Athabascan knife

[LJ]

Very many thanks for the replies, and the leads to very interesting information. It has sorted out a few issues in my mind.

I'm now wondering whether my first prejudice (that the copper ones were 'originals', later copied in iron) was right; were daggers in fact made in both metals at the same period, but maybe used for different purposes?

The only thing I might add is this picture I found today in Jonathan King's book "First Peoples First Contacts". Engraved after a sketch by Frederick Whymper done in 1867, it shows Koyukon or Tanana River men hunting from canoes using these daggers