Sorry about last week, I was out in the deer woods.
Smoking tobacco was very common during the fur trade era. Men carried pipes, typically small clay ones, in a variety of ways.
Some tucked into a hatband, others in pouches at their waist or little pouches around their necks.
The little pouches were sometimes called gage d'amor (*badge of love). They were often made by a young Native sweetheart of the trapper.
Here are a few references to tobacco pipes.
From W.A. Ferris
After supper we reclined on our elbows about the fire, produced our pipes and tuned them to a
smoke, recounted tales, puffed ourselves, and old times, and quizzed, joked and jested with one
another until eight o’clock
From Washington Irving's The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, describing a free trapper:
A blanket of scarlet, or some other bright
color, hangs from his shoulders, and is girt around his waist with a red sash, in which he bestows
his pistols, knife, and the stem of his Indian pipe; preparations either for peace or war.
From Osborne Russell:
The next morning at daybreak I arose and kindled a fire and seeing the mules grazing at a short distance I
filled my tobacco pipe and sat down to Smoke
Trappers equipments in such
cases is generally one Animal upon which is placed one or two Epishemores a riding Saddle and
bridle a sack containing six Beaver traps a blanket with an extra pair of Mocasins his powder horn
and bullet pouch with a belt to which is attached a butcher Knife a small wooden box containing
bait for Beaver a Tobacco sack with a pipe and implements for making fire with sometimes a
hatchet
From George Frederick Ruxton:
I had nearly forgotten the pipe-holder, which
hangs round his neck, and is generally a gage d’amour, and a triumph of squaw workmanship, in
shape of a heart, garnished with beads and porcupine-quills.
a wide-awake hat, with a short pipe stuck in the band
Antoine Clement, by Alfred Jacob Miller, wearing a gage d'amor.
![[Linked Image]](https://trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2025/12/full-13020-276950-antoine_clemont.png)