Bowie Knives

Bowie knives for sale. In 1827 an Arkansas plantation owner named Rezin Pleasant Bowie was attacked by a bull. Rezin tried to stab the bull in the head, but his knife could not pierce the bull’s skull. Rezin managed to survive nonetheless, and in his quest for a more reliable knife he had an old file ground down to create a large single-edged knife. The blade was over 23cm (9in) long and 4cm (1.5in) wide, and it was fitted with a cross guard and simple wooden grip. Rezin gave a knife of this form to his brother James, who later that same year was involved in the famous “sandbar fight” at Vidalia, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River. James was shot and stabbed, but still managed to use his brother’s knife to disembowel one assailant, wound another and chase off a third. The local press reported the fight, along with details of James Bowie’s unusually large knife, and a legend began.