June 9-10, 2017 Premier Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/10/2017
Circa 1836-38. 13-5/8” overall. 8-1/2” clip point blade marked (crown) ALPHA, GRAVELEY & WREAKS, NEW-YORK, face of blade etched “Arkansas Toothpick” amidst scrollwork, red number “55” painted on reverse ricasso. Two-piece rosewood handle in coffin shape, with nickel silver escutcheons on both sides, nickel silver wraps on bolster and pommel, and silver plating on tang and ricasso. Polychrome leather sheath associated with the knife by legendary collector Robert Abels, prior to 1960. Blade is in superb condition, barely sharpened, handle with only a few small cracks. ex. Robert Abels, Bob Berryman, Robert Albrecht, Mike Worley collections.
Publications:
“Bowie Knives” (‘red book’) by Robert Abels, cover photo and knife #56 (CHECK THIS, NOT #55?)
“Bowie Knives” by Keener & Abels (1962), knife #10
“Classic Bowie Knives” by Robert Abels (1967), knife #21
“Accouterments II” by James R. Johnston (n.d.), p.129
“The Antique Bowie Knife Book” by Adams, Voyles, Moss (1990), pp.54-55.
Butterfield & Butterfield “The Antique Bowie Knife Collections of Robert Berryman and Chas. Schreiner III”, sale #4838A (1992), pp.28-29
This style of knife, which was made in Sheffield, appears to have been offered for sale in a July, 1836 advertisement for the firm in the New York Morning Courier, which lists for sale “ARKANSAS, TEXAS and HUNTERS knives”. As the blade etch indicates, this was marketed as the “Arkansas” style of knife.
This particular knife’s association with Tah Chee comes from Abels illustrating his books with this knife accompanied by an 1838 lithograph of the Cherokee chief; Tah Chee wears a similar guardless coffin bowie in his sash. The original portrait was painted in early 1837, and Tah Chee is known to have resided in southern Arkansas and northeast Texas.