Bowie Knife 1820-1870
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- No weapon is more American than the Bowie Knife. Steeped in legend and mythology, its fascinating history is told here for the first time on video, featuring two of the greatest Bowie Knife collections ever formed over an 80 year combined effort.
Begin the adventure at the famous Sandbar Fight showing the first coffin hilt knives. Observe how styles evolved through historic events. See the famous frontier "Arkansas Toothpick," the "Old Zack" & knives of the 1847 Mexican War, the Gold Rush Bowies of 1849 and the blades created by renowned San Francisco cutlers.
1992 (c) Marill Productions
I always remember a bit from Jack Jackson's graphic novel 'The Alamo: An Epic Told From Both Sides'
in which Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie are seated at a table together after they've met for the first time.
Bowie is holding his Bowie knife by the handle resting it on the table, displaying it.
Crockett: "So that's your knife, is it Col Bowie? Heard about it..
Bowie: (smiling) "Yes, I reckon you might tickle a fellow's ribs with this thing quite awhile before he breaks into a laugh."
Crockett: "Uh-huh - and you may pick his teeth fer a spell before he grins, as they say in Arkansaw."
Crockett picks up the knife carefully with both hands looking at it.
Crockett: "Bowie, they're mass - producing knives with your name all over this country. How much do they pay you for it?"
Bowie: "About as much as you get every time Ol' Hackett puts on that play "Lion of the West", I'll wager."
(a popular touring play at the time that was supposedly based on Crockett's life)
Crockett: (laughing) "That being the case, We'll both die without a dollar between us!"
To someone who lives in England, it is great to hear the part that English knives played in American history.What a great lesson in fighting/utility knives this video represents.
+William Hanson There are a couple of makers still producing knives in Sheffield, or at least there were a few years ago. I used to live about 20 miles south of that city and funnily enough I am working on a bowie knife right now...
+William Hanson i have read in an old book that jim bowie ordered six knives made to his design from wolsenholme ixl, sheffield where i live made many knives for the american market many inscribed with mottoes such as " draw me not in anger " and " remember the alamo " i have collected large knives all of my life im 66 now and have yet to find a better knife than was made in sheffield , yorkshire, england
+Derek Stocker The only thing that bothers me about it is someone out there from the UK at some point I will guarantee you will ignorantly start claiming bowie knives were invented by the English all because there were a lot of English companies getting involve in the American market and because he didn't listen to videos like this on youtube haha.
sharkfinbite please making false claims is what Americans do best so we will leave it to you
Because the English never lie.
Awesome display of Historical Bowie and Arkansas Toothpick Knives.
the most beautiful collection of knifes i ever saw
Henry Medina let me take my magnifying glass
Xcellent piece of info for blades lovers and collectors. Sincerelly congrats from Panama Republic.
I'd treasure any of those.
Awesome collection. A couple of my modern Bowies I had considered way too "modern" looking before now. In this video I saw interpretations of several of them that lest me know tey are indeed authentically inspired by Sheffield makers. In particular the hooked pommels, and some of the Woodheads. Thanks for posting this.
i have a william rodgers with stag handle 1850s marked caststeel warranted with red leather scabbard i love the sheffield made knives you have one of the best collections i have seen
Thank you for sharing this with us. They are beautiful pieces.
Those San Francisco knives are beautiful, especially love that Hugh McConnell knife.
Just an amazing and informative video! Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful video! Beautiful knives! Thank You!
Awesome documentary. Thanks.
The name clip point may have had something to do with the early clipper ships, but more likely had to do with the method of forging where as the bar was "clipped" at an angle and when the bevels were forged it resulted in the classic "clip" point. The reason many were "clipped" was due to the quality of the earlier steel, and later for speed of forging in some factories. The clip was not discarded however, it would have been saved and in small shops forge welded into a billet for another knife or tool. The clipping method would also lend itself well to a knife with a high carbon lower edge and wrought iron spine as it would bring the high carbon up for the point vs. forging the point from a bar.
The last one, the Washington knife, Oh my Goodness...
+brottarnacke Yes it is indeed very beautiful and undoubtedly unique.
I wonder how they did such detailed etchings so long ago its so amazing gosh !
@@gregg9541 acid etching goes back to at least the middle ages, if not earlier, more or less you either paint on the acid onto the steel and let it etch, which was generally what was done historically, or you could take the more modern approach and paint on a resistant medium as a negative and submerge the steele in the etchent
Anyone know where the Washington Knife is currently? I'd love to get its dimensions to have a functional replica made.
Very Cool !!!
AWESOME
Seems like every bladed weapon shorter than 3 feet was called a "Bowie" during that and later periods.
I have an English made "Drop Point" (Meaning that the point end of the blade is thicker than the blade near the Tang) Trade Knife from the early 19 Century that I'm very proud to possess, and a few other "Bowies".
Now that’s a knoife... collection.
No mention of the Edwin Forest Bowie knife (or design)? I may have missed it.
+Sean M The only blades in this doc were in the collections of these two men. No doubt, there are other historic Bowies with provenance out there! My hope is as people come across any Bowies from the 19th century, perhaps found in attics or storage, together with any papers or letters attesting to their origin - that the public gets the chance to see them before going back into private collection.
Edwin Forest Bowie
Could the notch simply be to secure the knife in a sheath?
Derna1804 You mean the one at one of the knives throat? No, that is so you can carry it inside your waistband.
Kotha EL Uh not quite, There are several theories on the origin of the spanish notch ranging from it being designed to strip meat from a bone to it being built for the purpose of catching another knife in a knife fight to just being purely decorative (which these days is it's main function in Bowie knives) IMHO trying to carry a Bowie inside your waistband sheathless by the spanish notch would be pretty hazardous especially if you tripped, (X-O) OWWWWW!
I recommend putting it in a sheath and clipping that inside your waistband, it's much safer.
cha5 Thanks for correcting me on this !
The Bowie that Matt Easton very likely copied at 22:32 that first one one the speakers right
Yeah that last one is Top notch design and materials,,,gotta be worth alot on the collectors market,,,but its safe in a museum
who is this man
English knife/blade traditions goes back to atleast 600ad not 1300ad!
I'll give yer twenty quid for the lot!
he's saying bowie wrong lol
Nope, he's saying it the correct way, as in "David Bowie". Its not Bouy !!
this is clickbait lol :) hahah