Our butcher knife is a family heirloom!

[Big Ugly Tall Texan]

My wife and I were given the knife when we got married. We were told it was made by my wife's grandfather. Yesterday, we learned it was made by my wife's great grandfather in 1888!

We use the thing almost every day and it is the sharpest knife in the house, although it won't hold an edge long. It sharpens up with just a couple of swipes. I have used it to cut a brisket in half and it was like cutting through butter.

The knife is 15 inches long overall with a 10-inch blade and was made in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico by Eduardo Alba, my wife's maternal great grandfather.

This is how it compares to that new Bowie knife I bought.

It is carbon steel with wood scales attached by brass rivets. It has an M on one side that was put there by my wife's father, Manuel DeLaGarza.

We plan to pass it on to whichever of our two kids gets married first. In the meantime, you can bet I'll keep on using it.

 

[DGG]

Great story. Next time I go buffalo hunting I'm emailing you if I get lucky. It looks like you have the perfect skinner for the job.

 

[Bob W]

That's ironic. After weeks of searching for the most authentic "Bowie" knife available you finally found it, right in your own kitchen! Fantastic piece of history. Thanks for sharing.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

[Kazeryu]

Neat story, thanks for sharing. It's surprising the things you can overlook.

 

[Andrew Taylor]

That's ironic. After weeks of searching for the most authentic "Bowie" knife available you finally found it, right in your own kitchen! Fantastic piece of history. Thanks for sharing.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

That's exactly what I was going to say. That knife is probably more like the knife Jim Bowie carried that the commercial 'bowie Knife' sold as his. Not that I know a great deal, but I did read the Musso Bowie thread a number of times

Anyway, a nice knife, and carbon steel is always sharp.

 

[Ebbtide]

Way to go Tex!
Maybe a nice display box for when you're not using it, possibly with photos of the previous owners?

 

[Kickaha]

No, don't keep using it! The handle is splitting - it would be a bummer to have to replace the scales.

If you haven't, then at least saturate the thing in linseed oil.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Glue it where it's splitting before applying linseed oil!

 

[Big Ugly Tall Texan]

I figure if the scales split, I'll just wrap 'em in duct tape.

The big PLOP you just heard was all you knife purists fainting.

Gotta agree I feel a twinge of guilt to keep on using it since I found out how old it is... but it such a good knife.