Sheffield Bowie

Description

Bowie knives with a pronounced false edge at the tip (the curved back edge of the blade’s tip) are today called Sheffield Bowies. This blade shape became so popular that factories in Sheffield, England started mass-producing these for export to the U.S. These Sheffield Bowies were sold with a wide range of etched or stamped slogans designed to appeal to Americans such as “Death to Abolition”, “Death to Traitors” and “Americans Never Surrender”. The British further disguised the origin of the blades by naming the workshops in Sheffield as “Washington”, “Philadelphia”, “Boston” and so on.

This massive knife style was ideal for showing off and shortly after photography was invented proud frontiersmen were having their portraits taken with their prized bowies at their sides. This type of knife was often promoted as the hunter’s companion. It wasn’t too large for camp chores and disjointing game, yet light and fast enough for self-defense.

The Bowie knife is a big part of the history of the Wild West, embodying the adventurous spirit of the era. As a pragmatic combination of working, hunting and fighting knife, the Bowie Knife was perfect for the self-sufficient, perilous lifestyle of trappers, cowboys, frontiersmen and buffalo hunters. Eventually the frontier began to shrink, which reduced the number of frontiersmen also. Large knives had limited utility in cities, so Bowies shrunk too. After the Wild West was gone (from late 19th Century) till nowadays the Bowie knife continued to serve as a camp and hunting tool as well as a weapon, and still today it remains popular with authenticity enthusiasts and outdoorsmen.

Our Sheffield Bowie Knife is an exact replica of the original from this era down to the last detail. This very big knife is one of the largest of this model.

• Rounded hardwood handle plates are riveted on top of the full tang
• Blade is hand forged out of high carbon steel
• A robust leather sheath is included
• Made by Windlass Steelcrafts