What Happened To Jim Bowies Knife? Is This It? Real or Fake?

Someone has a story to tell... I am not making any claims/verifications to the knife shown in the video I simply am putting out this video and letting my friend tell his story on how he acquired the knife. Any additional help would be much appreciated to anybody in the field.
I have my reservations about the knife but figured I would make this public if anybody out there could help me out I'm absolutely open to assistance.
Hope you enjoy the video! - Phil
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[@CuttingEdgetools]

Looks like a knife that was Refurbished from a sword or tool. Looks like its period WW1. Many soldiers crafted knives before , During and after service 🇺🇸 It does not resemble a period Early 1800s Pre Bowie. Thanks for the video 👍

[@erho2967]

I’ve always heard it was originally made from a big Ferriers file

[@benjaminbeyer2401]

There's literally no way that is a ww1 theater made blade ! Patina is wayyyyy too antiqued , .

[@edmundcharles5278]

It’s almost impossible to authenticate any object from 1836 when no one knows what the actual object in question actually looked like or was accurately described!

[@ChacoteOutdoorRecreation]

James Black (May 1, 1800 - June 22, 1872) In 1830, Black made the famous Bowie knife for Jim Bowie who was already famous for knife-fighting from his 1827 sandbar duel. Bowie's killing of three assassins in Texas and his death at the Battle of the Alamo made him, and Black's knife, legends. After Bowie's death in 1836, Black did a brisk business selling his knives to pioneers bound for Texas. Everyone seemed to want "Jim Bowie's knife." Black forged his knives behind a leather curtain and kept his process a secret. Black's knives were known to be exceedingly tough yet flexible. Many claimed that Black had rediscovered the process to make Damascus steel. The sure-fire way to authenticate a Black made Bowie is it will contain traces of meteorite. James Black made the legendary knife for Jim Bowie he added a piece of meteorite in a crucible charge. Perhaps in that way he got exceptional Ni steel which was harder and tougher than other steels in his times. None of the metallurgy in a real Bowie can be duplicated, many have tried and failed, the closest was the first knife in space, the Randall Model 17 Astro Knife. It was conceived by Major L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. to be a survival knife specifically for astronauts. If the knife does not contain meteorite, it is a fake. Meteorite testing can be done by various methods, such as checking the magnetic attraction, the interior appearance, the streak color, the chemical composition, and the presence of nickel-iron12345. So you can solve this mystery very easily.

[@glenmo1]

Jim Bowie's first knife was given to him by his brother RESIN BOWIE who had the knife made by a blacksmith...Resin Bowie describes the knife as being nine and a quarter inches long.. one and a half inches wide.... And being sharpened on one edge.. and being a straight blade not curved! So basically a huge butcher knife! No clip point as we believed in the past

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

the sandbar bowie, which had a coffin handle as that was the general style of knives at the time i believe

[@basednorsegael1089]

From my understanding, the sandbar knife wasn’t the Bowie knife - it was made later for him by his brother

[@Lotrprofessor1500]

@@bigfrankfraser1391yes! Coffin handle no clip point , was described as a large butchers knife. Flat spine.

[@Lotrprofessor1500]

@@basednorsegael1089the knife was given to him by his brother,and that was the famous sandbar knife. He was concerned about his brothers safety and gave his brother Jim his own knife. With a coffin handle 9 inches in blade length. Flat spine, no clip point.

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

@@Lotrprofessor1500 i own a replica i commissioned that was made to the original style, and measurements, with the coffin handle, things a beast, even my 15 year old daughter could cleave a fair sized chunk out of a ballistic dummy with it, and shes a delicately built girl, its the right size and shape that even if your weak, you can still stab or get good momentum up to chop

[@kbchaffin53]

The thing that bugs me about this story is the math. The Alamo happened 134 years before 1970. How could someone's grandfather have been there? If his dad was born in 1900, that would be 64 years after the battle. If you said great grandfather, it would be believable.

[@raypurchase801]

This is Jim Bowie's knife. It's had three replacement blades and four replacement handles. Apart from that it's definitely Jim Bowie's knife.

[@thebookpeddler]

🤣

[@thebookpeddler]

Your comments got me rollin

[@jeffadams9807]

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@johnovanic9560]

A couple of things there that don't add up the Heaven and Hell quote comes from the Alan Ladd iron Mistress movie. Second there weren't percussion cap weapons at the Alamo that was the flintlock period.

