Number

Price

   Every soldier North and South needed a knife when they marched off to war and in the South it was fashionable, if not practical, to carry a large fighting knife, the bigger the better judging from war era photographs.

     Like the Code Duello, knife fighting was a Southern custom and was rarely engaged in by those above Mason – Dixon’s line.  In truth, relatively little fighting was done with them North or South, but there are numerous documented cases of Confederates engaging in hand to hand combat with knives. 

     During the decade before the War, Bowies were in fashion and were widely carried by men North and South. Therefore, it is impossible to categorize Bowies as Confederate knives unless they have a documented history of Confederate use, or are one of the few that have Southern maker marks or characteristics.  This beautiful Bowie has many of the classic Confederate hallmarks.  The coarse file marks, copper rivets, tin counterguard, the double-edged spear point blade made from a reclaimed saw blade (which is not good for anything except a fighting knife) and the tin scabbard mark it as a quintessential Confederate Bowie knife.  Though somewhat coarse, the knife and scabbard are very well made.  The blade made from a saw blade, the slab grips held on with three rivets, the tin scabbard with the belt loop put on at 45 degrees to allow for a quick draw and the thin counterguard are all very reminiscent of the Boyle and Gamble and Burger Brothers knives made in Richmond, Virginia.  This could possibly be a product of one of these Richmond makers, but there are no known marked examples by these makers having a double-edged spear point blade.

     The Bowie is large, but not overly so, it measures just over fifteen inches long.  With the exception of one very, very small nick, the blade is perfect and unaltered.  The slab grips remain tight.  Its custom form fitted tin scabbard fits it like a glove.  The tin scabbard was cleaned at some point, but has been aged back to a lovely, natural looking patina.  The manufacturer put a small hole in the toe of the scabbard to allow water to drain out which has helped to preserve the scabbard and knife in such wonderful condition.