A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America

[lwrhea]

The exhibit folks are here this week installing the cases and graphics in preparation for the actual knife install. I might be able to snap some pictures of the progress as it comes together. There may be a point at which I may not take pictures till after the grand opening on the 13th of December, however I suspect this will be one of the most photographed exhibits ever, eventually.

This is a inset depiction of TR illustrating his dealings with big business trusts. This entire exhibit attempts to show how the bowie knife was involved in all aspects of life at that time.

 

[mete]

Very interesting knives !
The definition of "bowie Knife " has become very broad !! A few years ago AGRussell had a thread about the bowie. It was never a combat knife but rather a heavy duty camping and hunting knife and he supplied links to show this . Most were made in Europe and most of those in Shefield .

 

[Ebbtide]

And the meaning gets broader

Thanks for the answer on the TR knife… that is going to be one great exhibit.

 

[Mark D. Zalesky]

Very interesting knives !
The definition of "bowie Knife " has become very broad !! A few years ago AGRussell had a thread about the bowie. It was never a combat knife but rather a heavy duty camping and hunting knife and he supplied links to show this . Most were made in Europe and most of those in Shefield .

On the contrary, the reason the bowie was created in the first place was as a backup weapon. Over the years, as firearms became more reliable and offered more firepower, it evolved away from that -- but certainly in the 1830s and 1840s it was primarily a weapon with which to defend oneself (not to mention an elegant accoutrement of gentlemen). There are literally hundreds of period quotes supporting this conclusion, not to mention some of the slogans on the knives themselves: "A Sure Defence", "Self Preservation", I’m A Real Ripper”, “The True Patriots Self Defender”, “My Country/My Steel Its Protection”, "For The Gold Searchers Protection” -- you get the picture.

On the other point, the vast majority of bowie knives were in fact made in Sheffield, England for export to the United States -- Sheffield had the manufacturing capability to fulfill the demand for them, while in America the knife factories were just getting off the ground and focusing on other things. Most of the pre-Civil War bowies made in the U.S. were made in small shops supplying a local market. As a generalization, you wouldn't be too far off base if you drew parallels between the Sheffield bowies as "factory knives", and the American bowies as "custom knives" -- of course everything was "handmade" in that era, and fine knives were made on both sides of the Atlantic.

These subjects are addressed in the exhibit, of course -- just like you'd expect.

Mark Z

 

[Mark D. Zalesky]

Thanks for the answer on the TR knife… that is going to be one great exhibit.

You're very welcome. Now, what can you tell me about that TR knife in the Museum of Natural History in NYC? I believe that TR's Tiffany bowie knife (same knife in those famous photos of TR in buckskins) is on loan somewhere, but I didn't ask the family where it was. That's the knife I was originally after, but I jumped at the chance to get this one for the exhibit. This one is quite stunning in person (sculpted in high relief with gold, silver, and rubies), and Buddy's photos of it are going to be absolutely amazing.

Mark Z

 

[lwrhea]

This is a wall graphic that was just installed.

 

[lwrhea]

The cases are being prepared and mounted to the walls where appropriate and posters are being applied. Lots of hustle and bustle.

This banner is twenty something feet tall.

Flat screen viewers and interactive touch screens are in this exhibit too.

 

[Ebbtide]

As a native NYCer I'm naturally a TR fan…
Back when this whole internet thing started I was on a mission to find the TR Tiffany Bowie.
Didn't…
A year or so later we had folks in from out of town and took the kids to the Museum of Natural History.
After seeing all the stuff the kids wanted to see we ended up on the bottom level looking for a shortcut out.
I spotted TR's 'boater' hat and his buckskins.
And then there it was, The Tiffany Bowie.
A magnificent piece… way to ornate for my personal taste, but as I said, magnificent in it's own right.

All this was about 12 years ago… I bet the knife is still in the MoNR since TR and the museum are so closely tied together.

 

[jdm61]

Great stuff!!! I think that the Bowie knife was whatever you needed it to be. For some of the upper class civilians, it may have been a replacement for the small sword. For others it was a replacement/improvement for other large outdoors/utility blades. By the time we get to the post Civil War period in San Francisco, it is a backup weapon and a piece of "mens jewelry." Ten years later, it shrunk into a large hunting knife. By the time that WW2 rolls around, it has become a mid sized utility knife/last ditch weapon which it remains to this day.

