The Blanket

The Blanket: An Illustrated History of the Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket

By Harold Tichenor

80 pages, hardcover: $13.95

Reviewed by Mike Nesbitt

Written for the Hudson’s Bay Company and published in 2002, this book sets the record straight on many things. For instance, the “point” marks on the blanket were there to indicate the blanket’s size. While many times we’ve heard that those same marks were to indicate the number of beaver skins the blanket would trade for, that is not actual fact. The value of beaver skins would fluctuate, being more valuable when they were scarcer. At many times the number of beaver skins needed to trade for a blanket was the same as the point marks but that was a convenient coincidence.

Also, the author points out that point marks were used on blankets as early as the 1500s in France. The word “point” is possibly taken from the French word “empointer,” which means to make threaded stitches on cloth. The blanket point markings are small lines of colored wool that are woven or threaded into the blanket.

A lot of interesting historical facts are brought out about the Hudson’s Bay blanket in this book and several well dated and original photographs back up the facts referred to about those blankets. With the interest that we, as buckskinners, have in pieces of history like the Hudson’s Bay blankets, this should be a popular book for us. I’ve found it to be quite interesting, enough that I do wish it was larger. Please take that as a compliment rather than an complaint; I’ve enjoyed the book’s 80 pages very much and I have no trouble recommending it, especially to fellow buckskinners.

The Blanket is available from a number of sources, and I’ve noticed some differences in the price among retailers. The best price I’ve found, however, is the price noted above and that is from Track of the Wolf, 18308 Joplin Street NW, Elk River, Minnesota 55330-1773. Use their website which is <www.trackofthewolf.com> to place an order via email or call them at 763-633-2500.