Brion:

The book "The Bowie Knife, Unsheathing an American Legend" by Norm Flayderman is an excellent recommendation and it can be found in Knife World at this link.

This is a review of the book:

BOOK REVIEW

reviewed by Knife World Staff

To many, the bowie is the greatest of American knives. Even today, more than 180 years after its coming-out party on a sandbar above Natchez, “bowie knife” is a term that conjures up a vivid image to most Americans. It has bolstered confidence in many a gentleman’s heart, sustained countless soldiers in their hour of need, and influenced generations of knifemakers. Today, it continues to inspire a legion of devoted collectors to pursue examples with more passion – and cold hard cash – than any other edged weapon in the western hemisphere.

Norm Flayderman has understood the bowie’s romance since he first made a name for himself in the antique arms field during the 1940s. His passion for “America’s knife” is evident throughout The Bowie Knife, Unsheathing an American Legend, a brand new book loaded with both beautiful photography and an immense amount of information for historians and collectors alike. Let there be no doubt: This is the book that bowie lovers have been waiting for lo these many years!

First of all, the photographs. Picture this: over 260 brilliant full color plates, most of which span most or all of the oversized 9x12 pages, and a great many of which include not one, but two or three or even four classic bowie knives. And such knives! The finest examples of 19th century American and English examples in existence, the vast majority from Flayderman’s personal collection and many of them never before seen in the knife literature. And the props! Every knife is accompanied by firearms, broadsides, sheet music, or other period items that help to put each and every bowie in its proper historical context.

And the illustrations do not end there. The book is also copiously illustrated with black-and white photographic reproductions of men long since dead, with fire in their eyes and a bowie knife in their belts – maybe two! Mixed in and around these are other period illustrations from newspapers and documents, all of it adding to the flavor of the book.

What really sets this book apart, however, is the text. While practically all of the preceeding books on bowie knives have been essentially picture-books with little text to educate or inform, Flayderman has undertaken the monumental challenge of addressing practically every major facet of bowie knife history in the course of this book (not to mention an awful lot of minor ones.) From the Sandbar Fight to the Alamo, the English cutlery explosion of the 1830s, the Mexican War to the Civil War and the bowie’s decline – if it has to do with the bowie knife, it’s probably in here somewhere (and can be readily found in the handy index). Much of the research at its foundation is entirely original and extremely well done, and the opinions that are necessary to such a work are Flayderman’s alone, forged in his sixty-plus years in the arms field. Particularly, credit should be given to the author for addressing the more controversial subjects of bowiedom – anyone who’s been reading Knife World for long knows how passionate its enthusiasts can be about this or that bit of minutia!

The knives are outstanding. The photography is outstanding. The research, too, is outstanding, and the under-$80.00 price tag makes this book an excellent value. Just today, a well known bowie knife authority told me, “This is going to be the standard reference on bowies for the next fifty years.” I couldn’t agree more. If you intend to buy just one book on bowie knives, believe me – this is the book to have. Hardcover, 512 pp., over 260 full color plates.

I use this book often. The detailed photos are very helpful when contemplating making one of these period pieces. I would like to offer this additional material to balance the information. Many historians are in disaggreement about the historicity of some people and events that are mentioned in his book. Mr Flayderman's opinions about these people and events are shared along with the facts and photos. The following article is offered to balance this difference. It's (The Bowie Book) a great book. Lin

Click on the link and click on "James Black Revisited" (upper righthand)

Historic Arkansas Museum

Lin:

I clicked on the link and read the story "James Black: Revisited" as you recommended. It was very interesting. I learned a great deal of history that I was not aware of. Thank you!

We have only had this new sub-Form " Reference Books and Videos" online for a few days and it has already generated a lot of interest and information.

Thanks Dan. I printed the file and, more or less, added it to my copy of the book. Mine is littered with post-it notes. Lin

Thanks Lin. Mine has bookmarks, notes, etc. Just some really nice knives and history. It could keep me making knives for twenty or more years, just to try and reproduce some of them.

Brion