Luzon or Panay?

RobT · 16th December 2024, 01:09 AM

Sajen,

As I mentioned in my earlier post, in the US, Bowies can come with or without a clip point (many 19th century British examples have a spear point). Bowies also come with a variety of hilts and cross guard shapes but the three indispensable characteristics of a traditional Bowie in the US are large size, fixed blade, and (above all) a cross guard (with or without D-guard). Legend has it that Bowies have a cross guard because Rezin Bowie cut his hand severely when his hand slid up the blade of a knife he was using to kill a calf. Your example lacks the cross guard. I don’t have a single example of a “Philippine Bowie” in my collection that doesn’t have a cross guard. So, the question remains, is the “Philippine Bowie” as exemplified by so many WWII souvenirs a creation made especially after WWII for sale to US troops or was it an indigenous creation totally separate from US influence?

Sincerely,
RobT

16th December 2024, 01:09 AM	#11
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 548	Missing The Defining Element Sajen, As I mentioned in my earlier post, in the US, Bowies can come with or without a clip point (many 19th century British examples have a spear point). Bowies also come with a variety of hilts and cross guard shapes but the three indispensable characteristics of a traditional Bowie in the US are large size, fixed blade, and (above all) a cross guard (with or without D-guard). Legend has it that Bowies have a cross guard because Rezin Bowie cut his hand severely when his hand slid up the blade of a knife he was using to kill a calf. Your example lacks the cross guard. I don’t have a single example of a “Philippine Bowie” in my collection that doesn’t have a cross guard. So, the question remains, is the “Philippine Bowie” as exemplified by so many WWII souvenirs a creation made especially after WWII for sale to US troops or was it an indigenous creation totally separate from US influence? Sincerely, RobT