James Bowie and his Bowie Knife!
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- James Bowie and his famous Bowie Knife, featured in period newspaper. Sign up to the British Newspaper Archive now with my link! tidd.ly/3uHA8xo
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I love your videos! I'm quite a patriot and hand made a Bowie knife, just for the same purpose as a woods man's knife. a chopper and heavy duty cutting tool. I carry a smaller knife as well but it replaced my hatchet and will be passed down to my son 8). Very cool history in not know it was used as a wood craft knife BUT I thought it would definitely fill that spot. finding out that's what it's designed for was very entertaining thank you for such a great video!!
I vote for more period accounts of ANY weapons. Your commentary in addition to the articles is great.
I third this proposal
Too late to second the motion, but I wholeheartedly agree!
@@dick_richards You're a gentleman and a scholar sir.
Yes
Yes! Seems like it would be excellent to rotate through different weapon's period accounts: sword, musket, rifle, pistol, knife, tomahawk.
Prior to the Colt cap and ball revolvers, the Bowie knife was the sidearm of choice in the American frontier. Sportsmen of the pre1850’s must have been better acquainted with stick fighting, knife fighting, fencing, and pugilism in general since single shot muzzleloaders were the standard military arms.
Don’t mind me as I take this to note for the making of a future DND campaign.
Even after the Colts productions the Bowie Knife remained the primary back up weapon to being out of ammo.
@@gungriffen Very true. Prior to the patent revolver, you had one shot (possibly two, if carrying a pair) before having to resort to a knife or 'hawk. Even after the patent revolver, you had five or six, and a lengthy reloading process to recharge the pistol, prior to the advent of the metallic cartridge.
@@bartonbrevis3831 While the Cartridge did change everything I think the Knife remained the back up weapon of choice till we got the first reliable magazine for autoloader.
Being out of ammo is your chance to rush in or be rushed, and a Combat knife of shorts may be the best weapon or maybe even deterrent.
I might go with the tomahawk being the older and preferred sidearm.
I happen to be descended from the family that made that knife for James Bowie. I am pointing out that James Black did not make that coffin knife for Bowie until Bowie went to the Alamo. I am also pointing out that what James Bowie used in all of his knife fights prior to the Alamo was in fact what is referred to as "the Arkansas Toothpick".
Not sure that is true at all. Whilst the Arkansas Toothpick was certainly a style of knife that was popular at the time there is NO literature that describes Bowie carrying anything other then a large ‘butchers ‘ like blade that he had commissioned. Subsequently referred to as the Bowie knife. Interesting to note though that what we currently perceive as being the original Bowie knife actually pre dates Bowie. In short whilst he may well have carried an Arkansas Toothpick this is mere speculation
@@owb4937 The original Bowie knife, which was verified when returned to Arkansas in 2020, was specifically made for James Bowie by my family just prior to James Bowie went to the Alamo. James Bowie was the person who designed it to best fit his fighting style. The Arkansas Toothpick being used prior to that is documented in Arkansas history.
@@juliawatts1866 "documented in Arkansas history" Ok, so give us a source, I would like to read it.
@@-Zevin- Those documents are in the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock, Arkansas. I would be happy to contact the state archive for you if you would like.
@@juliawatts1866 That would honestly be fantastic. This has been a topic I have seen debated numerous times online, to have some solid indisputable evidence would be be great. With a direct source we could even update the Wikipedia on Bowie.
There is no single design for a "Bowie" knife. During this period, many were more like a short sword, around 12", some longer, some shorter. They were the product of local smiths and thus varied in design according to the customer and skills of the craftsman. Demand for them encouraged European manufacturers, especially the great steel centers of Sheffield and Solingen for export. The clip point design familiar to us is more from this source. They remained popular for defense even long after reliable revolvers as it was more easily concealed than a bulky pistol. The "coffin" handle was designed to be more easily concealed and Bowies were frequently carried in a shoulder holster. "Doc" Holliday killed a man with one. According to Wyatt Earp, who witnessed the fight, Doc gutted his adversary before the man's pistol had cleared the holster. I think we would all enjoy any other material you can dig up on this legendary weapon.
It's hard not to like the clip point style of bowie. Broad belly and single edged blade geometry mean great chopping through brush or bone, and clipped point both adds curve to slicing belly, and is one the best points for penetration where single edged blades are concerned.
Almost every killing that has been blamed on Doc Holliday are pure BS.
