Unmarked 8" Hunting / Carving Knife Hand Forged Carbon Steel Hardwood Handle Cast Pewter Bolster USA ~1850-90

Hand forged 8" carbon steel hunting / carving knife made in New England in the mid 19th century with hand forged (tapering at tang) carbon steel blade, and tropical hardwood handle with cast pewter inlayed bolster. 

Markings were gone when we found it and it had been sharpened in a bit and had some pits. It has been re-ground on the faces and refurbished to bring it back closer to its original geometry. It is certainly from New England very likely made by J Russell or Lamson & Goodnow of Massachusetts. 

Russell made a knife very similar to this for the Westward expansion that was marketed as a hunting knife. This is well before bowie-like knives were used for hunting and knives that were more similar to butcher knives were the main ones in play.

A knife like this would have been put to work in all sorts of jobs from hunting, to general food prep, to self defense. Older examples of this style of knife will often have a narrower blade at the handle / blade junction. Later 19th century examples often have more of a heel with a narrower waist.