Old Mexican Knife?

[Lew]

Hi all

just won this on ebay the other day. I think it's an old Mexican Bowie knife?

[David]

What exactly defines a knife as a "Bowie"? The Bowie knife itself (ones designed by Bowie) changed in style somewhat from what basically looked like a butcher knife to the clip point most are probably familar with today. Is it far to assume that any large N. American knife created after Bowie was a take on their design?

[Lew]

David

A Bowie is a generic term for any large North American knife with either a clip point or straight back profile.

http://harveydean.com/antique_reproductions.htm

[Atlantia]

Nice big piece Lew!
I've seen a Brazillian bowie with a horn disk handle. I'm not familiar with Mexican knife types TBH, you could PM Gonzalo, I'm sure he'll know more?

[Jim McDougall]

Looks like a Canary Islands 'Bowie/punal'
Actually influences of the Iberian Peninsula pretty well known in Mexico and the 'Spanish Main'. Truly an attractive and heavy item of the type which do seem to colloquially fall into the collective heading 'Bowie' though of course not technically. I like it !!! Love those wide heavy blades.

[Atlantia]

I know it's a different kettle of fish....

[Lew]

Atlantia

yours looks like a Brazilian copy of a Sheffield hunting knife design. Very cool .

[laEspadaAncha]

Originally Posted by Lew

Atlantia

yours looks like a Brazilian copy of a Sheffield hunting knife design. Very cool .

Actually, the knives we associate with clip-point Sheffield hunting knives were Bowie knives.

By 1838, newspaper reports immortalizing both Jim Bowie (already partially immortalized from published accounts of the "Sandbar fight" a decade earlier), Davy Crockett, and the rest of the Texans who died at the Alamo resulted in a new market for a knife "like Jim Bowie's." In the wake of this sudden surge in interest, widely circulated newspaper accounts described Bowie's knife as a large, straight-bladed single-edged knife of roughly 12 inches in length with a guard and a clip-point.

By 1850, the existing demand for Bowie knives, along with the demand for frontier knives following the Gold Rush, had surpassed the production capacity of the cottage industry of American cutlers. Producers in Sheffield were more than happy to meet the new demand in the American market and began producing Bowie knives in earnest. I am yet to encounter a Sheffield Bowie knife of what we now accept as the "classic" form - in person or in print - that predates this period of mass export by Sheffield cutlers, and given the two-decade old pedigree on which this form was based, would refer to all clip-point, single-bladed Sheffield hunters/skinner from the period as Bowie knives.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by laEspadaAncha

Actually, the knives we associate with clip-point Sheffield hunting knives were Bowie knives.

By 1838, newspaper reports immortalizing both Jim Bowie (already partially immortalized from published accounts of the "Sandbar fight" a decade earlier), Davy Crockett, and the rest of the Texans who died at the Alamo resulted in a new market for a knife "like Jim Bowie's." In the wake of this sudden surge in interest, widely circulated newspaper accounts described Bowie's knife as a large, straight-bladed single-edged knife of roughly 12 inches in length with a guard and a clip-point.

By 1850, the existing demand for Bowie knives, along with the demand for frontier knives following the Gold Rush, had surpassed the production capacity of the cottage industry of American cutlers. Producers in Sheffield were more than happy to meet the new demand in the American market and began producing Bowie knives in earnest. I am yet to encounter a Sheffield Bowie knife of what we now accept as the "classic" form - in person or in print - that predates this period of mass export by Sheffield cutlers, and given the two-decade old pedigree on which this form was based, would refer to all clip-point, single-bladed Sheffield hunters/skinner from the period as Bowie knives.

Chris, absolutely beautifully written on the Sheffield/ Bowie heritage of these knives!!! This is exactly what I always hope for on the weapons posted in these forums, great historic detail beyond the typology and physical condition notes. Nice perspective added to observing this interesting knife and the nice example posted by Gene.

All the best,
Jim

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Lew

Atlantia

yours looks like a Brazilian copy of a Sheffield hunting knife design. Very cool .

LOL, I see what you mean! Horn disks instead of stag-horn grip.

Lew, how long is that beauty of yours? It looks massive!

[Lew]

It's not in my hand yet but should arrive any day now. Will let you know. My guess is the blade is between 9-12 inches.

[Lew]

The knife arrived today it has an eight inch blade not as big as it looks in the pic but it is still nice.