A MONSTER HEAD BOWIE
 

I MISSED GETTING A BID IN ON THIS ONE BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE A INTERESTING POST. I THINK IT MAY BE PHILIPPINE AND HAS AN 11 INCH BLADE FLAT ON ONE SIDE AND BEVELED ON THE OTHER SIDE. WOOD SCABBARD, LEATHER BELT STRAP. A COOL BUG EYED MONSTER POMMEL. WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS ONE.? ENJOY

Nice knife.
I'm sorry, but i just couldn't resist posting this other Monster Head Bowie... ;)

Some Talibon/Garab elements in that piece .



Not yours David . :D

Hallo Barry,

I was one of the bidders but decided to let it go after I had discussed this piece with an other member of this forum. I think that it is a Visayan WWII area dagger. At one of the seller pictures you can see that the handle is from blonde wood and stained black. Most proably is it a very soft wood. I think that it is maybe a early "tourist" piece worked for US soldiers. Still a nice piece and the selling price was a very good one.

Regards,
Detlef

Detlef:

I agree completely. Probably WWII vintage and could be from Panay or Negros. I too considered a bid but decided against it for several reasons.

Ian.

I also agree. The pommel form conforms to some Visayan pieces as well as the beveled edges.

BTW - I don't see beveled edges in David's picture of a Bowie......... :D

i do not like serrated teeth on a bowie myself. the knife is cool tho.

Can someone explain to me why we refer to a knife like this as a Bowie Knife. According to dictionary definition a Bowie Knife is :a stout single-edged hunting knife with part of the back edge curved concavely to a point and sharpened.
So, without a sharpened clip point is it still considered a Bowie Knife? :shrug:

It is that it looks like one. What is a Bowie knife??? never mind the truth print the {glorious} legend. I believe a famous American said that, or something like it.. The link says it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgDLPTAGw-k

the clip doesn't have to be curved. what is and what isn't is very subjective.

searles fowler bowie, for example, one was displayed at the alamo (and may still be) (below red background)

they even made them in nepal (the one i'm holding with the aluminum diamond shaped grip inlays)

and one of my favourites, a converted file (the ones with the file patterns on the sides.)

in spite of all the hype, james bowie in his final days at the alamo is actually supposed to have carried only a small 6 in. bladed sheffield bowie with a simple brass guard and wood grip.

Well, it does seem that for the most part one of the qualifications of a Bowie knife is that the top edge, whether clip point or not, is generally partially sharpened.
That doesn't seem to be a a feature of the monster hilted knife currently under discussion.

even that is too limiting ;), ie. see the searles-fowler bowie.

AMERICAN KNIFE AND TOOL INSTITUTE

some say the 'original bowie knife' was more like this traditional chef's knife (minus the japanese character i suspect)

(the absurdities of some of our collecting definitions makes it even more fun :D)

I USE THE TERM BOWIE BASED ON THE GENERAL BLADE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THIS EXAMPLE. IT APPEARS TO BE A FOREIGN BLADE SHAPE ADOPTED IN THE PHILIPPINES AND ELSEWHERE FOR A HUNTING /FIGHTING KNIFE. THOUGH THIS FORM OF KNIFE (SIZE AND BLADE SHAPE) LIKELY WAS AROUND LONG BEFORE MR BOWIE AND HIS SUBSEQUENT LEGEND IT BECAME THE NAME FOR THEM.
IT IS LIKELY THE FIRST STEEL THAT CAME TO THE PHILIPPINES WAS FROM OTHER PLACES, CHINA, MALAYSIA, ECT. SO WHO IS TO SAY WHAT FORMS ARE PURELY PHILIPPINE WITH NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. A AMERICAN BOWIE KNIFE MAY HAVE A SIMULAR SHAPE TO THIS EXAMPLE BUT WOULD NOT HAVE THE FLAT SIDE TO THE BLADE HENCE PHILIPPINE BOWIE. BUT IN THE PHILIPPINES IT MIGHT BE CALLED MOST ANYTHING PERHAPS I WILL MAKE UP A NAME "GRABCRABY" :D