This attractive sixteen inch long Confederate Bowie knife has a spear point blade and is still sheathed in its original scabbard. Of particular interest is the white paint label that reads "BOWIE-KNIFE” in 3/8 inch tall block letters. This labeling indicates that the knife was captured during the War and would have been put on by a G.A.R. or museum in its aftermath.

The maker of this knife is unknown; however, his workmanship and especially his design show him to be skilled in the art of knife making. The wooden grip found on his knife is tapered out towards the pommel; this has the effect of tightening the owner’s grip on the handle, rather than loosening it, when swinging the blade. This is especially important in a fighting knife, and the spear point blade is strictly a fighting/military design; it is virtually useless as a carving or hunting knife.

Clearly the blade was made from a file; the file's teeth can be seen the full length on both sides. This was best metal readily available to a blacksmith in the South. The blade has never been sharpened or cleaned since it was put away after the War. It has scattered surface rust. The cross guard is made of a full 1/8 inch of iron, and the heavy forged iron ferule is morticed to embrace the cross guard. This has made for an extremely strong and stable knife. It is still as tight as when it was made. The tapered wooden grip is made from fruitwood, which would have been the hardest wood available. A large capstan holds the grip and blade together. I have seen knives which had better form and finish than this made by cutlers and armories, but I have never seen a better engineered or more strongly made Confederate knife.

Its original scabbard is simply one piece of leather folded and stitched. It originally had a sewn on belt loop that extended above the throat of the scabbard. Other than the missing belt loop, the scabbard is as strong and smooth as could possibly be desired and the stitching remains strong and tight also, except for the first inch at the throat where inserting the knife over and over has cut the thread.

All in all, this is as nice an example of a blacksmith made Confederate fighting knife as anyone could desire and both the knife and its scabbard are as untouched and original as if it had just been removed from the G.A.R. last week.

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