Searles Style Blackwood Bowie (Mastersmith Test Knife - Winner of the Antique Bowie Assn. Award)

Product Description for Searles Style Blackwood Bowie (Mastersmith Test Knife - Winner of the Antique Bowie Assn. Award)

Maker: Kevin Harvey, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 2395
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 9.38 in.
Total length: 14.38 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.78 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.36 in.
Item weight: 16.25 oz.
Shipment weight: 24 oz.
Blade: Hot gun-blued "Heart Beat" pattern Damascus forged by Kevin
Bolster: Damascus guard and butt cap with nickel silver and blued mild steel spacers
Handle: Checkered African blackwood with copper pins and nickel silver escutcheon plates
Sheath: Buffalo leather over wooden inner with nickel silver throat and tip
Description: Coming back from the Blade show with mastersmith test knives is one of my great highlights of the year. In 2003, nine new mastersmiths joined the ranks. Five knives were made by each applicant that are the height of their work. These knives were judged by ABS Mastersmiths on fit and finish, as well as general artistry. The standards are exacting. This Bowie was one of the five knives that Kevin selected as the best of his work for judging by the masters. Kevin and Heather Harvey became the first husband and wife team of ABS Mastersmiths.
With this Bowie, Kevin Harvey not only passed and became an ABS Mastersmith, but also was awarded the Antique Bowie Association Award for the Best, 2003 Blade Show. This award is presented each year to the Master Smith who produced a Bowie that, in the words of one of the past judges, is "as close as possible to a replica of an original Bowie knife. When you hold an antique Bowie like that, as you move the point for a second, you can close your eyes and know for that brief instant you were holding onto another time. When we put our hands on it, we can smell the cannon smoke."
The Searles Bowie is one of the classic early Bowies. Daniel Searles, a cutler from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, made the original Searles/Fowler Bowie, which is now on display in the Alamo. It is one of the finest examples of an early Bowie in existence. Daniel Searles appears to have been Rezin Bowies favored cutler. Although there are four presentation knives attributed to his shop, only two can be positively identified as a Searles knife. The Searles/Fowler knife (after which this one is modeled) was a gift to Captain Henry Walker Fowler a member of the United States Dragoons. Fowler owned the knife until his death in 1848. The Searles/Fowler knife is a straight back knife finished with silver and checked ebony handles. It has a 9-1/4" blade with a shape much like the Schively/Perkins. A small, almost non-existent cross-guard, if seen from a distance, could easily cause it to be mistaken for a butcher knife. A gold-plated insert on the back of the blade bears the inscription "Searles, Baton Rouge, La.." The silver scabbard is inscribed "R. P. Bowie to H.W. Fowler, U.S.D.".
As you would expect, the fit, finish, and styling of this piece are uniquely well executed. The blade, with its gun blued finish, is very dramatic and has a timeless feel, in part caused by the burgundy and chocolate tones in the Damascus. Kevin was true in style and implementation on the handle, staying with ebony and checkering throughout. The guard was created from Kevin's Damascus steel. The wooden sheath is perfectly fit to the knife and has a buffalo leather overlay with nickel silver accents.
Accompanied by certificate from the maker.


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