http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowie_knife
THE ABOVE LINK IS WIKIPEDIAS INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE BOWIE KNIFE. JIM BOWIE AND HIS BROTHER REZIN BOWIE BOTH DESIGNED KNIVES AND THEY CHANGED AND IMPROVED THEM OVER THE YEARS. EVIDENTLY THEY COMISSIONED THE KNIVES AND AFTER JIM BECAME FAMOUS AS A KNIFE FIGHTER THERE WAS A DEMAND SO NO DOUBT MONEY WAS MADE AND THAT DROVE THEM TO CONTINUE TO CHANGE AND TRY NEW DESIGNS TO IMPROVE THE KNIFE AND MAKE IT MORE EFFECIENT AS WELL AS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO BUYERS.
THE FIRST BOWIE WAS DESCRIBED AS SIMULAR TO SPANISH LARGE BUTCHER KNIVES SOMETIMES CARRIED ON SHIPS BY SEAMEN AND PIRATES. (NO GAURD, NO CLIPED POINT AND WOOD RIVITED SCALES)
THE SECOND WAS COMISSIONED BY REZIN BOWIE AND THERE IS A COPY OF THIS FORM OF KNIFE AT THE ALAMO.
THE THIRD FORM WAS MADE BY JAMES BLACK AN ARKANSAWS BLADESMITH FROM A CARVED WOODEN DESIGN MADE BY JIM BOWIE IN 1830. IT IS THE FORM THAT MOST PEOPLE THINK OF AND IS REFERRED TO AS A COFFIN HANDLED BOWIE. IT IS POSSIBLE TO CONFIRM KNIVES MADE BY THE MAKERS SUCH AS JAMES BLACK BUT MORE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY A KNIFE ACTUALLY CARRIED BY JIM. THERE WERE EVEN SCHOOLS TO TEACH FIGHTING TECKNIQUES USING THE BOWIE DURING THAT TIME.
I DON'T HAVE PICTURES OF THE FIRST FORM BUT HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES OF FROM #TWO AND #THREE. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE WILKIPEDIA LINK ABOVE. TYPE 3 AT TOP, TYPE 2 BOTTOM PICTURE