Perkins/Shively Bowie

[Shotgun Steve]

Rezin P. Bowie, Planters Advocate: August 24, 1838: The first Bowie knife was made by myself in the parish of Avoyelles, in this state (Louisiana), as a hunting knife, for which purpose, exclusively, it was used for many years......The length of the blade was nine and one-quarters inches, its width one and one-half inches, single edged and not curved.

The Perkins/Shively Bowie knife as displayed in the Old Capital Museum in Jackson, Mississippi is 15 ¼ inches long with a 10 ¼ inch blade. Perkins Bowie is another view of the Bowie knife once owned by the older brother of James Bowie, Rezin Pleasants Bowie. This authentic Henry Schively made Bowie is the earliest known signed & dated Bowie knife. The engraved inscription on the coin silver sheath reads:

PRESENTED TO

JESSE PERKINS

BY

R. P. BOWIE 1831

The top view shows the techniques, forged bolster, ebony handle, ferrule & shell pommel, used by this Philadelphia Surgical Instrument Maker of the 1830's. The bottom view shows the bolster and blade transformation. The left side shows the Bolster, silver octagon ferrule, checkered ebony handle & silver washer with rivet. The shell pommel and attachment pin are shown in the pommel detail. Schively Philadelphia shows part of the maker's stamp in the blade.

You can see the frog button and the extra metal thickness in the Sheath Throat photo. In the Frog Button view one can see the exquisite period engraving and the frog button. The Sheath Tip is also depicted.

On the 21st of June 1993 James Hrisoulas in the presence of Mary Lohrenz, Bob Heath, Ron Hill, and me discovered script letters scratched on the sheath in the same hand as on the pommel. The scratched script words were engraved over by the engraver. The scratched words were the same as the engraved words. On the stud or frog button below center was scratched the script letters R P B by the same hand as on the pommel.

It is clear that the engraving was done after the scratched script. The scratched word Presented is to the left of the engraved word JESSE, the script letters sse are between the engraved JESSE and PERKINS, directly to the left of the engraved letter R in R. P. Bowie is a scratched script by and R, part of a scratched script w can be seen between the engraved O and W in BOWIE, and the scratched script date 1831 is discernible.

The engraver did not engrave the scratched R P B on the frog button or the end of the pommel. The RPB Scratching is shown on the Pommel end view. To verify that R P Bowie did the scratching we can compare it to his handwritten Signature and Initials.

You will notice that the stems, proportions and curl or loop endings are the same. The scratchings are not as nice. Also notice that the letters on each example decrease in size from the R to the B. The signature of The signature of James Bowie shows the difference in the B's. Jesse Perkins Signature is depicted. It is a high probability that Rezin Bowie scratched the letters in the sheath.

In 1844 & 1845 Jesse Perkins paid taxes on his Bowie knife and dueling pistols. This Bowie knife was donated to the Mississippi Museum on May 28, 1918 by Thomas Gale, son of Abner G. Gale and Mary Perkins and grandson of Jesse Perkins. In the 1870 census Jesse's wife, Mary B. Perkins, is living in the household of Abner Gale with Thomas Gale who was 13 years old. His grandmother may have given him the knife.

R P Bowie went to New York and Philadelphia in 1833 to have his failing eyesight renewed. In Philadelphia, he related the San Saba Indian fight to Samuel C. Atkinson publisher of the Atkinson's Casket. Rezin could have had the knife made by mail order. Most of the Eastern hardware houses and some cutlers had representatives in New Orleans and Natchez.

But chances are that this knife was made on order of James Bowie. On 13 February 1826, James Bowie boarded a sailing ship at New Orleans bound for New York. He would pass through Philadelphia on his way to Washington City. On this trip he may have stopped at Henry Shively's shop at 75 Chestnut Street and admired the knives and surgical instruments. It is more likely that he had the knife made by Schively on his second trip to Philadelphia. In late February of 1828, five months after his terrible encounter at the Sandbar Fight, he sailed for New York. This time his fame has preceded him. The knife's fame is not yet established. He could have carried the large knife used in the Sandbar Fight to Schively as a pattern to have a knife or knives made for his brother.

[Shotgun Franklin]

While it is a knife of a Bowie, I'm not sure it's what we now consider a 'Bowie' Knife. I expect a 'Bowie' knife to have a crossguard and drop point. This knife looks more to be a hunting/work knife rather than a fighting knife.

[Marshal Deadwood]

Shotgun Franklin,,,could you post us some images of 'real' Bowie's,,as opposed to one made per Resin Bowie's specifications "

MD

[Shotgun Franklin]

Nope, no point.

