Colonial-era Pocketknife recovered at Harpers Ferry, WV

This is another interesting piece being offered, it is a Colonial-era pocketknife. It measures 5” x 1 ¼” and being over 200 years old, the blades are long gone. It was recovered in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Because of its geography, Harpers Ferry was a vitally important junction point. In colonial times and through the early U.S. years, its location at the junction of two rivers, and the feasibility of a ferry – the first regular ferry across the Potomac, date from before the founding of Washington – made it a natural site of commerce. Harpers Ferry has a commanding central location on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, running alongside the Potomac and avoiding its rapids, linking Washington with points west.

Similar pocketknives such as this can be found in “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”, by Neumann and Kravic (see pictures). This is an interesting piece and do not show up very often. No doubt it could have been used through the Civil War.