@@jasondelong1683 Well, I read that account some time ago and no longer recall the source or the details of who, what, where and when. The fight occurred over a poker game. Doc's opponent kept trying to look at the deadwood, and the second time Doc called him on the offense, he claimed the pot. His adversary objects, jumps to his feet and starts to draw. According to Earp, who claimed to have witnessed the affair as a city marshall, Doc drew his knife and gutted the fellow before his pistol had cleared the holster. Earp said he had never seen a man with faster reactions. True? Who knows?
@@jackrice2770 This would have taken place in Dodge City then and if it did happen it is not mentioned in any of the surviving papers or court cases from then.
So Doc Holiday took a knife to a gun fight and won!? Sounds far fetched to me.
Mentioning that this is basically a podcast episode made me realize how much I would love a long form genuine podcast format for these type of discussions. I would be thrilled to listen to a 1-2 hour long episode like this.
Bowie knives were popular during the Australian gold rush in Victoria (1850-53) and were introduced by the influx of Californian gold miners who traveled to Australia following the 1849 gold rush.
I have read that pistols were unreliable and needed to be reloaded daily because some of the black powder tended to absorb moisture. There are accounts of mass firing of guns at dusk each day, this also let your neighbours know you were armed.
The knives were considered every day apparel and are seen in many photos of the era.
Last Friday was my first Bowie knife lesson. It was awesome. I’ve been reading up a bit about Jim Bowie since so looking forward to this one!
Keating?
That was really entertaining. Yes, more Bowie knife please!
Yes, from San Antonio, Texas. More Bowie knife goodness, please.
Yes please to more accounts, that was fascinating.
Really enjoyed it - thanks very much for taking the time to research and relay.
It wasn't until I started smithing and making knives that I appreciated the Bowie - now I'm quite partial.
I grew up right by Galveston and only a couple of hours drive from where the Alamo happened. The stories of Jim Bowie and the Natchez sand bar fight are still well known around there, as well as the Alamo, of course. I'd love more contemporary bowie stuff in the future!
Yes, please. More accounts. As a native Texian, I refer to Bowie Knives as Boo-ie, as opposed to Bow-ie. I'm not really sure if there's a consensus on that and I doubt that modern pronunciations are valid indicators of past pronunciations. I haven't lived there for years and rarely speak to Texans, especially in reference to Bowie knives.
Any Texan today will likely pronounce it Boo-ie.
It's like car-by-ne and car-bee-ne, neither sound even remotely close to the French "carabine", which would be ker-ahh-bin. As long as the person understands you, you pronounced it correctly lol
Wikipedia says boo ee so idk. English is dumb.
It’s a persons name so it’s boo-ee
@@austinatherton6577 Yeah, kind of like David Bowie.
Other versions of the Bowie tale state that James Bowie's brother Rezin came up with the design of the knife and had it made for James.
Another feature of the knife's legend is that the length of the knife was dictated by the man's length from armpit to waste, as that is the length that can reliably be hidden under a gentleman's coat. Knives were often not allowed indoors.
Had made for himself 9 in half inch hunting knife resemble ordinary butcher knife of the time . He loaned Jim
The scrap that made Bowie famous came to be known as “The Sandbar Fight”. Bowie was one of several seconds observing a duel when things got squirrely. He was shot and stabbed, killed his opponent with a knife and survived.
He was a bit of a frontier rogue, but he wasn’t alone.
He was a man of his time.
Don't know about the past but both of my sons carried Bowie knives in Afghanistan and we're from Kentucky.
Good choice, I knew some Canadian Forces who carried various types of blade in Afghanistan, Bowies and Kukri's among them. The Afghans themselves have a very old and prominent 'blade culture'.
The Ka-bar is pretty much a Bowie. Very serviceable for all kinds of chores. Combat, too, but soldiering is mostly being ready, occasionally fighting and fighting mostly with firearms and munitions. Knives keep you alive in all kinds of ways.
We all love Bowie knives on here Matt! More of the same please... I look forward to your videos, many thanks !
Oh goodness! This was amazing to listen to! Those little details in the text really reveal how incredibly diverse those times were within the area we now consider the US. It's really easy for me to forget how much more physical distance meant back when airplanes were not invented yet!
I read that book that was pictured in the thumbnail. At the beginning of the book it said that James Bowie and his family mostly used knives and lassos because firearms and ammunition was expensive. I love Bowie knives too. Another great knife was the Arkansas Toothpick. Your videos are awesome.
