1850s-60s ANTIQUE 13" / 1.5 LB. COFFIN HILT CLIP BLADE FOLDING BOWIE TYPE KNIFE

Description

1850s-60s ANTIQUE 13" / 1.5 LB. COFFIN HILT CLIP BLADE FOLDING BOWIE TYPE KNIFE
1850s-60s ANTIQUE 13" / 1.5 LB. COFFIN HILT CLIP BLADE FOLDING BOWIE TYPE KNIFE
UNIQUE ANTIQUE MASSIVE 13-INCH-LONG ~ 1 1/2 POUND*
COFFIN HILT ~ CLIP BLADE HAND MADE FOLK ART
FOLDING BOWIE TYPE KNIFE ~ CIRCA 1850s-1860s
This is a one-of-a-kind HUGE Antique Folding Knife. This unique knife is 13 1/4” open, 7 1/4 “closed, and weighs a whopping *1 pound 7.4 ounces. The pattern is reminiscent of the large Coffin Hilted fixed blade and folding knife patterns of Sheffield Folding Bowies from the 1830’s though the 1850’s; yet has a Folk Art Hand Made Unique appearance. Knife blade patterns in the 1830’s were predominately a spear point profile, but the clip point pattern soon began to gain in popularity during this same time frame. It is sometimes difficult to date an unmarked piece; however, the coffin pattern, blade type and naturally occurring aging suggests this piece dates to the 1850s – 1860s period.
The hilt is quite unusual in many ways; 7 1/4“ long, 15/16“ thick, and tapers from the 1 7/16“ pommel to 1 13/16“ at the bolster. The dark brown wood scales are 1/4“ thick and appear to be walnut. The most intriguing aspect of the hilt is the hardware that is all copper. The top bolsters are cast or cut from a solid piece of copper metal, and are 1 1/2” tall x 7/8“ wide x 1/4“ thick. The liners are also copper, as are the 5 scale pins and the end bail loop. This lanyard ring has a small copper tube shaped grommet inside the hilt that allows the bail to move freely up and down, as well as slightly side to side. The backspring and blade are made from 1/4” stock, with the back-spring curving upward on the pommel and curving inward towards the inside of the hilt, forming a solid end to the knife. The large Master pin is 5/16” in diameter and as a pivot pin subject to wear, is made from Iron and goes through the copper bolsters. The backspring also has 2 Iron pins for added strength that go through the liners and scales; thus, there are only 3 Iron pins holding this knife together. As is common, the scales have pin cracks caused by the pressure of the back-spring Iron pins, along with the naturally occurring shrinkage of the wood scales.
The large, heavy clip style blade is 5 15/16“long x 1 5/8“ wide at the top crest. The blade is made of 1/4” stock but tapers slightly from the top crest back to the ricasso. The false edge is 2 1/4” back from the tip and has a slight grind to the false edge on both sides. From the shape, grind and aged patina, the blade appears to be of the original length, and has no nail nick. The crest of the blade rises above the hilt so it can be grasped between the thumb and forefinger to pull the heavy blade out of the hilt. The end of the blade ricasso that extends beyond the bolsters when closed about a 1/4” have rounded edges to facilitate the tension with the back spring, and also create a half stop for the blade; i.e., ground so that the blade can be fixed in the half open position for a particular task for the knife. The blade has an extraordinarily strong snap when opening, with no real play forward and backward, and a very slight wiggle side to side. When closing the blade into the hilt, the extraordinarily strong backspring has a thunderous snap; and if your finger were in the way, would probably dismember it. When snapped shut, the blade stays snugly in the hilt. However, you can pull the blade about an inch out before engaging the backspring resistance, which gives you a larger area to grasp the blade to make it easier to pull the blade the to the open position. The blade has a lot of play in the half open position, which is of no consequence, as the blade has an extraordinarily strong snap both when opening to the fully open position, and when closing the blade into the hilt.
