Knife | Blue Stem Antiques

Arnachellum Salem Bowie Knife

Deann Melton — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 22:14:10 +0000

This magnificent bowie knife,Arnachellum Salem Bowie Knife, was made for British trade in India. I have seen others turn up in the US particularly in New Orleans and other places in the south. This one came from the east coast, Boston I think. The scabbard is wood covered with diced leather and has a fire blued retention latch. It has a beautiful stag grip and is just about mint. In the 70’s these knives were thought to come from Salem, Mass., but that did not prove to be the case. I have owned this knife for about 25 years. Fit and finish remind me of a London bowie and it seems likely that the knife was made for the British in India 1850’s hunting big game or self defense.

The last one I saw was smaller and heavily used and had a New Orlean’s dealers mark on it.

There are two of these knives in the Royal British Collection at Sandringham House which are somewhat more decorated with silver and engraving, but still this is a really cracking great knife!

Please note that there is an area of rust on the left side of the blade near the ricasso. Even so this is a high finish blade.

German Hunting Dagger

Deann Melton — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:49:22 +0000

18th or 19th century German hunting dagger. Very good condition. Scabbard is excellent, blade very good with some rough sharpening but still with excellent etching showing over all. Fine stag grip with good file work and engraving on pommel and counter guard. See yard stick for dimensions.

Chinese Fighting Knife Collection – SOLD

Deann Melton — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:43:21 +0000

I am offering two knives as a collection. They are, I believe, 19th Century. The one with the chipped blade is a bring back by a U.S. Marine from the Boxer Rebellion. I do not know the name of the Marine. The one with the scabbard is, I think, about the same period and as I remember was found around San Francisco. These were carried for self defense by Chinese in California and all through the west in the gold fields. Please note the scale of the knife by the yard stick.

SOLD

FRONTIER DAG KNIFE

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 19:50:51 +0000

Frontier Dag Knife

This early dag knife was made in Sheffield before the Civil War. It was mounted on a bone handle later. It is marked with Marples Hibernia forge with a clover trade mark. This is very old, real, and sharpened in the 19th century manner. Mountain man, civil war or Indian. Blade Is more than 8 inches long.

Tibetan Dagger

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 19:09:42 +0000

A nice small Tibetan Dagger in white metal mounts with a 5 1/2 inch blade 9 1/2 inches overall. I don’t know whether this is silver mounted or Paktong, but I will assume that it is not silver and is priced so. Nice work overall with evidence of age and use, but has not been sharpened.

SPANISH HUNTING KNIFE

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 19:03:12 +0000

This highly decorated hunting knife is marked Toledo. It has a horn grip and is fully decorated with gold inlay work. It also has a bit of enamel. It has some rust on the scabbard but almost none on the blade. Its blade is 6.5 inches and it is plated with nickel. It is a handsome knife for display or a flashy using knife.

French Knife – Sabatier

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 19:00:40 +0000

French knife: exhibition grade hunting knife, Bowie Sabatier, St. Nazaire, France made this wonderfully crafted hunting “Bowie”. I do not know its’ intended function, but it may have been created for one of the world exhibitions in the mid 19th century. In any case it has the finest file work back blade, great African horn grip, and a beautiful filed guard. It is 24″ overall with a 14 7/8″ blade. The ricasso is marked Sabatier, St. Nazaire. The blade has been cleaned lightly and there is some pitting one area. This blade would respond to an agressive cleaning, but I don’t do that. There is one crack in the horn and one pin hole. The hole may be a mounting hole. It is tight, harp, and fine.

MEDITERRANIAN DAGGER

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 18:24:44 +0000

Mediterranian dagger: An unknown dagger and scabbard which likely comes from the Mediterranian Basin. 7 inch blade and 11 1/2 inches overall. It is missing a plug in the pommel which held I think a pricket for opening the touch hole on a firearm. It has a few small moth holes in the horn grip, but is well made and solid.

EDWARD BARNES BOWIE-HUNTER’S COMPANION

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 18:16:05 +0000

This large Bowie is Civil War period. Barnes was in business from 1856 til 1865. The knife has a nice stag grip and an open cartouche. It is cracked on the left side of the grip at the pin but is stable. The blade is 9 1/4 inches long and the knife is 14 3/8 inches overall.

The blade is etched with “THE REAL US KNIFE” and “HUNTERS COMPANION”. The blade has seen quite a bit of sharpening but no abuse.

The scabbard is fine and of the period but is not the one that came with the knife.

CONFEDERATE COMPOSITE SWORD

Deann Melton — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 18:12:43 +0000

A composite sword that I believe is made from a Mole British naval cutlass and blacksmith made brass guard to create a horseman’s or infantry sword. There are no marks on the blade (broad arrows) and the grip and pommel are cast iron as in an 1845 British naval cutlass. The blade is 29 inches in length and has a spear point blade with a slight curve which is correct for the 1845 pattern sword. The lead cutter practice sword had a straight blade.

The dates and the unusual modification of the sword make me think that this is likely a Confederate purchase of British parts in Sheffield which were turned into swords at home. I am certain that there are other swords like this in Confederate collections around the country.