Knives don't run out of ammunition, besides firearms were all muzzle loaders.
i enjoy the historical accounts. its also interesting to note that in Canada you can basically legally open carry any knife that is a tool (not a weapon, not designed to be used on people). there are a few restrictions for weapons or automatically opening knives. but firearms are zero tolerance. since pepper spray for people is illegal, since it is designed for people, where i live, there is a lot of bear spray that gangs and criminals use since you can easily acquire it as it isn't designed for humans. laws can be weird
You can find such strange weapon laws everywhere: In the country i am from, thanks to a bankrobber at the end of the 80's, pump action shotguns are a prohibited item, and can only be bought by law enforcement and military entities.
Those that were in private ownership when the law came into effect, had to be registered, and can't be sold. So if the person want's to get rid of it, the authorites will collect it. If the person dies, same thing. But and here is the strange part: it is legal to own a semiautomatic shotgun. (but like for anything else semiauto, you need a license). And pump action rifles aren't prhibited either.
@@nirfz may i ask which country? that is a fascinating factoid
@@beepboop204 🇦🇹 austria
This was a treat! It would be awesome if you did a similar video about Canadian and American knives during the colonial period, and the Early Republic. The cutlers of Sheffield played a huge role during this period as well! For example: the knives that Lewis and Clark took on their expedition into the Louisiana Purchase in 1803-1806. Or, the knives carried by the members of Alexander McKenzie's expedition into Canada, etc., etc.
We love Bowie knife,
But we didn't know the story.
Thank-you.
I have been carrying a Bowie and Tomahawk more often than not for well over 30 years...in many places around the world.
Since mostly staying State side for the last decade or so, I have had them on my side nearly every day.
It is my intention that I will be returned to the earth with one of each on my belt...or in hand. Though which one of each I know not, as I have been collecting them since childhood, and though I have my favorites, I do rotate them on occasion.
U carry a bowie and Hawk all over the world?
@@wadetaylor1299 Strangely, the "free western countries" make up most of the exceptions to carrying them. So no, not all over the world. Most places however, yes. Without issue I might add.
Wow. Matt Easton performs story time isn't something I expected I needed so badly
I own a Cold Steel frontier Bowie, it doesn’t even have to be sharp to be a formidable weapon 😊 it is my modern day Dussak!
Yes, any of these articles and videos of your collection are very appreciated!
Please do make more videos like this one. This type of frontier history is still popular but rarely written about or spoken of in recent years. It’s very interesting and needs to be remembered.
Your reactions are priceless to your reading this account. Never bored with your contact mate keep up the good research 🧐
The bowie is still a very popular shelf defense weapon of choice even up in the northern states.
You questioned in your video why Bowie would have chosen a knife for self-defense?
You made one point in regards to the pistols of the day being singal shot.
I would like to make another point. A man with a knife poses a bigger freat within 25 feet than a man, with a pistol.
This has been proven. A man with a knife from twenty-five feet can charge and stab you before you can pull aim and fire your pistol.
Of course, many men of James Bowie's days carried both a pistol and a knife.
They would discharge their pistol from a distance, then through or use it as a club, then go for their knife.
Thank you for sharing the article. I really enjoyed it.
Enjoying these old accounts. More please.
One of your best videos....I like the Ka-Bar USMC knife as a general purpose knife...it's a little too big for skinning animals, but great for hacking bone and cutting the game up. Pistols were fairly unreliable for years, but a knife was always going to work.
Good video! As I understand it, when duels were fought with Bowies, the opponents tied their wrists with a scarf or a cloth & fought "in close" with the knife in the other hand...all of the knives discussed in comments can be used as GP knives...however, imho, a knife like a FS & a Bowie should be considered "fighting knives"....a fk should not be used as a pry bar or to eat with...that is why soldiers carried 2 blades...& the GP blade was not used as a pry unless it was an emergency...I have a Western bowie from the '70's...they were used in the 'Nam, mostly by U.S. Special Forces....
I live in the Great Smoky Mountains and carry a Bowie knife for use as a tool. It's utility at cutting brambles and trimming branches is not able to be overstated. The particular knife I use is forged in Pakistan and sold by Chippaway in Tennessee. I wouldn't feel dressed without it doing yard work.