Genuine Antique Folding Bowies of the 1830’s-50’s were primarily designed as a self-defense weapons, and almost all were imported from Sheffield, the knife capitol of the world. Although this piece has a lanyard ring for carrying, this piece appears to be too large and heavy to be carried solely as a weapon; which begs the question of what was the purpose of this knife? It is the size of a Display knife, but if so, it would be unlikely to have all copper hardware; and the knife shows genuine use over a period of time.
The knife has a handmade, Folk Art look; however, this is not a home-made knife. It is made by an accomplished craftsman who had multiple skills, including hand forging the blade, tempering the back spring for this blade, and hand assembling the knife to ensure the spring temper and blade work properly together. This knife is HUGE, weighs almost 1 1/2 pounds, and has a carry ring. It is a forgone conclusion that this knife is a one-of-a-kind and created by a cutler or blacksmith with hand forging, hand tempering, and knife making skills of an accomplished craftsman. The coffin shaped hilt is similar shape to period fixed and folding Bowies from Sheffield, from which almost all knives in America at this time came from; and undoubtedly was an influence in this knife pattern. The extremely heavy-duty nature of the construction and size are a clue, as is the bail meant to avoid loss and also quick access of the knife with a rope or leather thong. It is possible the knife was made before or during the U.S. Civil War by a Blacksmith using whatever materials were on hand at the time; and could have been intended for use in the field to dress large game, use as a camp knife and also for self-protection. However, the biggest clue seems to be the copper pins, bail, bail grommet, bolsters, and liners. The bail, bail grommet, and pins are made from copper wire. The liners were cut from sheet copper, and the bolsters were either cast or cut from a block of copper. Copper was an expensive material, and most Makers would have used Iron or brass in lieu of copper. However, on ships of the period, copper was a preferred for its anti-rust properties, being softer and more malleable than brass, and was a common material on all sailing ships of the period, including warships and Whaling ships.Since the
heyday of the whaling industry occurred between 1840–1860, it is possible this knife was made for Nautical or Maritime usage by an onboard Blacksmith who had the skills, as well as access to Iron and copper materials. This piece could have been made for a rigger, sail maker or deck hand for cutting large rigging rope and in sail making and repair on a large wooden multi-masted sailing ship. The history and provenance on this piece have long been lost. This one-of-a-kind knife is BIG, old, real, and has lost of character and eye appeal. Regardless, like most knives, this piece tells a remarkably interesting story and can still be used, or use as a decorator in an office, den, or Man cave, or as a paper weight, door stop, or boat anchor.
PAYMENT
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SHIPPING
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FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING FOR DOMESTIC BUYERS & TO THE EBAY U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER.
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TERMS & CONDITIONS
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ALL BUYERS MUST CONFIRM HIGH BIDDER STATUS AND MUST MAKE PAYMENT WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAYS OR 5 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER LISTING ENDS; otherwise, Seller reserves the right to cancel the sale and report you to eBay as a non-paying bidder. Seller reserves the right to relist an item if eBay's system goes down within 24 hours of the end of the auction. Bids will not be accepted from anyone that is not a registered eBay user. Seller reserves the right to cancel bids from any eBay buyer who Seller determines has an unsatisfactory eBay transaction history, has changed their eBay user Identity in the previous 30 days, whose eBay rating is listed as private.
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SELLER'S RETURN POLICY
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eBay customers are protected when they are an eligible buyer, complete a purchase of an eligible item on a eBay's website, and purchase the item on eBay by using the "Pay Now" option, third-party checkout or an eBay invoice in one lump payment with a PayPal approved financial business. Buyers must keep their PayPal account in good standing. Buyers must show good faith conduct with the seller. Improper good faith conduct can include, but is not limited to, any means by which a buyer can attempt to unjustly benefit from the Seller's Terms & conditions or eBay's Buyer Protection plan. Moreover, good faith conduct does not include buyer's remorse, regardless of the reason. Returns will not be accepted such as changed my mind, found a better price, just didn't like it, Ordered by mistake, Arrived too late, etc. Returns will not be accepted and buyers will be reported to eBay when buyer makes
false
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v.9.19.2020
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