Bowie styles

[Jani Kemppainen]

I've been wondering, where do the names of different bowie styles come from? I saw a whole lot of them in Knives '81 and '90, but I had to take the books back to the library and I don't remember many of the names. I know at least Iron Mistress and Sheffield styles by name. I've seen a couple of Iron Mistress bowies and I think there were some similarities between them. Can anyone enlight me on this matter?

Thanks,
Jani

 

[FullerH]

Well, Jani, you have the Searle Bowie, which is a sort of Mediterranean butcher knife style. That style is named after its most well-known maker. G.D. Searle of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and very popular in 1830s Louisiana. There is one at the Alamo Museum and it is said that Rezin Bowie gave one to his brother, Jim, before the Sandbar Fight. Sheffield Bowies are more a location of manufacture than a style, as I have seen them in many styles. Randall's Smithsonian Bowie is patterned after the "Iron Mistress" movie knife (also used in the Jim Bowie tv show). Randall makes some others, but I have been slapped down for talking about them as historical, so I won't, but you can look them up at www.randallknives.com. You can also dream, like I do. The "Bart Moore" Bowie, which may actually have been one of Jim Bowie's knives, looks different from any of these. I am trying to find out from Mr. Fisk about who, where, and how much on a replica.

------------------
Walk in the Light,
Hugh

 

[fisk]

FullerH
Finally got the name of the man who makes the Bart Moore replicas. He does a good job. He stock removals.
Name is Ben Lane from North Little Rock Arkansas.
Telephone number is 501 7538238.
Address is 4802 Massie
North Little Rock Arkansas 72118
No email that I know of and could not find the price but I have seen his work a lot.
By the way I got to handle the Searles bowie in the alamo this past summer. They took it out of exhibit to let me play with it. Nice piece.

 

[fisk]

Jani
The old bowies were named or are known by either the person/company that made them or the city in which they were made.
Most modern bowies are named by the maker for whatever reason he wants. Some modern makers do replicas and give it a new name or will call it by the orginial name. Some modern makers give their bowies names that help attract sales "The Blood and Gut Knife from Hell" will attract a certain number of sales due to the image of using a knife in combat. However if you do use that knife and are caught and took to court it may be considered a premediated action due to the name of the knife alone.
Some modern makers just quitely make a real good knife and put it up for sale. I have bought 2 knives that I had to wait 2-3 years on. You do not hear much about the makers but boy are they good.

 

[Jani Kemppainen]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I own only one bowie, I think it's name is Bowie NATO and it's made by a Spanish company called Aitor.

Jani