Very interesting! I'm from the Northern US, West of the Mississippi, but spent about 20 or so years down South and in the (modern) South West - mostly in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona but as Far East as Florida - as recently as the later part of the 20th Century. And even in large cities it was the custom for many men to cary a knife, not a bowie, but rather a lock blade folding knife such as a Buck, or Schrade. Usually with a blade of around 4" long. Usually in a pouch attached to their belt. In rural areas it was almost universal. Or course most of the folks I worked with or encountered spent a lot of spare time fishing, hunting, or just being outdoors.
I was given to understand that there are 3 different pronunciations of Bowie.
I Scotland, the original land, the sound was like a dog, ‘Bow Wow’.
In England the name sounded like the 'Bow' as in bow and arrow.
And when it came to America, it was changed again to sound like ‘Boo’ (as in boo who).
Best answer
Please continue to do these newspaper videos your commentary on top of period accounts is amazing
As a Texan I have to say I've never actually heard "boo-ie" knife until Mr. Easton started mentioning them in his videos, I've always pronounced it as it is spelled. Then again I'm not exactly the type of person who'd hear it much in real life, anyway. So maybe boo-ie is the more common pronunciation here.
@@dick_richards Are they saying "boo", or "boo-ie"?
As a Texan who lives in a rural area this is the first time I have ever heard the knife pronounced any way except boo-ee
Don't worry, the British cannot pronounce English correctly.
As an Arkansawyer who talks about them frequently, it is 'Boo-ee'
@@turtlebutme7103 I figured that would be the case. I am a suburb baby, sadly. :P
Bowie Knife is a blade type that would make sense when made in to various different sizes and with different hilt types.
And so they are… There are dozens of “modified” Bowie blade shapes on the market. Arguably, the famous “K-Bar” Marine knife is one.
@@Bikewer a Bowie is kinda modified Seax 😅
@@beepboop204 An upsidedown Seax, but there are features of a Bowie that really are distinct. It has a false edge, it has a "drop" point and it usually has a guard and a finger choil/a flat section on blade closest to the hilt so you can put your finger over the guard in a fencing style grip.
@@steezydan8543 yes both the Seax and Bowie have different knife modifications. always comes down to the .... .... context
I always love the period accounts, but I'm also perfectly fine with more audio based video's, because I often listen while doing kitchen stuff. ^_^
Consider an 1873 peacemaker had a capacity of 6 (though often only 5 rounds were carried and the hammer sat on an empty cylinder) the reload time was substantial even with the introduction of metallic cartridges. A capable fighting knife was considered a valuable item. I will admit in what I see in period sales catalogs and old photos, often the knives were of a smaller size than an early bowie knife. 4-6 inches stilettos styles were often seen rather than the 8-12 large hack and slash blades
you often see in earlier references.
Yes, in the antique world, 6 or 7 inch blades are much more common than 8+ inch blades. Though in fairness, most of these knives were seen as hunting and general purpose field knives, rather than specifically fighting knives.
@@scholagladiatoria I think that's because most frontiersmen were sane rational people. However, you do read many accounts of people (rationally or otherwise) in the muzzleloading era ordering massively large knives or even hunting swords, with the mindset of "I may be under threat and have to defend myself therefore I need the longest sharpened iron bare I can carry comfortably." The correlation I noticed was the more effective the firearms got, generally the smaller the bladed weapons got. Also, Maturity probably has something to do with it. I served as an infantryman in the army for 2 hitches, when I was a young private I had a KABAR I always carried, by the time I got out as a Staff sergeant I had a case trapper pocket knife. A book you may enjoy about personal weapons of American frontiersmen is "Gunsmoke and saddle leather. Which covers the end of the American colonial period to the introduction of smokeless powder and deals almost exclusively with private citizens rather than military-issued weapons.
I love story time with Uncle Matt. Love that you appreciate the lens through which such accounts were written
Fascinating that they drew the comparison to the Roman Gladius. When I bought my Bowie recently, that was the first thing that came to mind when I handled it. The blade on mine is 11.5 inches.
Shortest gladius was 18 inches long. It's a sword a Bowie knife is a knife plus marketing. Its fine but just a knife.
Honestly one of my favorite videos of yours in a while Matt, though I always enjoy your content. If you have inclination and time, more videos about the weapons and history of North America would be very welcome!
Truly delightful!
Thank you from Tucson AZ
I do listen to a lot of your videos as if they were podcasts, so this was right up my alley.