[@juliawatts1866]

The original Bowie knife, which was made by my family for James Bowie, was authenticated when it was returned to Arkansas in 2021. It is now on display at University of Arkansas at Texarkana for the bladesmithing school.

[@dicksonanthony1]

Any record of this. Google says different

[@tomritter493]

So ms watts is it boooowie or bow.ie how is it pronounced

[@juliawatts1866]

@@tomritter493 The pronunciation in Arkansas is "boooowie"

[@tomritter493]

@@juliawatts1866 thanks Ms wAtts

[@PhilHewkin]

They CALL it the BOWIE knife, but, that is the name of the famous OWNER. Shouldn't it officially be named by the maker? The WATTS knife? What do you think about the commercialization of this very famous knife? There are MANY brand names capitalizing on this design.

[@paulbarrett3361]

To add to my comment that not too many people know the story of the meteor the knife was made from, love it.

[@Xonid1]

I believe that his knife was burned with the bodies after the battle or taken as a souvenir and lost in a later battle where no one could identify it. It could still be laying in a field.

[@rumpleforeskin5064]

That is the best looking puma I've seen the patina the shape the wear on the sheath and how softened the leather looks. I like that laynard hole in the handle. That's awfully nice of ok Joe

[@thebookpeddler]

You're user name is hilarious 😂- yeah it's a gorgeous knife, I treasure it! Thanks for watching man

[@jamesdolan5236]

I'm sure if you were to take it to a metallurgist, he could run some tests on it to give a good estimate of its age. To me, it looks like the blade was once a heavy cavalry Saber. As someone said in another comment, the Fuller looks machined. Whoever put the handle scales on it should be horse whipped. I've seen prison shivs with better fitting handles.

[@carolrobinson7779]

If it were a cavalry Sabre wouldn't you see some curve starting on the backbone? I'm leaning more towards a French bayonet. I've seen that fuller style on forgotten weapons channel, it's not one you see often.

[@richardmcginnis5344]

that's not a knife its a cut down sword and that is NOT what the original bowie was made from

[@normanbraslow7902]

Highly, highly unlikely. As a collector of period swords, I'll bet it's a cut down sword.

[@joestreiff9401]

so it could belong to Jason McCord 😆

[@cutworm59]

James actually had several knives during his lifetime.

[@bockskarr6626]

ya dont say? whodathunkit

[@davidbock7718]

My gut reaction is that it is a cut down military bayonet. The exaggerated clip point looks after the fact of forging. The barrel lug on one side of the knife could have been easily cut off. The wooden handle is longer than the knife tang. This to me and the mix of different pins suggest the handle was removed at some point with whatever kind of bayonet lug that was present on the tang ( as in a slot or possible slot and press stud ) removed and then the handle replaced. The shape of the handle itself is much like vintage bayonets. The "blood grove" or fuller also looks very much like you would see on a bayonet. I imagine such conversions have been done often and i have 2 myself.

[@thebookpeddler]

Thank you very much for your take on this, I've been having some gut feelings on it myself. Appreciate you watching and commenting - Phil

[@Iron4TrollPatrol]

I agree although the original material may be different. I dont think the original knife would have been hastily made from repurposed material. That groove there is suspect.

[@thebookpeddler]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXNYnpmbJqEZ5I

[@andrewbeilke502]

Bayonets of that time period were long, thin pointed objects. This appears to be much too wide.

[@Iron4TrollPatrol]

@@andrewbeilke502 he never said it was that old.

[@ajumbo7762]

"A little bit of heaven or hell" was a line from a Jim Bowie movie. Meteorite material would be too full of impurities to make a decent steel, according to every metallurgist I've ever asked on the subject. I saw that old movie when I was a kid and bought the "meteorite" story, too.

[@stephentaylor6204]

The lightening grovoe , nick named a blood drain, is common on bayonets WWI and forward.

[@JR-5465]

I don't believe that is it. Everything I've heard and read over the years says it was not a clip-point blade it was more a large butcher-style knife. I guess will never know for sure but that's what I've always heard. Was fun to watch your video all the same thanks for showing it.

