June 9-10, 2017 Premier Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/10/2017
Circa 1830's. Spear point blade with broad, sharpened false edge, stamped ROSE, NEW YORK. Rosewood handle scales with nickel silver wrapped pommel, bolsters, and tang, six domed studs and nickel silver escutcheons on both sides. Decoratively inscribed original leather sheath with nickel silver tip and throat, iron frog stud. Blade in excellent antique condition with scattered pits, a few small dents in pommel wrap. Sheath with scattered flaking, leather has softened and sheath is now flexible.
Ex. Robert Abels, W.R. Williamson, Bill Myers, Mike Worley collections.
Publications:
“Classic Bowie Knives” by Robert Abels (1967), knife #17
“The American Bowie: Its Origin & Development” by W.R. Williamson, in Knife Digest (1974), p.9
“Bowie Knives, Origin & Development” by Williamson et al. (1979), p.10
Butterfield & Butterfield “The William R. Williamson Bowie Knife Collection”, sale #6552 (1997), pp.78-79
“A Bowie Showcase”, Spring 2000 Texas Gun Collector, p.43
(forthcoming) “A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America” by William B. Worthen and Mark D. Zalesky (2017), pp.102-103
Public Exhibits:
Exhibited at Historic Arkansas Museum’s “A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America” exhibit, Dec 2013 - June 2014.
New York’s Peter Rose was one of America’s finest makers of surgical instruments, and turned out a number of superb Bowie knives up until his death in 1845. This is the only known guardless coffin style Bowie made by Rose.