Matt.....I always love the videos of period accounts of "past" use of the weaponry and people of the times! Please keep producing them. They are highly interesting and fully educational, as well as your interpretation and explanations of the stories! So, in conclusion I can't wait for the next history lessons you provide, via articles, stories and "first person" accounts of history! Thank you for them, and please keep bringing them to us!
I can’t believe you’re naming all these places I’ve seen hundreds of times. These are stories I’ve not had the pleasure of hearing. Thank you for sharing some of my own history with me.
To people with Disney+ access, I recommend "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier" (1955). The movie features the Bowie knife, mostly when the characters talk about its fame and reference it while talking about Bowie himself, who has a cool scene in the end, at The Alamo.
[Just ignore this compulsively attached part]:
Originally the footage was aired on TV, in B&W and three weekly parts, so the movie version has been edited to be 1h shorter, but I found it a very cohesive film that never drags. The 1.85:1 widescreen is done by matte. I don't know if they had this in mind while photographing / framing the Academy ratio footage, but I didn't find issues with it, certainly nothing jarring, like halves of heads getting out of frame etc. Beautiful nature shots!
Loved your reading of the article. I have the Cold Steel Loredo Bowie and it is truly fierce tool for self protection.
"It was so meaty, and so big, I thought I'd give you the whole thing". Cheers Matt!
I love this format. I'll probably never go and read any of these articles myself but hearing you tell it with comments and illucidations thrown in is wonderful listening. Thank you.
It is interesting to note that the Bowie knife had become so infamous by the end of the nineteenth century that in the finish of the book Dracula, the count is killed by the simultaneous strokes of a Bowie knife in the heart and a kukri knife across the throat.
So glad to hear you say you will be Matt Easton next time as well. I always worry a little bit. And yes, i do want you to talk more about Bowie knives.
Hell yeah! Definitely do another video or 2 about the bowie knife! I love your work Matt! Keep it up!!
I live in Alexandria Louisiana, the town Jim and Rezin called home, and where the politics , shady buisiness deals, and personal grudges led to the Sandbar fight, all the players were from here, even though the fight was in between Natchez and Vidalia. Rezin , who actually made the first knife , lived on Bayou Beouf , just a couple miles away , and arguably that's where he made the first Bowie knife for his brother. Sadly there's not even so much as a placard here to tell the tale , and most folks who live here have no clue
Please make more of these ! I’ve also seen this type of knife with a brass strip across the top . Cheers from California !
Case XX 1836 model. Brass guard and Bakelite grip with three brass pins. Also has an etching that appears to be Davy Crockett in his coonskin cap, with the knife.
The idea is that the brass will catch the edge of the enemies knife. Iron mistres is a famous example.
A wonderful reading. Thank you. Yes, please share more stories of Bowie knife escapades.
Bowie's reasoning for caring his knife, was that a knife never fails
This was incredible. on the edge of my seat. thank you sir.
Did you by any chance dig up any more bowie?
I enjoy the accounts of the Bowie knifes and Swords the best. Very interesting
Since you are in the UK, I wonder if you might have any information on a knife I found in the desert of Nevada years ago. I don't know if it could be considered a "Bowie".
It is stamped "Marsh Bros & Co. Celebrated Cutlery". The little bit of info I was able to find on the Marsh Bros. indicated to me that it was made in England, possibly about 1860-1890.
When I found it, the handle was long gone. Not knowing anything about old knives, I cleaned it up a little and wrapped the tang with leather shoelace and heat shrink and proceeded to use it as a camp knife, mostly for cooking and such. The steel is very hard, and holds a good razor sharp edge.
Recently, I thought I might re-handle it, and that's when I discovered the stamping on the base of the blade.
It also says "American Hunter" on the side of the blade. My ambitious idea to make the handle out of jade has been postponed until I try some easier material first. (various reasons for that)
Here is a couple of slide shows I made of it.
czcams.com/video/F-b4lRfpjhY/video.html czcams.com/video/gu74nkQbPzY/video.html
Any help you can be would be greatly appreciated.
PS I looked on the British Newspaper site but no luck so far. (They have a lot to look through; I need to figure out how to narrow it down.)
So interesting. Please do more in the subject
The first time I read anything historical on the Bowie knife was from an early 90's article from a Soldier of Fortune magazine. I remember the article claiming that the knife fighting styles and techniques associated with bowie knives were heavily influenced by Spanish and French fencing of the day(and of course the deadliest, look for our bowie knife fighting vhs tapes in the back pages). I know basically next to nothing about actual weapon martial arts, but this made some sense as places like New Orleans were frequently brought up as centers for knife fighting teachers and schools. Definitely an iconic piece of American history.
