How does a Bowie differ from other large knives?

[Rifleman1776]

I Googled images for a Smithwick bowie. :shocked2:
Came up with lebenty-ten, twenty dozen different styles.
No help at all.

 

[satx78247]

THANK YOU. = I had not found the whole text anywhere & the SAPL doesn't have a copy (and won't bother to borrow one from another library).

yours, satx

 

[LaBonte]

It is my understanding that similar knives were marketed by the English in South America generally known in English as "Gaucho knives".

There's a common and traditional form of Spanish knife too called the "beldique" which closely resembles a Bowie, usually having a clip-point and sometimes a small cross-guard. Perhaps it is no accident that our Bowie originated in a part of the US close to Spanish settlement.

Birdwatcher

Not sure where you got the info on Spanish knives, sorry but belduques and gaucho knives (there are several types of Gaucho knives, but the most common is the punal style without guard and which resembles the belduque) do not normally have clip points or guards. Both style knives have blades that are in fact close in shape to the Searles Bowie or the common French Chef's knife.

Here's a copy of an original Belduque made by Joe Delaronde

and this from the MOFT Fur Trade Cutlery Sketchbook (IMO a MUST have book and cheap at twice the price)

and here's an essay on the various types of Gaucho knives http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/facon/criollo.html

 

[Blizzard of '93]

there were large knives commonly used by outdoorsmen many years before the bowie style became popular due to the exploits of bowie as much or more than the knife he had made for him.
very nice blades exhibited here all of them. :hatsoff:

 

[Birdwatcher]

THANK YOU. = I had not found the whole text anywhere & the SAPL doesn't have a copy (and won't bother to borrow one from another library).

Smithwick is so matter of fact an self-effacing you might miss how remarkable he really was if ya ain't careful.

For example the time when he offhandedly mentions joining a party of Cherokees in pursuit of Comanche horse thieves and following the trail for two weeks (three?) across the plains.

This happens shortly after his last horse, a blind mare, is stolen. On that occasion he reads the tracks, then goes and gets his rifle and sets out on foot after them "because there were only two of them". He does find the horse, apparently left with a hunk of fresh bear meat. Smithwick figures it might be because he had previously resided with a Comanche band for some months and they may have recognized him.

The best sign of the character of the man occurs early on, during the recovery of the Hibbons (??) child from a Comanche War Party. Smithwick's horse runs away with him right among the Comanches.

In the confusion he succeeds in bringing down a Comanche who was later finished off by a shot from another Ranger, so there was some uncertainty as to who actually killed him.

Smithwick remarks of the episode "...so I can't say for certain I ever killed a man, not even an Indian".

Enjoy,
Birdwatcher

 

[Wes/Tex]

Love to occasionally reread his book. In some cases it requires a wee bit of reading between the lines with the Victorian modes in effect for much of his period of discussion. He told exactly what Bowie's belt knife looked like, he proved uniforms were issued to the rangers(that in itself is a hoot) and makes some interesting remarks about the Tonkawa/Comanche relationship.

 

[satx78247]

THANKS AGAIN.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, satx

 

[Birdwatcher]

LaBonte....

Great info, thanks.

 

[satx78247]

And to ALL:

Last night (14JAN14) I talked at length with my good friend, Richard L________ (Apache name: NAATEH, which means, "Looks Up".), Principal Chief of The White Mountain Apache Nation (and who by the way was awarded every medal for valor awarded by the USA & several allied nations, during The Korean Police Action, except the MoH - Richard was a 19YO paratrooper with the 187th ABN RGT at that time.) at BEETHOVEN MAENNERCHOR HALLE und GARTEN here in SA.
(Full disclosure: The Apache Nation & the Tsalagi Nvdagi Nation of TX have been "friends & allies", since our tribe came to New Spain/TX in 1818-19. = We have always had at least ONE thing in common: We were BLOOD-SWORN ENEMIES of the Comanches AND allies of the Texicans since then.)

Richard told me that numerous Apache warriors were given "Bowie's knives" shortly before, during & after The Texas Revolution.

Sadly, Richard has NO idea what those "Bowie's knives" looked like & "suspects" that none of those "gift Bowies are extant.
(I wonder if they were Noah Smithwick's copies of Jim/Rezin/John Bowie's designs OR Sheffield copies OR "something else"???)

yours, satx

 

[crockett]

Do you know who gave them the Bowies?

 

[satx78247]

Richard said that he does NOT know. - I asked that question.

IF I was GUESSING, I would guess that the donor was CPT Juan Seguin, as he was "quite well-to-do" AND was "close" to the Apaches, who were resident near his family's huge finca.

yours, satx

 

Here is my Bark River Custom Bowie 8 1/2" blade with Sambar Stag Handle that has a lot of Sheffield Bowie Influence. Bark River Knives also makes a Bowie called the Rogue that is designed off the photo of the Cherokee above.

 

Here are some photos of my custom Bowie from Matt at ML Knives. 1095 steel, 10 3/4" full tang blade with iron guard. Tiger Maple scales. I would most definitely call that a Bowie Knife. :grin:

If you are interested in a Custom Bowie, Matt is a very talented gentleman that makes one heck of a knife. He does everything by hand so they are historically accurate in that regard. It wasn't cheap so I had to save up my pennies for quite sometime. I also have a nice skinning knife from ML to go with the big Bowie.

 

Here is my Bark River Custom Bowie 8 1/2" blade with Sambar Stag Handle that has a lot of Sheffield Bowie Influence.

Yes, it looks like every modern Randall.

 

Yes it does, there is only so many ways to reinvent the wheel. :wink:

 

Yes it does, there is only so many ways to reinvent the wheel. :wink:

Yes but this is supposed to be about TRADITIONAL stuff. Not "plastic spacers". I know, it's in the "spirit" of tradition. So is an inline. :bull:

 

[Rick Son]

Ya seen your avatar lately?? :blah: :haha: :rotf: DOH!

 

[Kenny54]

:thumbsup:

 

Ya seen your avatar lately?? :blah: :haha: :rotf: DOH!

Apples and oranges Chief Thunderthud. :rotf:

This is not the "Traditional Avatar Forum". :shake:

 

[Kenny54]

Ya seen your avatar lately?? :blah: :haha: :rotf: DOH!

Apples and oranges Chief Thunderthud. :rotf:

This is not the "Traditional Avatar Forum". :shake:

chief moonthunder, maybe its a "cap lock" :idunno: