Bowie Knife
Name/Title
Bowie KnifeDescription
The ricasso of this Large Clip Point Bowie knife is marked "Wostenholm, El Paso". It has stag horn grips with brass spotted pommel, a 3 3/4" heavy brass cross guard, and is accompanied by a vintage leather sheath with brass spots.Context
Named after frontiersman James Bowie, the Bowie knife was a popular weapon with the Texas Rangers by the time of the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846. During the Civil War, it was possible to determine a man’s loyalties by the markings on the blade of his knife, which included patriotic scrolls, defiant mottos and the American eagle. After the introduction of the Colt revolver, the Bowie knife diminished in favor. By the mid-1870s, it was used primarily as a hunting knife.Category
Bowie Knife
Early Texas Furniture and Decorative Arts