I believe this, fencing schools were still very popular in the 19th century in the South. Dueling was considered relevant to American southern gentlemen of the period, with schools training these young men in various forms for swordplay, pistol, and yes the Bowie or knife. Dueling became so prevalent that local magistrates finally had to step in and make it illegal in GA, and soon afterwards most of the South. Considering that dueling was largely made illegal in most of Europe long before, the French and English fencing masters found work were their skills would still be valued, in the American South.
Woohoo, Bowie knife and Texas mentions in one video! Yes, please, more, more, more! 😎
I'll have to share this with a friend, he and I were attempting to make some bowie knives and this is interesting history!
Very interesting read,great find...thankyou for sharing this with us, I'm enjoying your uploads.
Speaking of that time, when guns were subject to misfiring etc....a knife was always ready and always loaded. : -)
Many decades ago I was reading similar newspaper op-eds from the era you're reading from. One that sticks in my memory was this fellow bewailing the devastation that the Bowie knife has caused, speaking of the widows and orphans created by this evil device and one day he said we can pray some politician will have the vision and fortitude to ban this weapon. Reminds me of the crusade to ban the 'assault rifle' these days.
Addition to this two American icons first met on the steps of St Louise Catherdral New Orleans 1817. James Audubon, that budding early American wildlife artist, introduced himself to Jim Bowie.
I do a lot of hunting game big small medium and there is a need for multiple styles of edges but if I could pick one it’s the Bowie my main hunting knife that I always carry is my grandpa’s old buck 120 and it’s a Bowie style blade I love it and it’s done everything for me
Yes please, I love it when you read from the news archives or tell these crazy stories about Duels and battles in such! Long time viewer I love your channel
A little tidbit for you, at that time, (really most of the 1800's) certain places in the United States did not allow firearms. Places like State Assemblies, Travers and the like but they also didn't allow knives under four inches in length (usually measured by laying the knife across the palm of ones hand). The reason was if a knife was that small, it was far too easy to conceal and therefore harder to find someone if they committed murder versus with a large knife. Some places in the US, those laws have never been taken off the books but I've not heard of anyone arrested for that.
Love these period accounts… lends much to the documentation of historic weapons…
I love your videos where you read from historical sources. Both your recent ones from the newspapersarcives and the older ones from " Swordsmen of the Brittish Empire"
Yes! Please, more!!
The first Colt revolver came out in 1837. The Colt Paterson Revolver, a 5 shot .36 caliber percussion cap revolver. It wasn't until 1851 that Colt came out with a true belt, or holster pistol. The 1851 Colt Navy, also in .36 caliber. Made for the US Navy at the time, but became very popular with civilians.
Baby Dragoons of the 1840s were predecessors to the '51 Navy. I shoot an 1851 London Navy and a 3rd Model Dragoon incidentally :-)
@@scholagladiatoria Okay, yes the Baby Dragoon, .31 caliber was primarily created for the Pony Express. As for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd model Dragoons, those where any thing but belt guns. Way to big. They where carried in holsters on a saddle. I guess you could carry one, but you'd want to wear suspenders. The 1851 Navy, was light enough that it was comfortable to wear in a holster, on your belt. See what I"m saying?
Yes please, more bowie knife newspaper articles would be awesome
Born and raised in Texas. The original Bowie knife (according to what I've read) had meteorite forged into the steel. Also, we say in Texas, "ya ain't gotta reload a knife". Which would be better than a single shot round ball handgun. A good Bowie knife would also be the perfect "jack of all" edge tool/weapon. I actually carry a Spyderco Street Bowie every day, even though it's only a 5" blade. And it serves more as a kitchen knife than anything, except maybe a box opener. lol
I’d vote for more Bowie stories
def voting yes for more bowie stories
Thanks to you, I started looking into Bowie knife which I could buy
Yes, more Bowie pls!
Yes, I would most definitely like to see you do more videos on things to do with my homeland
I found it interesting that on your patrion video you said that you might have problems with knife related content. I was not aware of that sort of issue. I have always wanted more knife related content since they are one item that we use in modern life that has a historical tie in. As such a common weapon there is very little western technique that is legitimate out there. I definitely would enjoy more content on knives.
I always love these looks into history.
