Robert E. Lee D-guard Bowie Knife

"From Sword to Knife." Loading rifles during the Civil War was time consuming and impossible in close combat. The Confederacy would scour battlefields for other objects that could be used as weapons, especially in close quarters. Broken swords of offers were especially prized because of the superior steel used in the blades. Soldiers would quickly turn the broken blade into a close combat "d-guard" knife, so named because of the hand guard. Gen. Robert E. Lee was no exception, and carried a "d-guard" knife he made from his own broken sword.

The Robert E. Lee knife is a D-guard Bowie, modeled after an original surviving "d-guard" knife. The blade measures 8 1/2" and is hand-forged from 420 high-carbon steel with a hand guard of solid brass. The wood handle is taken directly from a black oak on the grounds of Lee's former estate in Arlington, Virginia. It's decorated with 13 brass stars forming the familiar pattern of the "Stars and Bars" Confederate flag, symbolizing the pride of the South. It is engraved with "First Gentleman of Virginia," with a certificate of authenticity. Only 1,807 knives, the year Lee was born — will be made.