Non-American Bowie-type knives

ed_is_dead said:





No makers mark, it was a rasp or file, stag handle, 16 inch, 700g and I'm guessing Sheffield. Needed a lot of work to make sharp but sharp she is!
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It looks like an India made early 20th century Hunting knife. Nice!

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
It looks like an India made early 20th century Hunting knife. Nice!

n2s
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Thanks for the info. Yourself and another chap on here noted the style and construction seemed to match export for or manufacture in India.
This is something I'm not up on so your knowledge is welcome. All I can say is the grinds are sweet with a thin edge and steel is well hardened.
As this is sans any markings and perhaps made for actual use as opposed display or ornamentation what would it have been used for and do you know if there are any other examples like it?
 
ed_is_dead said:
Thanks for the info. Yourself and another chap on here noted the style and construction seemed to match export for or manufacture in India.
This is something I'm not up on so your knowledge is welcome. All I can say is the grinds are sweet with a thin edge and steel is well hardened.
As this is sans any markings and perhaps made for actual use as opposed display or ornamentation what would it have been used for and do you know if there are any other examples like it?
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I'd guess it would've been made for hunting, and perhaps secondarily for self-defense. These Victorian or Victorianish Indian knives are sometimes referred to as "tiger knives" by collectors (I believe somebody else already mentioned it in this thread) because they're associated with the hunting of tigers and other big game.

As for other examples, there's the one I already shared in this thread, and somebody else showed a couple pieces by Arnachellum. Matt Easton's YouTube channel, Scholagladiatoria, also has a couple interesting videos showing similar specimens, including one by Arnachellum. If you're wondering about examples specifically made from files or rasps, I do recall seeing a spear-pointed variant made from one, but I didn't save the pics.
 
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Trubetzkoy said:
Yes, I can.

Based on the pictures, I'd say it's legit. It's what some collectors would call a "Bowie-style hunter." The handle appears to be stag antler, though it could also be jigged bone; it's hard to say since it's pretty worn. The "Eng." on the blade after "Sheffield", standing for "England," places the knife after 1890, which is when US law started to require imports to be marked with the country of origin. However, based on the style of sheath, which I'd guess has what's referred to as a "butt stitch" on the side not shown in the picture, I'd say it's a pre-WW2, perhaps even pre-WW1, knife. Someone else might be able to tell you more about its age based on the blade stamps.

Hope it helps!
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So I've been looking and looking and I can't find when they started using eng: instead of England cause I've seen 1 using eng besides mine
 
ed_is_dead said:
Thanks for the info. Yourself and another chap on here noted the style and construction seemed to match export for or manufacture in India.
This is something I'm not up on so your knowledge is welcome. All I can say is the grinds are sweet with a thin edge and steel is well hardened.
As this is sans any markings and perhaps made for actual use as opposed display or ornamentation what would it have been used for and do you know if there are any other examples like it?
Click to expand...
These were marketed towards hunters and explorers within the British colonies during the late 19th and early 20th century. This is especially so for places like India and Africa.

Notice the guard design on this video:


n2s
 
Trubetzkoy said:
Not sure either, but I suspect "Eng." is older than "England."
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One of the most well know Sheffield trade marks I*XL.

Most collectors are familiar with the cutlery made by George Wostenholm. The company was originally listed as "George Wolstenholme and Son", the name was shorted before about 1820.

They acquired the I*XL trade mark in 1826.

Any knife bearing the I*XL trade mark must be assumed to have been made after 1826

Two early markings found on fixed blade/folding bowie knives are

I*XL Geo. Wostenholm, Rockingham Works, Sheffield (prior to 1848 )

I*XL Geo. Wostenholm, Washington Works, Sheffield (after 1848 ).

Geo. Wostenholm and Son Ltd (after 1875, when the firm was formed into a limited company)

The following markings appear in the 1885 catalogue

George Wostenholms Celebrated I*XL Cutlery

I*XL George Wostenholm Celebrated

George Wostenholm I*XL Cutlery

I*XL George Wostenholm, Sheffield

George Wostenholm, Sheffield

In 1890, the US McKinly Tariff Act required all imported goods to be marked with their country of origin. Some Wostenholm knives were marked Sheffield, England before 1890. Also some Wostenholm made cutlery was marked Sheffield (no England) after 1890, so knives made around this time are sometimes difficult to date.

Many of the 1885 markings were used up until WW2

I*XL Wostenholm, Sheffield (this mark was in use during WW2)

I*XL George Wostenholm, Sheffield, England(after 1945 the most common mark used.)

On some knives of this period the England is shortened to Eng.. Also knives can be found stamped I*XL George Wostenholm, England.

On these post war knives its quite common to find I*XL stamped deeply on the blade face. Also (on carbon blades) the reverse tang is usually marked "OIL THE JOINTS".

After about 1970 the quality of Wostenholm made knives falls. The post war tang stamps slowly disappears, to be replaced by ink etching.
 
Haven't shared any knives here for a while, so here's some hollow-handle goodness:

7BXnEmh.jpg


Top: By Wragg & Sons (Sheffield, England).
Bottom: Made with a reground CVA blade (made in Italy) and an English carving knife handle (the brand of which escapes me now).
 
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