Antique Indigenous Crooked Knife (Mocotaugan) — Carved Wood Handle, Pewter Banding

A genuine antique Indigenous crooked knife (mocotaugan) — a traditional Eastern Woodlands one-handed woodworking knife used for canoe-building, paddle-shaping, and hollowing bowls and ladles. The "crooked" name refers to the blade being set at an oblique angle to the handle, allowing the knife to be drawn toward the body with the palm up.

This example is decoratively carved, with a chip-carved triangle pattern along the edges of the handle and pewter/metal banding near the blade — the kind of personal ornamentation collectors specifically look for, as decorated crooked knives were often a point of artistic pride for their makers.

There is a visible crack running along the wood handle, shown clearly in the photos. The blade and handle are otherwise structurally intact.