Tag Archives: bowie knives

Clip Point D Guard Bowie Knife

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Here’s a Confederate D Handle knife that’s been in my collection for quiet some time. It doesn’t get as much respect as some of the other D-handle knives due to its size, but it would have been the perfect knife for a foot soldier to carry since it was small and lighter in weight then most of the heavy and clumsy D-Handles.
The overall size of the knife is 15 ½” long, with the handle measuring 5” and the blade measuring 10 ½”. This Clip point Knife has a 2 ¾” false edge and the blade is 1 ½” wide. The Blacksmith kept the natural sweep of the blade which occurs when the edge is forged.
It’s my guess this knife was made from an old file, even though there are no teeth marks on the blade. It’s pretty simplistic in nature but still very well made. The Guard is thick at the pommel where it’s fastened to the handle (about 1/8”) but the area of the quillon where the blade meets the handle is very thin, measuring about 1/16” or thinner. Proof that the D-Handle was crafted with a hammer by a blacksmith or mechanic.
The blade and the guard both have a nice blackened patina to them however the ferrule at the base of the handle appears to be pewter, which may be the neatest feature of the knife. The scabbard is long gone to time but it’s my opinion it would have been leather or pigs hide.
Well there you have it another Confederate D-Handle Bowie Knife. If you have any questions about this knife or any of the other weapons in the Civil War Arsenal feel free to email me at civilwararsenal@yahoo.com attn: Gene West

Confederate, Tennessee Side Knife and Rig

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This is a great example of a Side knife that a Confederate Infantrymen would have carried throughout the War Between the States. Small and light enough to be worn day and night. Many of the large D Handle knives were way too big, clumsy and heavy to be totted around day in and day out, many were tossed to the side of the road in favor of a lighter and more useful knife, such as this.

This knife is extra neat since it still has its wood lined scabbard and belt rig. Both of these pieces are hand sewed which was common for most Confederate rigging. The Spear Point blade is single edged with a sharpened 2 3/4″ top edge. The overall length of the knife is 14 ¾”, with the blade measuring 10 ¼ “and width 1 3/8”.

This knife was formally in the collection of Lee Hadaway, who is one of the leading experts in Confederate Edged Weapons and author of the “Confederate Bowie Knife Guide” which this Knife and Rig is published in. This knife is also published in “Confederate Bowie Knives” on page 253 as a Tennessee Side Knife.

I hope you enjoy the photos and if you have any questions about this knife please feel free to contact me at genx1969@yahoo.com attn. Gene West

Confederate D Handle Bowie Knife

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It’s a Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting around the house bored so I’ve decided to write about one of the many weapons in the Civil War Arsenal.

A year or two ago I was at a Civil War show with my wife walking around looking at all the neat stuff laid out amongst all the tables not really seeing anything that jumped out at me and said buy me NOW. After one complete pass at the show that must have taken about 2 hours to complete I started my second pass knowing I must have missed at least one neat item.

I came across a fellow who had about 4 or 5 confederate knifes, and there it was the D Handle that said LOOK AT ME. This knife was stunning it had all the features I look for when purchasing confederate knifes, minus the scabbard.

Beautiful hardwood handle with knots in it, blackened metal blade, sturdy well made knife with a wonderful rasp/file blade that is just a work of art in itself. I must have spent an hour looking at this knife trying to walk away but it wouldn’t let me. It’s like the knife was talking to me saying take me home.

So I finally pulled myself away from the table only to be brought back time after time. It was like a magical spell had been put on me. Earlier I spoke to the fellow who was selling the knife (unfortunately I forgot his name) and he told me the price, which was a fair price but these days I tend to be more of a value shopper when making big purchases.
So I made him what I thought was a fair offer and after going back and forth with him for about ten minutes we finally agreed on a price.

This spear point D Handle has an overall length of 19” with a 14 ½” blade and a 4 ½”handle the blade is 2 1/4” wide at its widest point and it weighs 1 ½ pounds. The blacksmith or mechanic that made this knife was extremely skilled. The knife 150 years later is straight as an arrow, very sturdy and the D Handle doesn’t move like so many D Handle Knives I’ve handle over the years.

It’s my opinion this knife had a leather scabbard that probably rotted to the point that someone tossed it thinking there was no value in salvaging it, bummer I wish it was saved. Based on my research this knife was assembled in the Carolinas or Georgia but I’m sure that others may challenge that opinion. Either way this is a neat knife and I hope you enjoy the photos. Any questions about this knife please contact me at civilwararsenal@yahoo.com attn: Gene West

Confederate Bowie Knife and Tin Scabbard

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The Civil War Arsenal is proud to introduce to its ever growing collection this early version of a Confederate D Handle Bowie Knife with Tin Scabbard. More than likely manufactured early in the war probably 1861 or 1862 this is a fine example of what a Southern soldier would have carried to defend against the Northern aggressors.

When war broke out in 1861 the South was woefully ill equipped to fight against the industrious North so many of the Southern soldiers armed themselves with fighting knives made by capable craftsman. Blacksmiths, carriage makers and tin smiths were just a few of the professions that answered the call to arm the Southern army. While some of these knives were functional, some were poorly constructed and not very aesthetically pleasing. That is not the case with this knife.

This knife was made by a skilled craftsman. There are many flaws throughout the blade but that only adds to the character of the knife. The blade is well executed and the knife balances properly. Many of the knives this size were heavy with thick blades and were a chore to carry on long marches. This blade while heavy enough to serve its purpose wouldn’t wear the soldier out during long marches.

It has a simple turned wood handle made of hardwood, probably walnut. The tang is peened over the D guard and is undisturbed. The overall length is 20 ¾”, blade length is 16 ¼” and blade width is 1 ¾”.

Scabbards for Confederate knives are quite rare since most were made out of leather and didn’t far well over the past 150 years. This scabbard is made of tin which is scarcer than a leather scabbard.

Construction of this scabbard is a work of art. The lead soldier on the seams is evident and holds well to this day. Made of two pieces of tin, front and back with the tip added to the body probably because the maker didn’t have a single piece long enough to cover the knife. The belt loop is still in place, which is quite rare as well.

This D handle was in the private collection of Lee Hadaway who is the author of “The Updated Confederate Bowie Knife Guide”. He is the leading expert on Confederate D handle Bowie knives and side knives.

I am proud to have this Confederate D Handle Bowie Knife as one of the many center pieces of my ever growing Civil War collection.

Enjoy the photos.