RARE & FINE EARLY AMERICAN GUARDLESS “COFFIN HILT” BOWIE KNIFE

RARE & FINE EARLY AMERICAN GUARDLESS “COFFIN HILT” BOWIE KNIFE

| 02-27600/JS |

Unique and one of a kind example, circa 1835, 10.5″ overall, 6.25″ saber ground clip point blade, full tang, pinned silver wrapped edges. We can determine full tang up to 1/2″ from pommel by use of a magnet; an X-ray may help determine more about structure and potential makers as other early coffins have been studied. This is among the finest early American guardless coffin hilt bowies known. It originally surfaced in Kentucky estate in 2015 and was sold in auction when I originally cataloged it then. There is so much more known about these earliest American knives. We do not know who made this knife and it’s made differently than the James Black knives, but made by a skilled cutler using [chestnut] slab grips which is consistent with odd fruit woods or chestnut found on other early guardless American knives made in frontier areas as opposed to east coast cities. This knife is in beautiful “as found” condition with much of its original luster and tooling visible on blade and with rarely seen silver mounted tooled Moroccan leather sheath. This is the first truly fine early silver mounted guardless “coffin hilt” bowie to come to the market in many years. There is considerable research that will be published concerning these great American rarities in the next few years. NON-GUN