Mocotaugan: The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife


by Ned Jalbert

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                   The Average Mocotaugan knife: Study Introduction and Methodology

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As the first comprehensive study of its kind, this pioneering research offers unprecedented scope and detail for researchers, collectors, and contemporary mocotaugan makers. Spanning over four decades of meticulous documentation, our study captures virtually all physical characteristics of the historic mocotaugan (crooked knife). To ensure absolute empirical rigor, our investigation established a defined sample group of 129 knives, all subjected to stringent criteria and standardized protocols.

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Research Methodology

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1. Standardized Protocols: Applied uniform standards for weighing and measuring each crooked knife.

2. Sample Group Criteria: Developed rigorous selection parameters for the study's primary sample group.

3. Criteria Publication: Documented and published the official Sample Group Criteria (detailed below).

4. Data Collection: Weighed, measured, and documented each knife in the sample group using prescribed standardized protocols.

5. Collation: Compiled and collated all physical measurements for analytical processing.

6. Comparative Metrics: Determined key metrics for ongoing comparative analysis.

7. Initial Publication: Prioritized weights and measures as the foundation of our initial published findings.

8. Ongoing Research: Continually expanding study parameters to encompass tribal affiliations, decorative motifs, manufacturing techniques, material usage, and age-related analyses, with findings published as completed.

 

 

Sample Group Selection Criteria

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To qualify for inclusion in the study's primary sample group of 129 mocotaugans, each knife had to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Threshold: The crooked knife must have been judged to have been manufactured prior to 1900.

2. Binding Materials: The material used to secure the blade to the haft need not be contemporaneous to the original knife .

3. Component Assembly: The handle and blade need not be contemporaneous to one another; however, they must be deemed to have been assembled together as a complete knife prior to 1900.

4. Excluded Accessories: Extemporaneous materials—such as a separate birch bark knife sheath or decorative attachments (ribbons, tags, lashing, etc)—were excluded from the studies measurements and analysis.

5. Typological Definition: Regardless of institutional labeling or attribution, the knife must be an authentic Eastern Woodlands crooked knife, defined as:

   • A single-handed draw knife.

   • Has a  wooden handle ( no antler, metal or bone) set at an oblique angle to a metal blade ( typically 10-50 degrees but not restricted by angle orientation) 

   • Deemed to be of  Eastern Woodlands - Native or Non-Native origin.

6. Regional Balance: The study group includes balanced representation across multiple stylistic regions: non-Native knives, New England / Canadian Maritimes-style knives, Western Great Lakes-style knives, Prairie style and Iroquoian-style crooked knives.

7. Design Categories: Represents a proportional distribution across the nine categories of design on found on mocotaugan handles (Mocotaugan: The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife, pp. 58, 59–147), alongside an equivalent representation of unembellished knives.

8. Original Embellishment: Any embellished or decorative element must be original to the knife at the time of its creation.

9. Blade Flexibility: No limitation is placed on the size, type, source, or origin of the metal blade (e.g., repurposed files, imported mocotaugan blades, repurposed metal of any type), provided the blade satisfies the pre-1900 assembly requirement.

 

 

The Sample Group

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Our sample group consists of 129 individual mocotaugans sourced from leading museums, public institutions, and private collections.

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Although an extensive body of information will ultimately emerge from this documented research we are initially publishing only our findings on the average weights and measurements.

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Bushcrafters, knife makers, and bladesmiths now have an empirical historical basis for reproduction that has never existed before. Knowing the exact measurements of the average crooked knife will immediately assist not only those crafting reproduction blades, but also collectors and scholars seeking to evaluate authentic pieces. We encourage everyone to use these standards.

 

 

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Future Scholarship​

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While the empirical data from our mocotaugan study yields a wealth of new insights, only a small portion is shared here. Detailed comparative analyses, based on our empirical data, for the classification tribal styles, decorative motifs, chronological variations across eras, and  blade types and materials will need to be conducted in the future.  ​

 

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Statistical Highlights & Key Findings

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The size and weight of historic mocotaugans exhibit a remarkable degree of consistency, reflecting shared human ergonomics, material preferences, and deep-seated cultural norms. Among all components, it is the blade length, thickness, and width that vary the most from knife to knife.

 

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                                Key Empirical Findings from the 129-Knife Study

 

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• Overall Length: The longest recorded crooked knife measured 13 inches, while the shortest measured 6 ¾ inches.

• Weight Variations: The heaviest knife weighed 180.8 grams (a full 6 ⅓ ounces)—considerably heavier due to embellishments such as lead inlay—while the lightest weighed just 44 grams (1 ½ ounces).

• Angular Offset: The "crookedest" knife featured a handle-to-blade angle of 66 degrees, whereas the least "crooked" specimen measured a mere 10 degrees.

• Handle Dimensions: The widest handle recorded was 3 ¼ inches (a highly unusual Penobscot paddle-form knife), and the narrowest handle measured 1 inch wide.

• Handedness: Of the 97 knives carefully measured and documented, only one was a left-handed crooked knife.

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