Bowie knives

Rich · 13th February 2006, 01:25 PM

Beautiful Arnacellum hunter. These are really nice, well made knives (I've two
of them; one exactly like this). While not "bowies" in the classical sense;
ie, too late and wrong countries; still really finely made knives. Flayderman
(if I recall) attributes to being made for English in India circa mid - late 1800's;
brought back to England and then to US circa turn 20th C. Quality certainly
nothing like the carved sheath India carving knives I was referring too.

Rich S

Justin · 13th February 2006, 02:10 PM

Bowies are indeed what I would call an American Ethnic knife ,however at the same time they were being carried there were all kinds of dirks and folding knives that were also in use,including my favorite and the most definate American knife of all the 'push dagger'.I think we tend to avoid these things here because many of them were mass produced both here and in Europe but that didnt keep them from being extremely popular weapons and tools among civilians and military.

Jim bowie supposedly had somewhere around 14 different knives that he carried ,he loved knives and I would be willing to bet that he owned many more than the 14,hard to tell what any of them looked like .There were bowies for hunting and fighting as previously mentioned but as I understand it size was the difference. I have two Sheffield made bowies one is probably M-L 19th cent the other L 19th-E 20th at about 10 inches long overall they were supposed to be for hunting.

He didnt hesitate to use them either ,Ive read about several duels he was in using his knives.He wasnt a good person to challenge since he usually liked to make up odd and risky terms.There was one incident where he and another gentleman sat face to face straddling a log,their seconds nailed their pants down to the log and when the signal was given they went at each other with their knives,needless to say he won.In another ordeal he ended up being shot several times,cut and had a sword cane blade snap off while still stuck in his chest,and lived.-'Gentleman Swords and Pistols' a very good book for anyone interested in dueling in the old South.

The knife in question above does look a little different from the Indian carving sets but that brass clasp is something that I have seen on them before ,it may be similar to a gunong but I think it is from India.

Lew · 13th February 2006, 02:45 PM

Gentleman

From what I have read the original bowie knife was a hunting knife. It was a simple large straight back single edge blade. The bowie knife we see today was said to be designed for Jim Bowie or Rezin Bowie by a local maker named Snowden there was also another maker named Jesse Clifft which was said to have made the straight back style blade. Here is a page from Jim Batons book that I picked up about 12 years ago it shows the two styles mentioned above.

Lew

Rich · 18th February 2006, 10:53 AM

Here's one of those Made in India knives I mentioned (copied the
pics off ebay). Sand off the carving, stain the wood, age the brass
and blade and doesn't it look like the one that started this thread?

Rich

13th February 2006, 02:45 PM	#3
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Gentleman From what I have read the original bowie knife was a hunting knife. It was a simple large straight back single edge blade. The bowie knife we see today was said to be designed for Jim Bowie or Rezin Bowie by a local maker named Snowden there was also another maker named Jesse Clifft which was said to have made the straight back style blade. Here is a page from Jim Batons book that I picked up about 12 years ago it shows the two styles mentioned above. Lew Attached Images

18th February 2006, 10:53 AM	#4
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	Here's one of those Made in India knives I mentioned (copied the pics off ebay). Sand off the carving, stain the wood, age the brass and blade and doesn't it look like the one that started this thread? Rich Attached Images

13th February 2006, 01:25 PM	#1
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	Beautiful Arnacellum hunter. These are really nice, well made knives (I've two of them; one exactly like this). While not "bowies" in the classical sense; ie, too late and wrong countries; still really finely made knives. Flayderman (if I recall) attributes to being made for English in India circa mid - late 1800's; brought back to England and then to US circa turn 20th C. Quality certainly nothing like the carved sheath India carving knives I was referring too. Rich S

13th February 2006, 02:10 PM	#2
Justin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 178	Bowies are indeed what I would call an American Ethnic knife ,however at the same time they were being carried there were all kinds of dirks and folding knives that were also in use,including my favorite and the most definate American knife of all the 'push dagger'.I think we tend to avoid these things here because many of them were mass produced both here and in Europe but that didnt keep them from being extremely popular weapons and tools among civilians and military. Jim bowie supposedly had somewhere around 14 different knives that he carried ,he loved knives and I would be willing to bet that he owned many more than the 14,hard to tell what any of them looked like .There were bowies for hunting and fighting as previously mentioned but as I understand it size was the difference. I have two Sheffield made bowies one is probably M-L 19th cent the other L 19th-E 20th at about 10 inches long overall they were supposed to be for hunting. He didnt hesitate to use them either ,Ive read about several duels he was in using his knives.He wasnt a good person to challenge since he usually liked to make up odd and risky terms.There was one incident where he and another gentleman sat face to face straddling a log,their seconds nailed their pants down to the log and when the signal was given they went at each other with their knives,needless to say he won.In another ordeal he ended up being shot several times,cut and had a sword cane blade snap off while still stuck in his chest,and lived.-'Gentleman Swords and Pistols' a very good book for anyone interested in dueling in the old South. The knife in question above does look a little different from the Indian carving sets but that brass clasp is something that I have seen on them before ,it may be similar to a gunong but I think it is from India.