This Bowie knife is likely an early-war Confederate piece made by one of the many local smiths supplying arms to volunteers, but has a great frontier look as well. It is simply made, but has some elegant, curving lines. The grip is a simple wood cylinder with pronounced swell in the middle, has an iron ferrule at the base, and a flat, round, pommel cap turned down slightly along the edge. The iron guard is flat, narrowing slightly at the rounded tips, bent into and S-curve, more sharply curved on the top, forward over the blade, and more broadly on the bottom toward the pommel as a knucklebow.

The blade is forged to give the impression of a slight sweep to it. The back edge is flat for about half its length and then transitions into an edged, broad clip point, with the very tip missing, but just about in line with the back edge. There is median ridge that begins early in the blade, angling down from the guard, across the ricasso, then in parallel to the back edge, before angling upward, following the line of the clip point. The blade has a pronounced choil, with the lower edge having a slight curve in dropping below the ricasso, and tapering only slightly to point of the clip point when it curves gradually upward, accenting the sweep of the blade.

The knife rates good for condition, with some wear, dings, and a few insect holes to the brown wood grip, which shows some exposure to the elements. The iron shows shallow pitting for the most part, with it little deeper on the forward part of the blade, and the very tip of the blade is gone. The blade edge good, with just some minor roughness.

This has a great look to it. See Melton, Phillips, and Sexton, Confederate Bowie Knives for examples of both arsenal and locally made knives that made their way into the field.  [sr] [ph:m]

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