It's kind of funny. I'm Dakota from South Dakota and no one I know in real life actually uses the phrase Native American when talking with each other. We all just use Indian.
Although you’ll find yourself progressively more attacked if you keep using the term Indian. The NCAA forced my college to change their team name from Indian to something else a few years ago…not by appealing to anyone’s beliefs but by threatening to take their money away. Everyone I know in the Midwest still calls them Indians.
It’s not funny, and doesn’t make it correct.
Not just my opinion.
I once came upon a pamphlet published in the 1930's by the Texas Historical society titled "Bowie Knife Culture" I was impressed by the inventiveness of Knife users. St.Louis had schools that taught there use. Sheaths took many different forms : shoulder sheaths, small of back and between the shoulder blades as few.
Many accepted forms for feuds we're essentially suicidal like : fighting inside a grave, sitting on a plank over the gravr. Or fighting while tied together.
Last one sounds Apache
@@Cuptow it's funny I live in Arizona and have had the chance to read quite a bit on Apache Warfare. You read a lot about their Bow, lances made from fire hardened Century Plant stocks and sabre points, rifles, clubs and even fighting with rocks but little about knives.
Very nice and very true. The Bowie knife was a bit outdated in the 1880's. Probably it had its last real peek in the American Civil War, but that's it.
The "Wild West" is usually seen as the 70's and 80's of the 19th century.
This account videos are brilliant! Please keep them up!
And yes, there is a lot of stories about Bowie's life. One of the numerous versions of the first meeting with Wright in Alexandria may better explain (at least imho) why Bowie vowed never to leave the house without his dagger instead of buying a gun himself: apparently, meeting him by chance, Wright shot Bowie at point-blank range only slightly wounding him (in other accounts the bullet missed or was deflected by a silver dollar). At this point, a wounded and enraged Bowie attacked Wright with his bare hands, but since he was unarmed, Wright managed to stun him down with his walking stick (or sword cane).
In the New Zealand Wars Gustavus von Tempsky had his men equipped with Bowie knives. People got very attached to them.
Great knives, I have one from Svord.
GREAT video, thanks you!
Yes more more more. Thank you.
Thank you, Matt Eastern, for your wonderfully informative videos.
Yes. I would love for you to do more videos about the history of the Bowie knife.
I particularly admire the large Sheffield Bowie knife you held up the most in this video and am curious about how long the blade is as it seems to be at least ten inches long. How long is it?
Thank you.
An episode about shepherds axes some day would be cool. Recently I ordered the head of one from a Polish blacksmith.
Valaška?
@@titanscerw Yep. Or Ciupaga in Polish.
@@corneliussulla9963 cool, čupaga is also in Gorol language as it is here in song form:
czcams.com/video/nctlpVeKTkw/video.html
Gorol is spoken in Podhale and parts of todays Czech rep., Slovakia and Poland
I found your comment interesting so I looked them up. Ended up buying one.
@@titanscerw I know bracie, Im Polish. But from the North. I thought it would be a nice tool for forrest walks, so I ordered the head and want to make a handle from Yew wood by myself.
hell yes! i love hearing about the bowie knife since i collect them and wear one when i'm at home or hunting but they aren't legal to wear any other time so i wear a kershaw secret agent on my hip modified to be a cross draw and a cold steel counter tac 1 - the japanese steel one on a shoulder rig i put together myself under my right shoulder hidden under a long sleeve shirt
September 16th, 1827 - On a sandbar above Natchez, Mississippi near what is the town of Vidalia, Louisiana, a dual between Dr. Thomas Maddox and Samuel Wells erupted into a brawl involving the observers as well.
The most historically accurate account of this fight is in Mr. Bowie with a Knife- A history of the Sandbar Fight by J.R. Edmondson. In summary, Bowie, after almost being knocked to his knees by a thrown pistol, shot through a lung, shot in the thigh, then stabbed in the breast and hand, drew a foot long butcher knife...Killed one of his attackers, and drove the rest from the field.
From: Paradoxes of a Deadly Myth By: Dwight C. McLemore, Yorktown, Virginia.
I've been enjoying these videos.
Wonderful video Mr. Easton! Looking forward to more.
Matt if i ever right a book or have a book written about me for some reason . I want you to do the audio book version lol. great video. you werernt kidding about doing a bowie video soon lol
This was tremendous fun. More please!
Yes please! More accounts of the Bowie would be great!