[@Lt.ColonelV]

My grandmother was Jim Bowies brother Cap Bowie daughter she said the knife was made from meter and is at a museum in Arkansas

[@christinebarone7496]

Oh Hell yes...more like this please. Being a huge western fan and having been to the Alamo, I loved this content today. First off it's not so unreasonable that the story might be true. My first thought was, OK, the knife is supposed to be Bowie's, Ok, fair enough, that means it must have some Mexican connection, before I listened to the guy's story. Santa Ana and his troops overran the Alamo and many brave men died, Jim and Daniel being the most famous. So it had to be a Mexican person who took the knife, turns out to be in that story. If you track back the providence of his story...he does appear to have some kind of proof/paperwork to back up his story as to the Mexican connection. Interesting for sure, true or not....Phil, you may just have touched Jim Bowie's knife, that is a better story no?

[@thebookpeddler]

You're right it is very exciting, the potential is incredible... I'm trying to maintain a critical mind with it though and not let emotions get the best of me when dealing with something like this. This was the third time I got to handle it, it's pretty cool, when I was a kid Jim Bowie definitely fascinated me so it's a pretty incredible opportunity. We shall see what happens Christine! Hopefully the right person can put eyes on this. Appreciate the comment!

[@docmach8794]

I figured it was laying at the bottom of the river at the battle of San Jacinto in some Mexican soldiers pack.

[@johntandycrabtree392]

David, not Daniel. Two very separate legends.

[@waynesmallwood6027]

In the 90s, an intensive research was conducted and published in one of the Blade Annuals. It waid that the Bowie on display was Rezin's (Jame's brother), and that it was the second one made, and was by the same blacksmith. A brass line was on top of the blade at that time to catch an opponent's blade. One of the interesting things about carbon steel is if there's a chip with a ragged/pointed area, the blade can break right there. Supposedly James designed the original blade. No one's alive, today, to dispute the various versions, some of which I just read for the first time, today.

[@antiquebowieknifechannel4611]

Like I have said…there were NO brass backed Bowie’s in that era…this was made up in Hollywood thanks to Musso.

[@illmade2]

Bowie was well aware of his own fame during his time. He often gave away knives to people actors politicians, etc. That he probably never carried, so to figure out what a real bowie is, is next impossible to find a bowie that he might have used is impossible. To find the bowie that he supposedly used at the Alamo is impossible. Simply because there are so many stories about so many knives that are basically myths. The best description we have of the first knife Bowie used is from his brother Rezin, and it is nothing like what is currently called a bowie. The "real Bowie" is about as hard to find as a piece of the true cross,. That knife is i would guess from the fuller, is from a cut down sword blade. Also IIRC the meteor story did not exist before the 20th century, and heavy clip points like that were a later addition to a bowie knife.

[@inregionecaecorum]

I expect there are enough of Bowie's original knives out there in antique shops and collections, to build a battleship. Countless bowie knives were imported from Sheffield once the style became popular. That knife there looks very crude, not even a proper bolster. The clip point looks like it was cut down from a longer blade judging from the way the fuller ends. The handle scales are definately not original they are longer than the tang and the riveting leaves a lot to be desired, It looks like a cut down bayonet.

[@thebookpeddler]

I've been getting a lot of similar feedback, you guys are probably on point, I'm no expert in this field so it's nice to get the input. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@thebookpeddler]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXNYnpmbJqEZ5I

[@antiquebowieknifechannel4611]

Spot on description!

[@erikkopsala3564]

Was this knife even measured on camera to compare it , the original was said to have a 9-1/4 inch blade 1-1/2 inch wide 1/4 inch thick these measurements could be a bit less from wear n tear but not over , a process of elimination,

[@DonnieBAllDay]

Jims brother Rezin made a bunch of blades. He was the forger. There's debates on whether he forged the famous "Musso" Bowie that's named after the other potential forger. That knife was gifted away before Jim left for the alamo, so even though legend says he carried the Musso at the Alamo, it simply isn't true. His other well known blades that he carried was a drop point similar to a chefs knife. Thats the one he used at the sand bar fight and might have recently been discovered. If Jim owned this, Im not sure at what point he carried it. There's no real description of the blade he had at the Alamo, but I'm sure he had something to replace his Musso.

[@bockskarr6626]

the man dbad!!!! man im stoked on your waki broooo i think that might be my first kkh purchase . . . . def a western type waki . . . robust and strong totally pysched

[@DonnieBAllDay]

thanks bro. Its a beast for sure@@bockskarr6626

[@auntk1353]

Fascinating story and you introduced it so well! Can’t wait to see follow ups to this!

