Blade Magazine articles on the "Sea of Mud" Bowie

I've actually handled the Forrest Bowie and a flat photo doesn't come close to really showing it. Bowie or may not have owned it but who ever forged it was making something besides a stage prop. That is one serious fighting knife.
 
In regards to the Forrest knife, I lean towards Mr Kirchners POV.

Triton said:
Sorry Mussoism is a term of my own invention i.e. someone who wants something so badly to be true that they convince themselves it is true all reality to the contrary. I think that the provenance of the Musso bowie might be such a case if I'm feeling charitable. :)
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Very diplomatic.

Im amazed that one person managed to equal parts bully and equal parts con part of the knife community into jumping on the bandwagon in regards to that monstrosity.

Hollyweird has a lot to answer for; without the 'Iron Mistress' movie to shape the image of the 'Bowie knife' in the mind of latter generations, there would have been nothing like that abomination of a knife.

(Ive got no problem with the custom versions of the knife. They represent another matter altogether).

Triton said:
Thanks for posting the article. A couple of small points... I think that the author is noting that Forrest liked hanging around with tough characters, he is referencing three different people, Jim Bowie, an unnamed steamboat captain and an Indian. The anecdotes provided in the article seem to be of the purest fantasy nature themselves like the things you would read in a dime store novel. I was trying to remember is there any evidence that Bowie was actually involved in any other knife fights besides the sandbar duel? Don't get me wrong based on that alone he was one tough cookie, I think he was shot, stabbed and clubbed multiple times during that encounter and still ended up killing a man and living to tell the tale. Oh and as an aside how bad does it have to be for Flayderman to have problems with the story? I was under the impression that he never saw a spurious bowie that he didn't like?
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As Kirchner points at, Forrest most likely has his characters mixed up.

I dont think there is much evidence, that Bowie ever killed more than the Sandbar folks in a knife fight.
Not that this takes anything away from the man.
I believe the Vidalia Sandbar fight speaks for itself and that Bowie was tough beyond measure.

Astute observation in regards to Flayderman.

Ive had the distinct pleasure of chatting Bowie knives with Mr Bill Worthen. If I need the straight scoop on Bowie knives, thats where Id turn. He is a gentleman to boot.
 
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BladeScout said:
In regards to the Forrest knife, I lean towards Mr Kirchners POV.
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You may well be right.
Very diplomatic.

BladeScout said:
Im amazed that one person managed to equal parts bully and equal parts con part of the knife community into jumping on the bandwagon in regards to that monstrosity.

Hollyweird has a lot to answer for; without the 'Iron Mistress' movie to shape the image of the 'Bowie knife' in the mind of latter generations, there would have been nothing like that abomination of a knife.

(Ive got no problem with the custom versions of the knife. They represent another matter altogether).
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LOL. There are certainly days when I'm feeling less charitable that I hold an opinion that coincides pretty closely with this one. In terms of misappropriating provenance it might be up there with the Sword of Charlemagne (almost certainly from a much later era) and the Sword of St. Maurice (both of them) which clearly come from much later periods then their namesake. At least those pieces are actual historical swords with some real antiquity to them. I guess given time the Musso Bowie will have some antiquity too... :)​

BladeScout said:
Ive had the distinct pleasure of chatting Bowie knives with Mr Bill Worthen. If I need the straight scoop on Bowie knives, thats where Id turn. He is a gentleman to boot.
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I've never heard of the gentleman, could you expand a bit on who he is? Forgive my ignorance Bowies aren't an area of any expertise of mine just some passing knowledge. My usual period of interest is quite a bit earlier.
 
Triton said:
Interesting, thanks! I wish I had the opportunity to peruse the exhibit. Irony: One of the knives I saw on display was one of those ubiquitous musso bowies... :)
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Yes, I noticed it in the vid:D
Kinda hard to miss; it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Its so ridiculously silly …

The 'Iron Mistress' bowie which shaped the image of the Bowie knife in the minds of generations … and without which, there'd be no Musso Bowie;
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I've actually handled the Forrest Bowie and a flat photo doesn't come close to really showing it. Bowie or may not have owned it but who ever forged it was making something besides a stage prop. That is one serious fighting knife.
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Out of interest, what makes you state, that the Forrest knife is 'one serious fighting knife?'

NB Im not disputing it. Ive not handled the knife. It does look the business; a simple knife along the lines, like we believe the original Vidalia Sandbar knife might have looked.
Im no knife fighter though.
 
Since historical bowie knives seem to be a subject of interest at the moment, I thought I would bump this old thread of mine up to see if there are fresh takes.
 
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