Bowie knife

A Bowie knife is a large hunting knife. It is named after Colonel Jim Bowie. The knife was probably designed by his brother, Rezin P. Bowie.^[1] Rezin (pronounced "reason") gave his younger brother (Jim) the knife so he would always have a backup weapon.^[2] It became history after the "sandbar fight" on the banks of the Mississippi River in September 1827.^[2] This started as a duel but quickly became a fight between the two seconds, Judge Crane and Jim Bowie.^[3] Crane pulled out a pistol and shot at Bowie twice.^[3] One bullet hit Bowie in the leg the other killed an onlooker. Friends on both sides began shooting and slashing with knives. Bowie was wounded several times but managed to kill one assailant and wound another with what witnesses called a "big butcher knife".^[3] This made both Bowie, the knife-fighter, and his knife famous. More than a dozen knifemakers of the time claim to have made the first Bowie knife.^[4] But no one knows who made the first one or exactly what it looked like.^[4]

1. ↑ "Bowie Knife". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} John Bryant. "A Knife Like Bowie's". Texas A & M University. Archived from the original on 30 December 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2016. {{cite web}}: More than one of |archivedate= and |archive-date= specified (help); More than one of |archiveurl= and |archive-url= specified (help)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Judd Hambrick (12 July 2007). "Knife fighter Jim Bowie survives deadly brawl". Southern Memories. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} T. Edward Nickens. "The History of the Bowie Knife". Field & Stream Network. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.