Myths and Misnomers: Scalp Knives, War Paint and War Bonnets
The scalp knife is a staple of Western movies and dime novels, as well as many early non-fiction accounts describing Natives. For example, observers of Osceola during his captivity at Fort Moultrie in 1838 noted that he was allowed to keep his "scalping knife" and had it clutched in his hand when he died. True, many Native tribes did practice scalping, and Osceola did so on one particular occasion. But they also engaged in other activities that would require a blade, combat or self defense, cleaning small game, making repairs to equipment or any other reasons a man might need a large utility knife while on the frontier or in the west. In fact, both Settlers, Natives and even some military men carried large utility knives in sheaths or stuck in their belts or sashes. Jim Bowie and his elder brother Rezin were famous for theirs. No one would have thought of calling the Bowie knife or its variations a scalping knife, unless it happened to belon...