Though the Woodlands tradition of effigy carving is evident through the Cross River Collection, carved knives as such are quite rare. French made trade blades were put to practice just as were trade made pipe tomahawks—the Woodlands people would haft them and make them their own with ornamental metal, bead, quill work and carvings.
The sheath is composed of deerskin, sinew and dyed porcupine quills and would have had an attachment near the top to hang around the neck of a warrior.

The knife’s handle is carved from a fruitwood in the form of a pigs’ head. Though pigs were sometimes carved in the tradition of the Iroquois false-face, it is unexpected to find it here. Another rare pig effigy piece in the Cross River collection is the diminutive pig effigy ladle.