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The Re Making of a Legend

The impressive Bowie blade was sent to us by a friend that we travel to gun and knife shows with. He acquired it from the
man who discovered it. Found in North East Texas where it was obviously entombed for at least a century and a half and
no doubt an original. The Bowie measured 12 ¼” inches and still carried a descent edge. Quite a bit of pitting had
occurred, but it was still structurally sound.

Search for the Origin

The question was, “How old could this knife possibly be?” And “Is it a mass produced blade or Handmade?” After
carefully cleaning as not to disturb the patina, it was discovered that on the tang, the file marks from the original maker still
were very visible. No stampings or markings on the knife at all. No machine tool marks either. Question answered: It’s
Handmade, shaped by hand with a file. Since the knife was found near a known Civil War encampment, it could be
assumed that it dates from that era. However after consulting with some other knifemakers and Bowie aficionados, we
have come to the conclusion that the knife pre-dates the Civil War. If it indeed was lost there during the conflict between
the states, it was more than likely brought there by a Texan that had owned it for some time before that. And maybe even
was given it to carry by a relative to whom it had significance. Most Texans (mostly Militia) carried weapons and such
brought from home including homemade uniforms unless they could afford the luxury of ordering their gear. So it is very
possible that it could date to a time when Texas was a Republic.

History in the Re-Making

We took very seriously the task before us. After much discussion, it was decided that the knife should show it’s history but
in an elegant manor. Drawing from materials that could have very well been used at the time, the search began for just the
right handle material. Something deserving to be a part of Bowie’s legendary reputation. A hand selected piece of
Exhibition Grade Spalted Maple Burl was chosen. Attention then turned to the guard. After much debate it was clear that
Brass was the norm. However copper it was thought would be different yet scream HISTORY. And copper it was. A solid
one piece copper band was shrunk onto the top of the handle. And the knife’s guard was hand fashioned out of a solid
copper bar 3/8” thick, the weight of the guard offsets the leverage that such a large blade has on the wrist. When handled
the old monster feels like a small skinning knife in your hand and could even be described as an extension of your arm.
Even a copper tang nut was hand made to hold the knife’s anatomy together. So that as the copper’s color ages it will melt
right into the Bowie’s history.