“That’s not a knife, now THIS is a knife!” The Bowie knife is an iconic weapon that has made appearances in TV, movies, and works of fiction for generations now. From the Crocodile Dundee movies to the Rambo franchise, the Bowie knife is one of the most recognizable knives in the world. Historically the Bowie knife was not of a single design, but rather was a series of knives improved several times over the years by creator James Bowie. The history of the Bowie knife is rather murky, full of complications regarding conflicting claims and limited supporting documentation to prove the exact details on the origins of the blade. Regardless, the Bowie knife is a massively influential weapon that is still manufactured and favored to this day.

Origins and General Description

The Bowie knife gets its name and reputation from the notorious James Bowie, a knife fighter who died at the Alamo. There is a very scant amount of information on James Bowie, and in the absence of definitive facts, his history is buried in unsubstantiated knife-fighting lore. The earliest versions of the knife were created by Jesse Clift at Bowie’s brother’s request and resembled a butcher’s knife more than anything. Far from the custom knives of today, the first Bowie knife was roughly 9.5 inches long, 0.25 inches thick, and 1.5 inches wide. The blade was straight back, had no clip-point or handguard, and had a riveted wood scale handle. Modern versions of the Bowie knife usually have a blade somewhere between 8-12 inches long and are made of steel.

The Vidalia Sandbar Fight

This is the event that made James Bowie and his custom knives famous. On September 19^th, 1827, a formal one-on-one duel was to take place on a sandbar in the Mississippi River, near the present-day town of Vidalia, Louisiana. Arranged over grievances between Samuel L Wells III and Dr. Thomas H. Maddox, both parties had agreed upon this wide, sandy shoal in the middle of the Mississippi River due to the fact that it was considered outside the jurisdiction of local law enforcement and therefore less likely to be subject to anti-dueling laws of the time. The initial duel ended with a formal handshake after both duelists fired two shots and missed, but when the parties prepared to celebrate survival a brawl erupted. James Bowie went into battle with his iconic Bowie knife and came out alive but badly injured.

Legacy

James Bowie was severely wounded from the confrontation at the Vidalia Sandbar Fight, sustaining two bullet bounds, seven stab wounds, and blunt force trauma to the head. He spent months recovering, but in that time news of Bowie and his knife spread across the US thanks to the national attention gathered by the Sandbar Fight. The result was Bowie and his knife becoming known throughout the country as icons of the rugged lifestyle out on the frontier. These days many manufacturers and craftsmen have made their own versions of the Bowie knife. James Bowie died heroically at the Battle of the Alamo, but his legacy still lives on today, through both his life and his famous custom knives.

You can browse our selection of custom bowie knives and other wonderful items, or contact us for any inquiries at exquisiteknives@gmail.com or (760) 945-7177.