Square knife

[p kurt]

Five hours of walking yesterday produced one artifact. It wasn't what my minds eye had invisioned but I didn't get skunked. My first impressions while hunting was a chisel tipped stem point, I looked at it very briefly put it my case for safe keeping, put the case in my pocket and moved on. Later that evening I got it out and really looked at it. To my pleasant surprise it was a nice lil tool that I am quite convinced is a square knife. I couldn't find much info on them and my overstreet book contradicts much of what I did find concerning ages. Either way if it is what I think it is it'll be a rarity in my collection. Any insight would be appreciated.

[Pinetree1]

Nice tool! I'm not sure it's a Paleo Square Knife. Cool piece though. 😀

[p kurt]

Thanks pine tree, the paleo part is what confuses me. I have seen where paleo has been mentioned with square end knives but they are listed as archaic to historic "atleast in the Midwest ". Both ends are sharpened and it appears to be an unhafted piece used on all for sides. Out of literally thousands of artifacts this is the only one of this style I have found.

[lukecreekwalker]

You can almost see weak hafting notches on one side. Awesome find

[p kurt]

That was my first impression. after studying the piece I noticed what appeared to be a stem but think it is just uneven knapping due to flake removal.

[Kyflintguy]

Interesting tool Kurt! Its square and likely a knife so what the hey?! Square knife sounds good to me! Thanks for sharing!

[Jethro355]

I have one very similar to that. I always thought it was unique, and odd too. It’s really cool either way.

maybe an Indian wood chisel?😳

[CMD]

I have a nice square knife from Kansas, but really don't know anything about that class of knife. I remember reading in one of the late Lar Hothem books, I bought a lot of those years ago, that the business end of square knives was the short axis, not the long axis as one might otherwise assume. Obviously, I don't know if that's true, just remember being surprised when I read that....

[Bayport]

Square Knives have always interested me. Frequently called paleo, but I have never seen any illustrated in the tool kits of reports on paleo sites. Here is an example of what I think is a square knife from Livingston Co. Michigan. I think the material is Norwood Chert, but the source of that lithic is a long distance away , on the northwest side of northern lower Michigan, south of the town of Charlevoix.

[p kurt]

That piece has some great flaking

[JoshinMO]

Great Find Kurt! I think that basic Tool form lasted thousand's of year's. Archaic and Woodland People also, well I found a heat treated rectangular Knife at a Friend's and never got a Pic of It. Those flake scar's are quite far across on both of those above, which seem's early to Me anyway.

[CoachG]

Nice. It does look kinda like one side was starting to be notched from the pics.