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Old 9th July 2020, 02:31 PM   #10
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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One of the most phenomenal authorities on Americana was Norm Flayderman (1928-2013), and his book "The Bowie Knife", unearthing a legend (2004) is probably the most amazing source on American knives, which seem to sort of revolve around this form in many ways.

In my early collecting days, he was always a source I trusted, and over the years he became not only a dealer, but a friend. In my many quests on arms research he was always generously helpful, and I recall when he was compiling material for his book, we sort of crossed paths with a Texas collector who had a huge collection.
Ironically, I was researching the Spanish colonial 'espada ancha' , while he was of course keyed on 'Bowie's'. This is a kind of indicator of the close alignment of these frontier edged arms in many cases.

This book by Mr. Flayderman is a must, and in it there will be of course a multitude of titles and sources.

Several years ago I traveled through Wyoming and one of the most breathtaking museums EVER! on the west is the
"Buffalo Bill Center of the West" museum in Cody, Wyoming. It is literally a 'Smithsonian' of the west, and while much of it is focused on guns, there is more on virtually every related aspect of weaponry used, particularly knives used by all groups of people in America in those times in the 19th c.

They publish amazing catalog's of thier holdings and thier bookstores have staggering numbers of titles which you may find useful.

With the 'Bowie', the history is quite clouded (as with most legends) but it is believed that Bowie and his brother Rezin were both deeply influenced by Meditteranean (particularly Spanish) knives. They were both familiar with the use of these in fighting, and Rezin had one made from an old file, while Jim had been improving designs from various types.
It is unclearwhat exact knife Jim used at the 'Sandbar' in 1827, but it was substantial enough that despite his severe wounds, he nearly decapitated one of his attackers.
The most well known of the 'Bowie' makers was probably James Black of Washington, Arkansas (1800-1872) who made the example (designed by and carved in wood) for Jim in 1830. While uncertain, this may have been the one he had at the Alamo in 1836, nobody really knows. It seems these were of the open hilt 'coffin' type without the familiar guard.

In what is now 'Old Washington' Arkansas, the original blacksmith shop of James Black is still in operation, and busily fashioning knives and various items. While visiting the shop there a number of years ago, one of the smiths working told me that, "James Black always 'notched' his blades'.

This was a feature well known in the Meditteranean knives usually used aboard vessels by sailors, and well known by Jim and Rezin, so this became a kind of subtle trademark of many 'Bowie knives'.

There are numbers of museums listed in these books I have noted, and I believe online you can find details on the James Black shop in Old Washington, Ark. It is an incredible place still much as it was in antebellum days with old houses and very quiet, the old roads and trails used in the times are still pristine and non commercialized.

There is so much rich history in these old knives, and you now have a fantastic piece of it Colin!!!

Pics of the Bowie book; Flayderman and James Black
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