Manufactured c. 1852-1863 by Corsan, Denton, Burdekin & Co. of Sheffield, England. The Sheffield firm found vast markets for their cutlery in both the northern and southern United States prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. With the secession of southern states and war breaking out, much of the firm's southern business was lost, and contacts with former merchants in the south were broken. Due to this, William Corsan took it upon himself to visit the southern U.S. in October of 1862 to, in his own words, "...ascertain whether our old friends were living or dead, and solvent or ruined." Upon his return to England in 1863, he penned "Two Months in the Confederate States, including a Visit to New Orleans under the Domination of General Butler", which is still widely acclaimed as an important account of wartime conditions in the South. The knife itself is 12 1/4 inches long with a 7 3/4 inch drop point blade. The left ricasso has the maker's mark in two lines, and "THE HUNTERS COMPANION" is stamped on the left near the spine. There is a "112" collection marking in red paint on the right ricasso. The elliptical guard is of German silver, and the hilt has a floral German silver bolster and pommel, and is fitted with stag grip scales. The escutcheon on the left grip is inscribed "L.W.Umstad", who could not be identified at this time. Includes a brown sheath with German silver mountings.

Fine, the blade mostly bright with a few scattered patches of light pitting and most of the markings clear. The German silver is mostly bright. The grips are very fine with a few scattered light handling marks. The sheath is fine with some small repairs and mild wear. Knives such as this were highly valued as both a tool and a last resort in the case of firearm failure during the Civil War and during America's push westward.