Confederate D-guards with multiple branches are scarce, but see “Confederate Bowie Knives” by Melton et al. for some examples on pages 183-186 and pages 238-239 for some double-D guards in particular. This is good example of an iron hilted double-D guard knife with straight blade, flat back and clip point. The hilt is very well made with a narrow flat iron knuckleguard and side branch. The guard extends up into a rather delicately curled quillon owing something to older sword styles. The grips are formed of wood side slabs attached to the blade tang by two screws, with upper and lower edges of the tang exposed.

The knife is in “barn-found” condition. The grips are present and show wear. The only damage is on the obverse slab with a crack near the guard at that has caused the wood to splay out a bit. The surface of the metal is generally good, but uncared for. The edge of the blade shows numerous nicks and the tip is missing, though its lower and upper curve shows it to have been a clip point.

These knives were made throughout the south. Only a few can be identified by maker or region, but they are the quintessential Confederate sidearm, proudly brandished by early volunteers in photographs and said by perhaps overly enthusiastic supporters to surely strike terror into the enemy. Governor Brown of Georgia thought they would useful lightweight weapons that would enable a soldier to catch up with a fleeing Yankee, and many Yankees thought of them as the perfect war souvenir.

This is a nice untouched example.    [sr]

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