Thread: Bowie Project
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Old 02-12-2017, 09:03 AM
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Andrew Garrett Andrew Garrett is offline
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Location: Nampa, Idaho
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Bowie Project

September 19th will be the 190th anniversary of the Vidalia Sandbar Fight which made Jim Bowie and his legendary knife a part of American pioneer lore.

What that original knife looked like and who made it is subject to heated debate. Likewise, the knives subsequently carried by Bowie for the next 9 years until his death at the Alamo are similarly mysterious. What little is known is well documented and for you to read and make your own judgments. Bowie himself was known to be a bit theatrical and enjoyed his fame and attention. Would this have affected the knife he carried once he became a living legend?

I propose that we as knifemakers attempt to interpret a bowie that may have been made between 1827 and 1836. Think of yourself as one of the countless smiths of the period who were cashing in on the fame of Bowie and his knife. Try to use materials available at the time. Imagine that you are trying to sell your wares to adventurers moving through on their way to the untamed West or coming to Texas to support the fight for independence. Let these romantic notions guide your work.

Unlike a KITH where we would then exchange our knives, I propose that we keep them. Use this piece as a display on your show tables. Let it be that blade that makes people stop and ask questions. Put its image on your website and tell the story of how and why you made it. Perhaps it will serve to show your clients that you have a reverence for the history of custom knifemaking and for what is perhaps the most influential knife in the history of this trade. Let this blade be an homage to all those that came before you.

I know that many of us have made bowies before. However, with the period correct nature of this project (to the degree that you can achieve in your shop) this one should stand alone.

Post your pictures here by September 19th and I will assemble a gallery thread with each knife's particulars and motivating factors.

What say you?


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Andy Garrett
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"Drawing your knife from its sheath and using it in the presence of others should be an event complete with oos, ahhs, and questions."

Last edited by Andrew Garrett; 02-12-2017 at 09:05 AM.
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