From another angle.
One of my favorite knife books is the
Antique Bowie Knife Book that was published around 1990 give or take a year. Bill Adams, Bruce Voyles et all took on a huge project to create the first tour de force book on Bowies. The darn book itself would cost a minor fortune today when you can find one. (Have not seen one sell below 375 or 400 in a long time.)
The odd thing is that I got my first glimpse of this book at my local library. I was checking the thing out 5 or 6 times a year for aroound 4 years. (Too bad I am not a thief, I could have just taken the book and paid them 30 bucks at the time. Oh well what kind of a knife nut would that make me:grumpy:.) Great pictures of some of the finest bowies belonging to various collectors. A little text, but not much. A few years ago I was able to purchase my own copy from a forumite who had two. He was quite generous. Fourteen years after it was published I still refer to that book more often than I really should.
A few years later the Williamson (Bill) collection whet up for sale. The Butterfield & Butterfield auction catalog is a great reference and it too has become highly desired.
There is a new kid on the block that I just got in the mail today titled
The Bowie Knife Unsheathing an American Legend by Norm Flayderman. Firearms collectors are going to know that name as a profilic arms writer, but this is not his first book on edged arms.
I have only had the book a couple of hours, but it is a winner so far. It is going to take me a while to digest the whole thing and all I have done is thumb through it. The photography is done very well and there is a greater multitude of knives pictured and the text that I have read in snippits is well done. The knives pictured have very detailed descriptions.
There are a lot of new thoughts on what has always been a tough subject from day 1. (There was even a lot of media hype back then.) So there is going to be a lot of discussion that will arise on the subject. There are quite a few passionate Bowie historians.
If you are real heavy into Bowies - antique, custom or production, at this point, I would have to say this book is a must. After I read it front to back, I might have to find stronger words.
Here is one by Ed Caffery 11+ inches of three bar composite Damascus with an s guard and ironwood handle.
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