[@thebookpeddler]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@craigcook1571]

Very interesting story. However, even though I think unprovable either way, I’m leaning to the unlikely side that this is Bowie’s Alamo knife. Personally I don’t think we will ever know what it actually was or looked like, but I’m more inclined to believe it was a large butcher style knife, or possibly a version of the Searles Fowler knife I’ve seen. Again this is just my opinion, and it could be argued against many ways. If I am correct say that it was a large butcher knife, it was probably picked up and used by its new owner until used up to the point that even Bowie himself wouldn’t even recognize it. People back then looked at items like that as tools not keep sakes. But I guess that’s part of the allure of collecting, trying to envision how, and by who it was used and what for. Maybe it’s better we don’t know, so we can keep investigating and having these conversations

[@longrider42]

Okay, here is the problem. Any knife that Jim Bowie was carrying at the Alamo. Was taken as a prize most likely by a officer in the Army that took the Alamo. So the knife went to Mexico, or was lost at the battle of San Jacinto. Either way, it is long gone, into the mists of time. And like some one else pointed out. That knife looks like it was repurposed from either a sword or some kind of tool.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Isn't the line "a little bit of Heaven or Hell" from the old movie about Jim Bowie "The Iron Mistress"? Not sure if it is taken from anything historical but if not makes one question it's inclusion.

[@thebookpeddler]

I'm not sure I just remember hearing that years ago, didn't know whether to attribute it to myth or factual base to some extent

[@donniejunk2860]

The fuller aka “blood groove “ definitely looks machined mills weren’t a thing in the mid 1800s Cool knife though

[@patobrien7009]

I'm not a "Bowie knive" expert but it looks like that knife has an integral guard. I always heard that Bowie's knife originally did not have a guard but after Jim almost cut his right index finger off he went back to the maker and had a guard put on.

[@thebookpeddler]

Thanks for the info!

[@thebookpeddler]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXNYnpmbJqEZ5I

[@Falcun21]

Rezin and Jim got bored with shooting deer, so they would ride them down on horses, lasso them and then jump off and tackle the deer around the neck and slice its throat. Wild boys they were. One time when doing this, Rezin's hand slipped as the blade went into the deer's neck and blood ran down the blade. He sliced his hand open to the bone and was thoroughly disgusted. He had their blacksmith take an old file and forge a knife with a bolster and a blade like a chef's knife, drop point and the blade was wide at the base so the hand could not slide down it. It looked like a large butcher knife. The Searles Bowie is a very close approximation of the original knife. Notice there's no guard, just a bolster. Jim admired the knife and when he ran afoul of Norris Wright, Rezin gave him the knife to take with him to the Sandbar Fight. That was the knife that killed Norris Wright. While Jim was laid up healing from his wounds, he designed a better fighting knife that incorporated elements of Rezin's knife with some ideas of his own. He added a guard and changed the point to a clip point, with the back of the clip sharpened. Knife fighting in those days was done with the blade held up so blocking was done with the spine of the blade to protect the cutting edge. Bowie's knife was different, that "false edge" wasn't false on his knife. He whittled what he wanted and took it to James Black. The knife Jim created was a beast and what it exactly looked like is not known. The Musso Bowie looks the most like what people think of when they think Bowie Knife and it's a nasty looking piece of work, very different than the Searles Bowie. The Searles Bowie is a beautiful weapon, elegant in is simplicity. What is known about Bowie's personal knife is that it was a fearsome looking weapon that Black never duplicated. He did make other large knives that gained the "Bowie" name as did Rezin and the manufacturers in Sheffield, but Bowie's own knife was unique and stood him apart from the other men armed with "Bowie" knives. Bowie's knife was probably still locked in his fist when his body was burned which is why it can't be found.

[@krisclark3545]

As a big fan of the show Forged In Fire, I really enjoyed this video. Don't know if he would answer, but Dave Baker from that show is a historical weapons expert, or at least that is how they introduce him.

[@thebookpeddler]

I appreciate the suggestion, I'll try and reach out. I'm completely out of my realm, I'm giving the guy the benefit of the doubt but obviously way out of my wheelhouse. Hey it's worth a shot, thanks Kris!

[@wizardofahhhs759]

The real Bowie knife is hanging on the living room wall of Santa Anna's house.

[@thebookpeddler]

Santa Anna's ancestors pick their teeth with it to this day 🤣

[@dragonk849]

Impressive. Bowie,cross guard looks short,the handle has been replaced,looks almost as if it's come from a mould..

[@thisolddog2259]

I heard that the knife originally had a brass overlay on the spine.