 

[Mark D. Zalesky]

As a native NYCer I'm naturally a TR fan…
Back when this whole internet thing started I was on a mission to find the TR Tiffany Bowie.
Didn't…
A year or so later we had folks in from out of town and took the kids to the Museum of Natural History.
After seeing all the stuff the kids wanted to see we ended up on the bottom level looking for a shortcut out.
I spotted TR's 'boater' hat and his buckskins.
And then there it was, The Tiffany Bowie.
A magnificent piece… way to ornate for my personal taste, but as I said, magnificent in it's own right.

All this was about 12 years ago… I bet the knife is still in the MoNR since TR and the museum are so closely tied together.

Thanks Ebbtide, it's too late for our exhibit but I'm on it! I see that AMNH still has the buckskin shirt, for starters...

Mark Z

 

[Ebbtide]

Go get 'em

 

[lwrhea]

I'm back.

The museum service has finished with their part of the install and now it's up to us for the rest. That means actually building the "mounts" for each knife, sheath, and related object. Then we have to load the knives onto the mounts and cases. Think about how many knives, most with sheaths, that have to have mounts made. This requires a lot of measuring, cutting stock, soldering, and in some cases welding. This is a monumental task considering the number of objects in this exhibit.

The next photo is the mount being made for the giant folding knife. When building a mount for a knife, the balance point, materials, paint if any, strength, and well being (padding, support, condition of the object, etc) of the object has to be considered. The goal of any mount maker is to make the mount "disappear" and show the object at it's best or intended view, all with no impact on the object.

Some mounts being prepared.

This next pic is of some mounts that will hold a couple of pistols and another object. I'm showing this to give you an idea of the pieces that have to be shaped, fit and soldered for one object. These will be painted and padded where necessary before they are loaded.

 

[pootsythesamurai]

Wish I was still about to see this exhibit looks like it's going to be great Lin.

 

[lwrhea]

Pootsy, The unique thing about this exhibit is not just the concentration and diversity of early American bowie knives. It's also the length of the exhibit. It runs into June, 2014.

 

[Mark D. Zalesky]

As a native NYCer I'm naturally a TR fan…
Back when this whole internet thing started I was on a mission to find the TR Tiffany Bowie.
Didn't…
A year or so later we had folks in from out of town and took the kids to the Museum of Natural History.
After seeing all the stuff the kids wanted to see we ended up on the bottom level looking for a shortcut out.
I spotted TR's 'boater' hat and his buckskins.
And then there it was, The Tiffany Bowie.
A magnificent piece… way to ornate for my personal taste, but as I said, magnificent in it's own right.

All this was about 12 years ago… I bet the knife is still in the MoNR since TR and the museum are so closely tied together.

I heard back from the museum (American Museum of Natural History) and TR's Tiffany bowie is not there anymore. They do have one of TR's buckskin hunting shirts, but not the one in the famous photographs.

The search continues...

Mark Z

 

[Ebbtide]

Bummer…

Keep on the hunt!

 

[lwrhea]

This guy is Zach Reeves. He has built 90% of the mounts for this exhibit. He is meticulous in his work and in this photo he's brushing the felt to give it a neater look before the case is closed. It's at this stage that the lighting has to be tailored to suit the case and the color choices for labeling is done. The lighting on this one will need a little more work.

Another thing that you may have not considered is that during the process of loading the cases and adding labels, etc. right up to the case being securely closed, it has to be fully attended all the time. It's cordoned off but that is not enough for museum security. Also, until the entire exhibit is installed and open, the cases are covered with muslin cloth out of view to the public. Standard procedure for something like this.

 

[Tad Lynch]

Very impressive is the amount of care and effort put into this exhibit.
The finished product will, I'm sure, reflect it.
It will be epic, and I am looking fwd to it. Thanks for the pics.

Tad

 

[lwrhea]

There will be knives either made by or associated with these gentlemen.

 

[HTMD]

Thanks, Lin, for your photos and info. You're psyched, I'm psyched as are all the folks working hard at the museum - great folks.

OK, check these out. What a pleasure to shoot these!

Mark - I think these are Sea Monsters like on the old maps, not snakes. What do you think?