1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Fighting Knife w/ Patriotic Blade Etching & Scabbard

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1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Fighting Knife w/ Patriotic Blade Etching & Scabbard:
$1650.00

This is a very-cool all-original fighting knife is a great example of the British-made knives being imported into America just-before, and during, the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. The Brits were made acutely aware of the strong patriotism shared among Americans during the Revolutionary War, and successfully used that patriotism to help sell many of the products they were exporting there. British-made Bowie and fighting knives were being used all over the country, both in the battles between the Union and Confederacy, and with settlers and trappers in the still-wild West and anywhere there were hostile Indians or dangerous animals.
This particular fighting knife is a great representative example of the knives that were being carried during that time period, as well as post-Civil War in the expansion westward and Indian Wars. This particular example is more interesting than many others, due to the patriotic etching on the left side of the blade that is faint but still totally visible when held at the right angle and in the right light. The bade is etched with a very popular American motif consisting of the U.S. national bird, a Bald Eagle, at the center on a tree limb, with its wings outspread to either side as if about to take off, and under each wing is a patriotic saying. The eagle has a lot of detail, particularly in the feathering, and is typical of the stylized-art that was popular at that time. On the left side of the eagle the following is etched:"AMERICANS ASK FOR NOTHING BUT WHAT IS RIGHT, AND SUBMIT TO NOTHING THAT IS WRONG" To the right side of the eagle the following is etched:"THE UNITED STATES THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE, PROTECTED BY HER NOBLE AND BRAVE VOLUNTEERS" There is also something etched on that same side of the blade, just above the ricasso, written perpendicular to the blade that is very hard to make out. It appears to be some writing with lines/symbols and possibly the initials of the knifemaker or the artist of the etching. The ricassos themselves are not marked on either side. There are several pics of these markings provided in the listing, including one I traced in black to make it stand out. The handle of this serious knife is also very interesting and very cool looking. It is cast out of sterling silver (I think it's sterling anyway) and has lots going on. The top of the handle (with the tip of blade facing down) is another stylized eagle behind a striped shield, with an olive branch protruding from the lower left side and arrows from the lower right. Below the eagle and shield is some scroll work that is framing a leaf with three lobes, and below that there are 24 small stars framed by scrolls on either side. These 24 stars represent the 20 states solidly Union and the 4 border states that had armies and militias fighting on both sides. This is a very neat feature, and tells us that this knife was made during the Civil War, after all of the states had made their loyalties known, and before the Civil War ended and all of the states were once again 1 nation and under one federal government. Below the star section there is just some small floral and scroll designs before you come to the double guard between the blade and handle. The double guard is in good condition like the handle itself, with only one little nick of metal chipped out of lower right side of the finger guard. The blade is 7" inches long, the overall length is 11 & 7/8ths" inches long, and the handle consists of two cast silver scales soldered together over the tang of the blade. The handle iis very attractive as there is another eagle and shield along with a mixture of scrolls and beading molded into both silver grip scales. As you can see from the pictures, this Bowie knife shows an attractive and evenly aged patina to all of the parts, and overall the knife and scabbard is in great shape. The blade is free from any cracks, voids in the steel, repairs or major damage. The blade is sharp and straight, and shows only a couple tiny little chips in the cutting edge that you would expect to see on a knife like this that probably was used for every use a knife can possibly be used for, from opening a can to killing the enemy on the battlefield. The oval-shaped brass crossguard is still in-place and it just has a touch of movement in it. This knife comes complete with the original leather scabbard, which is nicely made and perfectly fit to the knife. The main body of the scabbard is red-brown colored leather, with a thin metal throat and gold leaf decorations embossed on the front face. The scabbard likely had a protective metal tip but it has been lost to time. All in all, this is a very cool Civil War period manufactured fighting knife from a very volatile period in our country's history. It's a great piece to add to any antique American weapons collection, as this style of knife was quite prolific in the pre and post Civil War years, as well as during the conflict. The knife's design was uniquely suited tohand-to-hand fighting in combat,bushcraft,everyday chores that a man had to complete to survive, andself-defense from dangerous 4-legged animals as well as animals of the two-legged variety, particularly in the yet untamed regions of the country in the 1870's onward. This is real piece of American history, and in addition to being a great long-term investment, it would make a superb display/conversation piece on bookshelf or mantle in your home.