point of access to both Canada and the Hudson River Valley during the French and Indian War. During the Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, Benedict Arnold joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont in a dawn attack on the fort, surprising and capturing the sleeping British garrison.

Although it was a small-scale conflict, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga was the first American victory of the Revolutionary War and would give the Continental Army much-needed artillery to be used in future battles.

In the "Morristown Revolutionary War Museum" there is a near identical example of this knife (see pictures). There are also examples in “Collectors Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” (see pictures).

The knife is in very nice condition, having a mostly smooth surface, typical of an early recovery. This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, and from lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. His markings were crude at the time, but now they have proved to be very important. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this piece has been on the open market, and it is truly a great part of early American History. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included. As with all items on the website, a very friendly layaway is available.