Fall 2025 Premier Firearms & Militaria Auction
Auction Concluded!
FINE LARGE AMERICAN POSSIBLY CALIFORNIA ANTEBELLUM BOWIE, EX-FLAYDERMAN
02-24507
17.5″ overall, 11.5″ clip point blade, 2″ wide, .31″ thick at ricasso.
This massive bowie is polished and cutlered Like a large scalpel with razor edges including the sharpened clip, full tang, 2.5″ oval iron cross guard, diagonal fluted rosewood grip panels pin attached. This exact knife and sheath are pictured and described on page 341 of norm Flayderman’s monumental text “The Bowie Knife”. The sheath is tooled black leather with scalloped 2″ tip & throat with braised wire belt loop. There is a nearly identical knife and sheath known with elk slab grips that point to early California manufacture. One California maker who was known to have migrated from Pittsburg in 1840s to San Francisco; Hugh McConnell made early California knives, but none of his early knives are marked. Several characteristics of the two known examples of this big bowie make for the California connections. I wonder where Norm found this one, it was in his collection for a very long time based on on wear & soiling to his old label. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copy of pages from “The Bowie Knife” and photos of other survivor with Elk slap grips.
Norm Flayderman family collection.
STATUS: NON-GUN.