[@jimreed6875]

Great story. I hope you find out about that knife. Really liked your Puma too.

[@kenolsen208]

Dude! That puma is awesome! I've wa one since 12yrs old

[@JohnLamp-g5d]

The reference to "meteor sword" is quite enthusiastic!

[@mikemuenze5390]

I don't know alot about knives or there history but this a pretty cool story I like it thank for sharing.

[@docmach8794]

Couple of flags that stand out are the condition, it looks dug. Second is that Bowie (supposedly) had a brass cap on the back of his knife to "catch" the edge of an opponents knife. I couldn't get a good look at the back edge, but it didn't look like it was ever sharpened, I could absolutely be wrong on all accounts, just saying.

[@thebookpeddler]

Thanks for watching and commenting Doc, there was no brass cap on this one

[@bushcraft_in_the_north]

i have read that he's knife was pulled out of the fire at the Alamo, that would explain the new grip and the look of the blade, maybe..

[@paulbarrett3361]

Looking forward to actually knowing if it belongs to James Bowie.

[@SeanJorgenson-vy8nw]

I'd love to buy it for my christian grandson he collects bowie knives.

[@johnfuller6338]

The German knife 🗡️ is a puma white hunter,great knife I have 2of and hem.

[@randallchunn8286]

Hello sir, just want to say nice article on that knife you got to touch! I came back from the Philippines 🇵🇭 7 months ago and seen a blade that looks like the one you showed owned by the guy you interviewed ❤. The balance of the blade was perfect, sharp as a razor, and the handles were made out of coconut 🌴 tree wood. I wanted to bring one back but no guaranteed i would ever receive it…and paper clips Would stick to it also…

[@glenmo1]

The first original Bowie knife that was given to Jim Bowie by his brother RESIN BOWIE .. who had it manufactured by a blacksmith.. the original look nothing like the modern Bowie's we see nowadays.. it was more of a large chef knife without a clip point... Later on perhaps some of the Bowie knives used by Jim had a clip point.. but the very first one did not have a clip point it was just a large knife that look like a chef knife

[@steveoppermann7596]

It looks like the reason for the exaggerated clip point was to eliminate the fuller. There seems to be a remnant of the fuller visible at the tip at 9:50. That tells me this blade was cut down. It says nothing at all about who may have owned it. Smiths have been cutting down blades since there were blades!

[@jeffreyhershey5754]

I suppose you could classify that as a knife but anybody with a little knowledge of knives and firearms and military equipment can plainly see what you have there is a cut down or modified if you prefer it's just a bayonet that's been reworked any back yard hobbyist could do it

[@thebookpeddler]

Appreciate the feedback, that's why I put out the video for some help. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@andrewbeilke502]

Too wide to be a bayonet

[@dwylbtzledwylbtzle5535]

The original Bowie knife was shaped like a celtic fighting knife - not like the "Texas Bowie" with a California clip most people think of--which shape evolved later. -And it was made by a blacksmith, (named Black), who knew how to make a sort of Damascus steel. He always worked behind leather curtains, so the took that secret to his grave: (of how to make Damascus). So if you find the real original, it'll have many many layers. That one there might well have been taken off Bowie's body and yet still possibly not be the original one that his brother Rezin designed and gave to him.

[@EskayDuro]

The fuller on that blade is machine straight. I would find it hard to believe that any blacksmith of that time could produce lines that straight...or would even try. Magnet test? Ummm...magnets are attracted to steel....meteorite or not. My opinion is that this blade was cut down from an existing piece of steel.

[@steveoppermann7596]

Many examples exist of blades with straight fullers which were blacksmith made from much earlier time periods than this example. I noticed that the fuller wasn't parallel with the back of the blade. To make a straight fuller you simply clamp some kind of straight edge to the blade and file along that as a guide. If the straight edge isn't parallel to the blade back, the fuller won't be. I'm not venturing any opinion on the authenticity of this knife, but the fuller certainly doesn't provide any evidence of inauthinticity.

[@andrewbeilke502]

I have seen talented smiths make a straight fuller with minimal tools. Never seen a fuller like the one in the video. Definitely something different. The clip point looks almost too deliberate. Doesn't look forged, maybe cut and removed.

[@joejones9520]

it was not a magnet that he held to it...however, as i wrote earlier, when metal is heated up to forging levels, especially melting levels, all magnetism is lost forever.

