James Bowie

[cornstalk]

Having lived in Texas for more decades than any other state I thought I knew about James Bowie. But having just purchased a Bowie knife from @Runewolf1973 I thought I'd add a Bowie book to my collection. Quick read, and VERY interesting. I really didn't know anything about James Bowie. And I learned a bit more than I knew about the Bowie knife. Highly recommend this book.

P.S. Really got me to thinking about the Era I really love which is the Fur Trade and how they armed themselves. The same time the James Bowie story unfolds, including Jean Lafitte the pirate, is the same time as the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade. My head is swimming.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Any bio about Jim Bowie is going to be controversial. Of course, here in Arkansas he is a legend. Stories about the creation of the 'bowie' style knife are legion. The knife show in your post would be argued by many to not even be considered a 'bowie' style. Some say the Carrigan coffin handle was the original knife and design. To further confuse the issue, there are those who say that the original blacksmith that made the first knife for Bowie, James Black, never existed. Put that in yer pipe and chew it.

 

[andy52]

I would call the knife on the cover a Rezin Bowie style knife which I much prefer to the later huge clip points. Legend has it the Rezin loaned Jim that knife for the infamous sandbar duel/fight.

 

[cornstalk]

That's how the book explains the likelihood of that knife being the first "Bowie" knife. After reading about the sandbar fight, and reading that at some point either Rezin or James had their hand badly cut from it slipping onto the blade during a bull hunt, I can see the next version of the knife sporting a guard. Not only keeping that from happening again but also blocking another knife or sword from making it to the hand or arm.

 

[andy52]

The Rezin Bowie has a pretty heathy cross guard as pictured, now however as some have said the original was simply a large butcher knife with no cross guard that could have been a problem.

 

[FishDFly]

Actually he did not invent the Bowie knife, even though he received credit for it. The original style for the knife origin is from Europe.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Actually he did not invent the Bowie knife, even though he received credit for it. The original style for the knife origin is from Europe.

Most things including firearms and knives are an evolution of ideas from elsewhere.

 

[Rod Man]

I would call the knife on the cover a Rezin Bowie style knife which I much prefer to the later huge clip points. Legend has it the Rezin loaned Jim that knife for the infamous sandbar duel/fight.

This is more or less what Noah Smithwick says in his book. “The Evolution of a State”. Great Book!!!

RM

 

[Rod Man]

Having lived in Texas for more decades than any other state I thought I knew about James Bowie. But having just purchased a Bowie knife from @Runewolf1973 I thought I'd add a Bowie book to my collection. Quick read, and VERY interesting. I really didn't know anything about James Bowie. And I learned a bit more than I knew about the Bowie knife. Highly recommend this book.

P.S. Really got me to thinking about the Era I really love which is the Fur Trade and how they armed themselves. The same time the James Bowie story unfolds, including Jean Lafitte the pirate, is the same time as the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade. My head is swimming.

View attachment 110256

There is so much truth to your last two sentences. There was a heck of a lot going on all over the place from Canada to Mexico and from the east coast to the Rockies.

Actually to be fair to our old world peeps as well, there was lots going on over there as well.

Very interesting times!!!

RM

 

[tallpine]

The knife that Rezin gave Jim was a large,plain chef's knife. Jim Bowie was not a big knife guy, Rezin was. He was the one that had many knives commissioned by several knifemakers and was a big promoter the Bowie knife. When the Bowie craze took off around the time of the California gold rush the English cutlers took advantage of the opportunity and flooded the American market with imported Bowies. Some quite ornate, clip point blades and guards. The English knife makers were very influential in what we consider to be a Bowie today. One thing to keep in mind when studying the Bowie knife, none of the knowledgeable, respected Bowie experts can agree on anything, most everything we know is speculation and educated guess work. Probable the reason that these big fighting knives have intrigued knife lovers for over two hundred years.

 

[andy52]

The knife that Rezin gave Jim was a large,plain chef's knife. Jim Bowie was not a big knife guy, Rezin was. He was the one that had many knives commissioned by several knifemakers and was a big promoter the Bowie knife. When the Bowie craze took off around the time of the California gold rush the English cutlers took advantage of the opportunity and flooded the American market with imported Bowies. Some quite ornate, clip point blades and guards. The English knife makers were very influential in what we consider to be a Bowie today. One thing to keep in mind when studying the Bowie knife, none of the knowledgeable, respected Bowie experts can agree on anything, most everything we know is speculation and educated guess work. Probable the reason that these big fighting knives have intrigued knife lovers for over two hundred years.

