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Bowie Knife

Dictionary of American History | 2003 | Copyright

BOWIE KNIFE

BOWIE KNIFE. Devised by either Rezin P. Bowie or his brother James, who died in the siege of the Alamo, the Bowie knife achieved fame in the Sandbar duel in 1827, when Jim Bowie killed a man. It has since become the subject of a cycle of heroic folktales. Although supplanted by the Colt six-shooter, it was standard equipment for frontiersmen and backwoodsmen for four decades. Mountain men used a modified form of the Bowie knife, Texas Rangers rode with it, and Mississippi River pirates disemboweled their victims with it. With a strong, well-guarded blade that could be thrown as well as wielded, it was both economical and practical for skinning, cutting meat, eating, fighting duels, hammering, and performing other functions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Davis, William C. Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.

J. FrankDobie/c. w.

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bowie knife

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

bowie knife a long knife with a blade double-edged at the point. It is named after the American frontiersman Jim Bowie (1789–1836), who shared command of the garrison that resisted the Mexican attack on the Alamo, where he died.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bowie knife." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bowie knife." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bowieknife.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bowie knife." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bowieknife.html

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Bowie knife

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | Copyright

Bowie knife a hunting knife, used extensively on the American frontier in the early 19th century, with a long steel blade and a handle of horn.

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"Bowie knife." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Bowie knife." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Bowieknife.html

"Bowie knife." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Bowieknife.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Paladin Press.(ADVANCED BOWIE TECHNIQUES. The Finer Points of Fighting with a... Magazine article from: California Bookwatch; 4/1/2006
	Bowie knife cut above the rest. Newspaper article from: The Evening Standard (London, England); 6/25/2001
	Bowie knife.(Product report: what's new on the market)(BEAR CUTLERY... Magazine article from: Do-It-Yourself Retailing; 4/1/2004