[@Phizzle-uc7yu]

Loved jim on bullseye

[@johnsammon6741]

Buckskinner Magazine ran an article stating that the great grandson of Bowie lost it fishing when he turned over his piroit in Louisiana

[@Rich-fi7kg]

I read yrs back that it's in Mexico..I don't recall where though

[@thomasboully6545]

Jim Bowie gifted his Musso Bowie the original knife to a friend before he left for the Alamo, that being said he was carrying a replacement at the Alamo, and this could be that very blade here. Reason I think it might be is because it, (the blade, not the handle), which is obviously a poor replacement is period correct being a cut down sword blade. Who's to say???

[@kbchaffin53]

I'm sure you've seen the movie about Bowie from the 50's that claimed his knife was made from a meteorite. I thought that was just Hollywood. I never heard that was true until this. It's impossible to prove or disprove, but that is one bad-ass looking knife. If it really was his, it wouldn't surprise me. That's the most interesting one I've seen yet.

[@glenmo1]

The knife that Joe gave you with the heavy chopping tip that looks like a puma from Germany!! Fantastic knife.. I believe they imported those from the '60s through the 70s?

[@thebookpeddler]

It is from Germany, I love the knife it's my favorite!

[@Russell-yt8kg]

They still make that knife It is a white hunter . Lost one in a pawnshop 20..years ago.

[@Russell-yt8kg]

That has as much of a chance as any other knife you get stabbed with by a Mexican of being Bowies

[@ancientixl]

You should contact Phil Collins, former drummer of genesis, the band as he is now acknowledged as the Formost authority on the Alamo.

[@joejones9520]

his book with pics of collection is amazing!

[@t.c.stevensjr.5183]

Call Bill Adams, former owner of Atlanta Cutlery and Museum Replicas Ltd.

[@thomasmccaffrey3955]

I did enjoy I’m a new scripe now look forward to the next

[@michaelbroderick2282]

Excellent!--can't beat a historical mystery. Odd that the Alamo hasn't shown an interest considering the possible provenance--while you keep looking to solve the mystery of Jim Bowie's Knife I'll be here researching the conundrum of David Bowie's Wife.

[@thebookpeddler]

I wrote and called, nothing. Who knows maybe they constantly get contacted for things like this. Good luck with the ither Bowie hahah. Take care Michael thanks for watching and commenting!

[@libertyboy2743]

The knife is simple like the one ordered by Resin for his brother James. I really like the providence the back story is interesting. It would be nice to know the age of Lopez’s father to establish a time line. A question lingers in my mind was there in fact meteorite in the blade of the real Bowie knife?🤔🤔🤔

[@williampinner1893]

Pretty cool. Not sure how his grandfather could know for sure if its Bowies actual knife from the Alamo unless he took it off him himself. That said, who am I to say it's not Bowies actual knife from the Alamo. Good vid. Keep up the good work.

[@arnoldosalazarjr9665]

Hell yeah awesome 😎 I love Bowie knives

[@stephenquick3370]

An actual Bowie knife does not have a clip point. The spine is straight. Knives like that were being made in Sheffield, England prior to 1820. They just co-opted the name “Bowie” to sell more knives. Don’t fall for marketing scams.

[@SeanJorgenson-vy8nw]

It looks like a modified civil war short sword. My Grandfather had a collection,( exstensive)

[@martinguerre8220]

Bro that's a puma white Hunter (the one Joe gave you) you're a lucky guy that's an epic knife

[@thebookpeddler]

I love it, very appreciative of him giving it to me, thanks for watching

[@thetwotravelers546]

I have collected knifes and guns all my life, but this is far from me knowing. It looks like its from the period, but I too believe the handle has been replaced because it does not look from the period and does not even look like it fits correctly. Good luck and I hope you can find out, it would be worth a great deal if proven.

[@thebookpeddler]

Thanks, I'll be reaching out to some new people this week and see where it goes. Thanks for watching and for the luck wishes!

