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Big hand made bowie knife


Mr.Jerry
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I just picked this up this morning at a local flea market.

Pretty massive, but thinner blade. Still hold a bit of an edge and has a nice "ring" to it.

any thoughts as to possible era?

Thanks!

Jerry

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It actually seems thinner than a leaf spring, but that kind of idea.

Having the hand guard (and the sheer size of this thing) made me think fighting knife rather than kitchen knife.

It is almost a machete. But the metal seems older than WW2 to me.

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Bob Hudson

Mexican bowie knives are generally longer and and skinnier than the typical US bowie knife, often with a grip that seems too small for the length of the blade. I've seen them with a variety of grip materials and guard styles and this could be one, but I'd say it's impossible to verify the origins of this one with its wooden grip.

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Well I call it "hand made", but I was hoping some knife guy would be like

"oh that's a 'Johnson' used by Confederate raiders - here's a photos of one in use..."

 

A friend of mine sold a somewhat similar one for close to a grand, so I just wanted to be sure and do my homework before we move this one out.

 

Certainly could be Mexican, but it does feel good in hand. Well balanced for its size.

 

Thanks everyone!

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Take a good look at the tang. Typically knives that are forge shaped by hand the tangs almost always taper along their length from guard to the back. This was pretty common before pieces were being made from preformed sheet stock.

While it may not nail down where or when it was made, it may provide a clue to what was involved in its manufacture.

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