This is a sterling example of a Confederate fighting knife aka Bowie knife aka Arkansas Toothpick. The total length is 15 1/2 inches. The spear pointed double-edged blade is 9 1/2 inches long. A raised mid-rib runs the length of this blade which is in just about perfect polish as when forged. The hand guard is the cruciform type and is 4 1/2 inches across. The 5 inch long 2-piece (palm conforming) brass riveted stag horn grips are perfect and share a patina that matches the other components of this gorgeous knife.

The tin scabbard is just over 10 inches long and is seamed on both sides and has a tin 1 3/4-inch-wide re-enforcement band at the throat. There is a 2 1/2 inch by 1/2-inch-wide tin loop to facilitate belt attachment. The scabbard has about 30% of its original gray paint scattered over it. There is a 1 1/2-inch diameter roundish dent on the outside of the scabbard down near the tip which within it has a dent that looks like it was made by a musket or Minie ball.  Painted on the scabbard in 3/4-inch black capital letters, but hard to read is: "BULL RUN" over "REBEL KNIFE". Which Bull Run is not specified.

This knife is likely factory made rather than " homemade". The knife favors the work of Benjamin Wilhoite of Madison County, Virginia. No manufacturer in the Confederacy produced finer knives than Benjamin Wilhoite. The hollow ground, spear-point blade is fit with an oval iron cross so typical of Wilhoite. The tin scabbard’s quality is commensurate with the knife. Tinsmith Private William Sims (Company F, 13^th Virginia Infantry) is believed to have made Wilhoite’s scabbards which are custom fit to form to the hollow ground blade. However, with no positive proof it is what is called a "Dog River" knife, a pejorative title that means maker yet unknown and actually many Dog River Confederate edged weapons are of the finest quality.

This knife, well taken care of, is museum quality and was on display in the Texas Civil War Museum. [pe] [ph:L]

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