[@thebookpeddler]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXNYnpmbJqEZ5I

[@brianintexas1108]

Interesting story to be sure. I don't believe this to be Jim Bowie's knife. Being somewhat of a knife geek myself there things about it that just doesn't make sense. Starting with the channel in the center of the blade. More properly known as a fuller. I've never seen a square fuller on a knife of this age and type. The sharp edges of the fuller indicate that it was a stamping and not formed to shape by hand. The fuller is not strait and aligned with the rest of the blade. Secondly the blade looks as if it was cut out or ground to shape out of a larger blade. A sword or bayonet possibly. Look at the cross guard. It's not a separate piece. The guard is cut or ground to shape. It looks like it was either cut with a grinding wheel or possibly done with a file maybe booth. Definitely not typical for the time period. The magnetism means nothing as any steel can be magnetized. It would need to be tested and verified to contain meteorite. The top of the blade at the front also appears to have been ground to shape instead of being formed to shape. I've seen an original drawing by Bowie's brother that pretty clearly indicates his first knife was a butcher's boning knife. Later in life Bowie had a knife made by a Mr Black. Blacks knife is much higher quality than the knife shown in this video. The knife that Mr. Black made is the shape and design we associate with Jim Bowie still today. The knife in this video is very crudely made and as I said I believe it to have been shaped out of a much larger blade of some kind.

[@thebookpeddler]

Thanks for watching and for the comment! Much appreciated

[@motorcyclemark2889]

That puma is called a white hunter I believe

[@jaykerivan6071]

That's not a pig sticker but looks like it was inspired by a kephart design, quite a hunk of steel

[@hunter19709]

Great video distinct possibilities, spoils of war

[@kevinmorrice]

i dont even have to be an expert to tell you that knife isnt worth its weight in scrap edit: seriously, thats the sort of knife youd have to pay a collector just to look at it

[@warrenkundis3289]

Been around GIs all my life, your friend sounds fascinating.

[@thebookpeddler]

Very interesting guy, I can't say much as of now as to who he is and what he's been involved in but it definitely surpasses anyone else I've ever encountered. He said sometime in the future he may not be opposed to coming on for an interview. Thanks for watching Warren!

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

Nope. Not a chance. That appears to me to be a cut down and re-ground 1850's artillery short sword.

[@caroltenge5147]

good observation.

[@joejones9520]

when any magnet is heated up to forging or melting levels, it loses its magnetism forever. edit; I forgot to add that this blade probably was near a magnet and became magnetic from that.

[@Glicksman1]

Most of what occurred in the pre-photographic era (when photographs became commonly made), essentially for 200,000 years minus less than two hundred, is largely a guessing game regarding things like Bowie's knife. Paintings, drawings, witness' accounts, and the like are all speculative at best. We can attempt to date the materials using modern technology, and perhaps in some cases determine DNA matches (difficult to impossible after too much time has passed), but In these matters each believes what he/she wants to believe, and who can say they know better?

[@karlyoung5089]

Very interesting.

[@johnraines4825]

Jack Edmondson would be another person to speak with. Knows alot about Bowie the knife.

[@peskybobcat]

That one looks time period with documentation of a story that makes it worth something

[@patbiggin4477]

Steel is magnetic....iron is magnetic...that .agent tells you its steel/ iron....won't tell you if it's meteorite

[@TheRepublicanProfessor]

I think you had good instinct in including your own knives -- people who appreciate American history, craftsmanship, and frontier culture have a minute to check out a couple of cool knives. And it was a great story whether that's Jim Bowie's actual knife or not. Seems likely , so far, that it could have been at the Alamo.

[@TheMNBlackBear]

We just don't know. The truth is--we will likely never know. Nonetheless, in a sense, we have Bowie's knife anyway! Mine's a 15.50" 1075 high carbon steel Bowie. 👌

[@44hawk28]

The Puma appears to have a first cut stag handle on it, not bone. As for the knife in question, this actually has the appearance in size and description of exactly, almost to every detail, that Jim Bowie actually describes as his favorite design of knife. I recently watched a video where a man, claimed that he called anything a Bowie knife from the 1800s that was large enough to be anything from a good-sized butcher knife to an Arkansas toothpick to, almost any large bladed knife that wasn't necessarily what Bowie had eventually designed. That man was an abject idiot, because of the size of the knife, it would have almost required to have been at least 5 16th of an inch thick. Jimboy's had the habit of holding the knife blade up so that he could use the back edge of the knife to Parry blows coming at him, his coup de gras would be to open up the breastbone of the attacker which will disable them almost as fast as separating their central nervous system. He did like to use rubber handles whenever he can get them. That would easily explain why the grip is not the original. This is the closest thing to proper provenance I have yet seen. The only other place I would have expected his life to show up would be in the possession of Davy crockett, because there are several witnesses who say that the well-spoken man was allowed to leave after agreeing not to get involved in further forays. Considering he was masonic, as was Santa ana, he would have been HonorBound to extract such a promise from him. David Crockett is known to have lived out the last of his life in an area deeded to him in Alabama. There were three other survivors at least from the alamo, and they actually have areas around San Antonio that are actually named after them, they escaped either just before the final battle or somewhere during or just after it in some way shape or form. That is also a matter of people of the time actually stating so is actually the best I've seen for the blade being the correct size and shape, I would like to see if that clip Edge is well sharpened, or at least appears like it once was. As for whether or not it's magnetic, most iron is magnetic after it has been heated formed into place and cooled and tempered, almost all Iron is still magnetic. Whether or not it had some meteorite in it, doesn't mean a damn thing as far as magnetism goes.