Are you saying the Bowie knife wasn't made from meteorite? Oh, the horror...

 

[tallpine]

Are you saying the Bowie knife wasn't made from meteorite? Oh, the horror...

Hey Andy, I actually tried to forge a small meteorite into a blade years ago. It did not go well, It just fell apart, not much carbon content and mostly slag. Would have been cool if I could have pulled it off.

 

[Rod Man]

The knife that Rezin gave Jim was a large,plain chef's knife. Jim Bowie was not a big knife guy, Rezin was. He was the one that had many knives commissioned by several knifemakers and was a big promoter the Bowie knife. When the Bowie craze took off around the time of the California gold rush the English cutlers took advantage of the opportunity and flooded the American market with imported Bowies. Some quite ornate, clip point blades and guards. The English knife makers were very influential in what we consider to be a Bowie today. One thing to keep in mind when studying the Bowie knife, none of the knowledgeable, respected Bowie experts can agree on anything, most everything we know is speculation and educated guess work. Probable the reason that these big fighting knives have intrigued knife lovers for over two hundred years.

I can’t remember where or when I heard this but, The sand bar fight was legend and all but really was limited to the then frontier. It was the Death of Bowie at the Alamo that truly propelled the Bowie knife into fame. That ties in with your comments about Rezin and his promoting the knife in the 1840’s.

RM

 

[toot]

JAMES AND THE FIGHT AT THE SAND BAR, written by them that what were there, a great book. I gave it to my friend that collects them. 25 people were involved in what started out as a duel. BOWIE was shot & stabbed with a sword cane, he almost died, and walked with a limp after. good reading.

 

[jim bowie]

My ears are ringing this morning. lol

 

[user 48702]

Due to the popularity of Jim Bowie and his knife, and that dueling was still a problem in the South and the Appalachians, Alabama passed a Bowie knife law in 1837. Alabama passed laws imposing a $100 transfer tax on 'Bowie' knives and decreeing that anyone carrying a Bowie knife who subsequently killed a person in a fight (self defense or not) would be charged with premeditated murder. As of today, one still cannot have a Bowie knife in their vehicle, even if it is in a locked trunk or container without being charged with carrying a concealed weapon. You can only carry a Bowie knife concealed on your own property, but you can carry just about any other type knife concealed as lone as it is not classed as a Bowie knife. Even to this day it is illegal for a store or shop owner to sell a Bowie knife without a special Bowie knife license which cost $100 to $150 yearly according to the population where the business is located. The license is also required if you are selling Bowie type knives at a gunshow or flea market.

 

[FishDFly]

And you can conceal carry a pistol, that makes a lot of sense.

 

[Dude]

Just goes to show the nonsense has been going for a long time. Idiotic thought that outlawing the weapon will protect people from harm.

 

[Cpt Flint]

Most of the confusion concerning the original James Bowie knife comes straight out of a best selling fictional novel written by Paul I. Wellman entitled “The Iron Mistress”. It was later made into a movie which added to the legend but did nothing for fact.

 

[cornstalk]

I am surprised about Alabama's law. Essentially treating a Bowie knife (or Butcher knife for that matter) like a pistol. Unless I'm mistaken reading the Alabama law you can open carry a Bowie knife (or anything that resembles it) but to conceal carry you'd need a Conceal Carry Permit (pistol). I can't find anything about transporting a Bowie or Butcher knife in a vehicle but since Alabama starts by treating it like a pistol (which can't be transported in a vehicle without a Conceal Carry Permit- although there are some exceptions made) I'd not be the one to tempt fate. Alabama does honor other state's Conceal Carry Permits so I'd be golden there. Here is a link to the actual Alabama Firearms and Weapons Law.

https://www.alabamaag.gov/Documents/firearms/File-Alabama-Weapon-Laws.pdf

Thanks for posting the initial info Gunny5821, I wouldn't have even thought about it otherwise.