MikeNY
12-07-2010, 11:51 AM
I know many of you are fans of the Bowie knife and it's history. Here is an article on the big Bowie Knife and Fencing http://www.defensereview.com/shiva-ki-custom-fightin-bowie-knife-big-fast-and-mean/ that I have posted before. It notes that New Orleans was the capital of Bowie knife fencing and they used Saber fencing in it's use.
I collect Bowie knives and tend to like the larger ones. As a kid I was lucky enough to be taught that the Coltellcaccio (large knife, ie Italian Bowie Knife) are a form of the Machaira sword http://www.google.com/search?q=Machaira+sword&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=1I7ADFA_en and that in the 1800s men used Military Saber Fencing with these large Bowie knives. My favorite Bowie knives have 14 inch plus blades, and they handle very well.
Having studied Saber fencing; in College tried an experient with a fellow fencer. We used fencing masks and a sport fencing saber against a large, wooden Chinese Kung fu knife, cut down to the size and shape of a large Bowie knife. The surprising thing is was the Bowie held it's own against the longer Saber.
A friend was recently talking about getting a saber or scimitar as a last resort weapon, in case there is no ammo. I told him that Bowie knives were quite popular in the West. They had replaced the Tomahawks, Sabers, Swords, Swordcanes and various knives, light to carry, can cut down a tree or chop firewood and be used for survival. The Southern gentlemen carried finer models with shoter 10 to 12 inch blades in the cities, many times with ivory or fancy handles, on the frontier they carried large bowie knives for War. A sword can not be used to cut down trees or chop firewood, a knife is tempered differntly, it does not have to be flexible like a sword, it's blade is not long enough to require that and thus much cheaper to make or buy. Soldiers in the Civil War many times carried a large Bowie knife, and the Cavalry mostly discarded thier sabers for revolvers, carbines and Bowie knives; plus the sabers made a lot of noise. The Cavalry discovered pistols and carbines were superior to a saber attack.
In the Middle Ages the Knights envied the large Peasant fighting knife the Coltellaccio (it evolved into the cutlass) and many knights carried the Coltellaccio (they are both a thrusting and cutting weapon) and the knights developed the Cinquedea as a upper class replacement for the Peasant fighting knife http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&&sa=X&ei=nH_-TKO9GoH48Ab2tf3_Bw&ved=0CBYQvwUoAQ&q=cinquedea&spell=1
Hope this information is useful, I know many of you guys are fans of the Old West and the Bowie knife.
I collect Bowie knives and tend to like the larger ones. As a kid I was lucky enough to be taught that the Coltellcaccio (large knife, ie Italian Bowie Knife) are a form of the Machaira sword http://www.google.com/search?q=Machaira+sword&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=1I7ADFA_en and that in the 1800s men used Military Saber Fencing with these large Bowie knives. My favorite Bowie knives have 14 inch plus blades, and they handle very well.
Having studied Saber fencing; in College tried an experient with a fellow fencer. We used fencing masks and a sport fencing saber against a large, wooden Chinese Kung fu knife, cut down to the size and shape of a large Bowie knife. The surprising thing is was the Bowie held it's own against the longer Saber.
A friend was recently talking about getting a saber or scimitar as a last resort weapon, in case there is no ammo. I told him that Bowie knives were quite popular in the West. They had replaced the Tomahawks, Sabers, Swords, Swordcanes and various knives, light to carry, can cut down a tree or chop firewood and be used for survival. The Southern gentlemen carried finer models with shoter 10 to 12 inch blades in the cities, many times with ivory or fancy handles, on the frontier they carried large bowie knives for War. A sword can not be used to cut down trees or chop firewood, a knife is tempered differntly, it does not have to be flexible like a sword, it's blade is not long enough to require that and thus much cheaper to make or buy. Soldiers in the Civil War many times carried a large Bowie knife, and the Cavalry mostly discarded thier sabers for revolvers, carbines and Bowie knives; plus the sabers made a lot of noise. The Cavalry discovered pistols and carbines were superior to a saber attack.
In the Middle Ages the Knights envied the large Peasant fighting knife the Coltellaccio (it evolved into the cutlass) and many knights carried the Coltellaccio (they are both a thrusting and cutting weapon) and the knights developed the Cinquedea as a upper class replacement for the Peasant fighting knife http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&&sa=X&ei=nH_-TKO9GoH48Ab2tf3_Bw&ved=0CBYQvwUoAQ&q=cinquedea&spell=1
Hope this information is useful, I know many of you guys are fans of the Old West and the Bowie knife.