[@thebookpeddler]

Learned a lot from your comment, thanks for taking the time to write it. Much appreciated.

[@powerplay4real174]

Yo ! you got Jim Bowie's original knife ,how did you get that knife because the collectors will pay tons of dollars 💰 💵 for that deadly knife it's taken lots of souls and if it could tell you a story you would be amazed, I have a buyer for you Original Bowie own and used by James Bowie and designed by his brother 😊 $2500 easy jack. 😊

[@craigthescott5074]

From the accounts I’ve heard Jim Bowie’s knife was a large modified kitchen knife that a black smith modified by adding a cross guard. That knife looks like a cut down sword blade possibly.

[@njzeigler4370]

Looks like a machine made knife (square fuller)probably from Mexico circa early 1900's The original Bowie knives were shaped more like a butcher knife (triangular).

[@waynejenkins3254]

No way the fuller would never run into the clip point like the man said cut down sword

[@antiquebowieknifechannel4611]

I can tell you that this knife has ZERO chance of being Jim Bowies knife. In fact..its probably an 20th Century knife. This knife is NOT even close to an Antique Bowie!

[@joejones9520]

but why do you say this? facts are all that count, give some to back up your statement.

[@antiquebowieknifechannel4611]

@@joejones9520 Simple it’s a modern knife. Made in the 20th century. Look at the video on my channel of GENUINE Antique Bowie knives. This knife is not even close to a Bowie.

[@joejones9520]

@@antiquebowieknifechannel4611 still no facts though.

[@antiquebowieknifechannel4611]

@@joejones9520 Really…? Ok…let’s do this. The blade has a big fuller running through the blade. Wrong! No Bowie’s where made like that. Guard made out of the tang. Only Will and Finck did this on one model of knife meant for sailors. The blade has been cut from a modern bayonet or sword to give it the clip point that most novices believe is a must for it to be a Bowie knife. Handle is WRONG too. Poorly fitted..do you really think a celebrity would use a crude knife like this? Do some historical research on knives associated with JB. They are all finely finished knives. This is poop.

[@joejones9520]

@@antiquebowieknifechannel4611 Mussa was proven fake though so it wouldnt count. The numbered coffin Bowies arent for sure known to have been his. There is another crudely made knife with a claim and backstory similar to this one, cant remember who owns it or what it is called, a family heirloom I think, it is odd looking to same degree this one is and doesnt look like what we'd imagine JBowie wouldve used. Maybe he used what we wouldnt think he did?

[@derekpierkowski7641]

It's a beauty either way!👍

[@henryparent1157]

How do they know if he had a knife with him at the Alamo.

[@dzonbrodi514]

Actual video starts about 8 minutes in, provenance is persuasive and an interesting story

[@thebookpeddler]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXNYnpmbJqEZ5I

[@vincentcirzeveto2088]

Great Video..Good Job..Keep it Up..Regards Vincent

[@James-v4f1b]

That knife may have belonged to Bowie… it doesn’t look period correct at all however. As far as the knife he had at the Alamo is concerned; the most likley knife is the “Moore Bowie”.

[@powerplay4real174]

8:27 That Jim's Knife 🔪

[@MarkNostrant]

The legend was that the bowie was made from a fallen FeNi meteorite

[@t.c.stevensjr.5183]

Contact Bill Adam’s, former owner of Atlanta Cutlery Inc. and Bowie knife expert.

[@katerinacampbell5885]

Cool video man. Love knives too.

[@luish777]

That's one hell of a story.

[@starstairs5715]

I own custers knife it was made into a spear and a old great tribal elder gave me it as a gift but the handle and everything is gone just the blade of yellow hair is what I have left

[@aztecgold8997]

Yes ...!!! COOL !!!