[Marshal Deadwood]

I figured as much.

[Shotgun Franklin]

No matter what I post you'll argue that any knife owned or made by a Bowie is a 'Bowie' knife. And I'll argue that what I understand to be a Bowie Knife is the large fighting type drop point with crossguard.  So, there's no point.

[rebsr52339]

I think we as a group of people who like knives, for the most part, have a varied interest in what we call today, a Bowie Knife. My history goes back to the early 50s and my relationship with Robert Abels. Today we are still in a continuing quest for more and more information on the makers and to some extent, the history of this important historical weapon. Norm's latest book, The Bowie Knife" "Unsheathing an American Legend" is, in my opinion, the current reference on this subject. I think we should not loose perspective on the "whole" issue of what "is" a Bowie and what did it look like. The 1952 movie "The Iron Mistress" staring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo really got me hooked on this knife. The movie prop masters had I believe 3 or 4 knives made for the movie. One was steel and the others were Aluminum. I handled two of them belonging to Bill Williamson while at his house in Santa Barbara Calif. in the 70s. I believe "that" movie set the stage for many years what people regarded as to the outward appearance of what a bowie knife looked like, with its long clip point blade. The Sandbar fight, btw NOT a duel, in 1827, in which Jim killed Norris Wright, is "somewhat documented" in Norms book. You would have to read it, chapter 9 and 10, in its entirety to see what I mean by "somewhat". The knife used by Jim in that rough fight was by most accounts the knife given to him by his brother, Resin. By Resin's own words the knife was a "hunting" knife designed by him with a "straight" blade 9 ¼ inches long, 1 ½ inches wide with a small guard added. Examples of this style knife are to be found in some of the knives Rezin gave to friends as gifts between 1828 and 1831. The Fowler Bowie in the Alamo, and the Stafford knife both made by Searles of Baton Rouge La. are typ. of this style of knife which had "probably" some French influences because of the area the makers were located in. Just my take on this. The Perkins/Shively knife as you can see is very close to the designs of the other knives "except" for the small cross guard which is not on this knife. Why you might ask. Good question. So over the years the discovery of so many examples of large knives, designed for offensive or defensive use shows what a wide diversity of these knives existed and rightly so. The Sheffield makers wanted to sell knives and did not limit themselves to any particular design. Norm related in his book the earliest use of the word Bowie Knife was in or about 1831. Well before the fall of the Alamo. There is a lot more to talk about on this subject but enough for now. I do NOT claim to be an "expert" on Bowies. I have just owned a lot of them.

[Ned Buckshot]

Thanks for your clear and concise observations Dick. I'm sure lot's of us appreciate it.

Some people get so hung up with their "perceptions" of what is truth and what is not they can't see the forest for the trees!

Ned

[rebsr52339]

Ned, I hope it did not sound like I was "trying" to criticize anybody for their own personal definitions of what a Bowie is or isn't. Each of us is open to our own interpretation of this subject, usually thru our association with "the" subject. I remember when the ABKA, (Antique Bowie Knife Association), was in its infancy some of us members were discussing this same area of interest. Much of the consensus was that a "fighting" Bowie should have a blade of at least 7 ½ inches and be stout enough to resist some abnormal abuse, that is, a knife fight?  As one who has literally poured over old documents and old newspaper stories, I found not one to substantiate a "knife Fight" such as shown in the movie, The Iron Mistress, where opponents clashed with blades glistening in the sun or by candle light. They were often quick, violent and most often deadly. I do not recall any of them relating the fact that a victim was taken to the health care dept. with a broken blade sticking out of his chest. Many, many, many of the old photos show men with knives we would call hunting or camp knives, small in size. These are to me just photo opts to send home to the family. Abet though many of them show what you could consider them to be, man killers

[Shotgun Steve]

 Bowie Knife Dick...I thank you Sir, for the information it is greatly appreciated. And I agree
with you whole heartedly.

Shotgun Steve

[Ned Buckshot]

No not at all Dick, actually I was just agreeing with you.

You are the most knowledgeable person I  know on the subject and value everything you have to say!

Greg

[rebsr52339]

Ned, thank you. I will try and not make too many slip-ups.    If I do I will try and correct them ASAP. Memory is fading and things tend to blend together. I will try and be careful. It has been a wonderful journey looking at and owning so many of these fine knives.

[Marshal Deadwood]

The 'bowie knife' can frustrate a laymen to-death. I enjoyed reading the knowledge posted. Thank you.

MD

[rebsr52339]

Thank you MD. Its ALL about sharing information. My yen to learn is just as strong today as it was 30, 40 years ago.

[GunClick Rick]

Damn good readin