DammitBoy
Member
Now, I'm a gun guy - not a knife guy, although I do own several knives, swords, bayonets, and whatnot. Mostly, I just buy sharp pointy things that catch my eye while at Gunshows.
I am always attracted to Bowie knives and Damascus, especially knives with stag handles. So, I saw this guys table full of civil war era rifles, pistols, and memorabilia last weekend. He had 7 Bowie knives lined up on a piece of felt, with a place card that said, "take your pick, $100". One of the knives just stood out to me as a higher quality knife and it looked to have some serious aged patina to it.
I picked it up and it melded into my hand like an extension of my arm. It felt right and balanced. I wasn't really looking for a knife, but I offered the guy $75 and he sold it to me.
The s shaped crossguard was loose and I was thinking about how to repair it, and I was planning to sharpen it and start carrying it while hunting in a primitive leather sheath a friend made for me for another bowie I had. Then I noticed some markings on the ricasso - "Hassam" above "Boston".
A quick google search showed that this knife maker only made knives in Boston from 1853-1856! I also found pictures identical to my bowie from the civil war! My question is - is that really what I have and what value would you put on it?
There is a silver pommel cap on the end, kinda hard to see in my pics. Sorry for the poor quality pics, not a camera guy either...
I am always attracted to Bowie knives and Damascus, especially knives with stag handles. So, I saw this guys table full of civil war era rifles, pistols, and memorabilia last weekend. He had 7 Bowie knives lined up on a piece of felt, with a place card that said, "take your pick, $100". One of the knives just stood out to me as a higher quality knife and it looked to have some serious aged patina to it.
I picked it up and it melded into my hand like an extension of my arm. It felt right and balanced. I wasn't really looking for a knife, but I offered the guy $75 and he sold it to me.
The s shaped crossguard was loose and I was thinking about how to repair it, and I was planning to sharpen it and start carrying it while hunting in a primitive leather sheath a friend made for me for another bowie I had. Then I noticed some markings on the ricasso - "Hassam" above "Boston".
A quick google search showed that this knife maker only made knives in Boston from 1853-1856! I also found pictures identical to my bowie from the civil war! My question is - is that really what I have and what value would you put on it?
There is a silver pommel cap on the end, kinda hard to see in my pics. Sorry for the poor quality pics, not a camera guy either...