RARE & UNIQUE ANTIQUE SILVER MOUNTED CALIFORNIA GOLDRUSH BOWIE KNIFE EARLY 1850s

Description

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE VISIT MY
NEW
WEST COAST TRADING POST STORE!
CLICK ON " VISIT STORE " BELOW MY USER NAME
IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF MY LISTINGS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEE SELLER'S RETURN POLICY BELOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE U.S.A. DOMESTIC SHIPPING & HANDLING
FREE SHIPPING AND HANDLING TO EBAY'S U.S.A. GLOBAL SHIPPING CENTER
FOR INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES APPROVED BY EBAY
RARE & UNIQUE ANTIQUE SILVER MOUNTED
CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH BOWIE KNIFE
EARLY 1850s
RARE & UNIQUE & EARLY 1850'S BOWIE
MADE UP IN THE SAN FRANCISCO / CALIFORNIA STYLE
SILVER MOUNTED WITH CALIFORNIA STYLE SHEATH
In 1847, San Francisco was a sleepy village of 469 inhabitants. With the discovery of Gold, San Francisco became the busiest and best-known seaport on the globe between the spring of 1848 and spring of 1849. With the news of Gold discovered, early miners would pay up to for a common butcher knife. Whether he carried a pistol or, not every forty-niner carried a knife with him wherever he went; be it a butcher, Bowie, or dirk knife. In 1849 though the early 1850's, 250,000 young men traveled to California to seek Gold, but by 1852, they had exhausted most of the readily obtainable placer deposits. Skilled craftsmen who worked the mines left, encouraged by the high prices paid for goods in San Francisco. Doctors & dentists charged a minimum fee of 1 ounce of gold. By 1852, there were more than 1,000 mercantile and trading firms licensed in San Francisco; now, a rich, crowded, chaotic city. California achieved statehood in 1850, and there was a heady attitude within the population; much like the "Manifest Destiny" mindset of Texans before they had earned statehood a mere 5 years earlier. These early Californians spent their gold on tangible symbols of their new wealth. They bought gold watches, gold nugget jewelry, fancy clothes, fancy pistols, and fancy knives. New arrivals, as soon as they had the means, outfitted themselves in the "California style". By 1848, Sheffield knife makers had been making "Bowie" knives for two decades; and almost all Bowie knives in use at this time in America were made in Sheffield. They were quick to realize the new sales opportunity in California, and etched their Bowies with dozens of gold related themes, i.e., gold seeker's protector, I can dig gold from quartz, et al.; thus creating new "California" Bowie knives, that looked "surprisingly" like their old Sheffield Bowies. Sheffield Bowie & dirk knife shipments via Panama or around the Cape Horn began to arrive in California shortly after the discovery of gold in January, 1848. In other American cities in 1850 or 1851, a man could go to a local cutler or surgical instrument maker and have a knife made to order. A man in San Francisco could not. If he wanted a special knife, he would have to order it from Sheffield or back East, and wait six months or more for it, hope it arrives by Clipper ship via Panama or around the CapeHorn. He had no guarantee that it would arrive, and no recourse if it was not as ordered, broken, lost or rusted along the way.
The little known category of Sheffield Bowies that were "gussied up" for wealthy Californians was first recognized by the esteemed early Bowie knife collector Bill Williamson in the 1970's, who at the time owned some of the best San Francisco style knives. This knowledge was shared with me by one of the top San Francisco knife collector, noted Bowie knife authority, author, and scholar. The first recognized example of these "re-manufactured Sheffield Bowies" was discovered by Bill Williamson, and was in his collection that sold in the watershed Bowie Knife sale held by Butterfield & Butterfield auction house; coincidentally in San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 21st, 1997. That large & handsome Tillotson Bowie knife is illustrated as lot # 3501, page 4 of "The William R. Williamson Bowie Knife Collection" catalog. This Bowie is hot stamped with the American eagle motif, indicating it was originally intended for the burgeoning American market place. The Maker's mark denotes their Columbia Place address in Sheffield; dating the knife to the 1852-1863 period. This knife is also pictured on page 20, item #7 in Bill Williamson's collection in the October 1979 Bowie Knives Origin & Development publication by La Commission des Avoyelles. This Tillotson Bowie is pictured along side two San Francisco style dress Bowies on page 125 of California's Best book. All three knives have studded hilts in the then fashionable San Francisco style; and all three Bowies now reside in a well known San Francisco and Bowie knife collection. There was only one place in 19th Century American that local knife makers create a style of cutlery that was entirely new, and the Tillotson Bowie has very specific characteristics that are generic only to knives produced in San Francisco beginning in the early 1850's. The hilt was replaced by a cutler utilizing the then en vogue style of hilts and domed studs. The sheath was also replaced, so that when the knife was carried, it presented an entirely new "California" look to it. The sheath is nearly identical in style, shape, materials, and quality of the sheath found on the earliest known and only example of San Francisco cutler Hugh McConnell's work. When this Tillotson Bowie sold in Butterfield's auction, the sheath was missing its throat. Both the original McConnell sheath and Tillotson San Francisco replacement sheath are illustrated on pages 134 and 125 respectively of the 1999 "California's best" Old West Art and Antiques book. The McConnell sheath and knife are also illustrated on page 470 of the Antique Bowie knife book. I have personally examined both the Tillotson and McConnell Bowies; and agree with both Bill Williamson and the former owner of the McConnell Bowie that only McConnell could have made the replacement San Francisco style Tillotson sheath. Thus, it can be a forgone conclusion that McConnell also assembled the new, California style studded hilt on this Sheffield blade. In 1852, San Francisco did not have a single established working cutler. However, by 1852, McConnell found for sale all the materials he needed for knife making & repairs; i.e., dealers in steel, local and imported material, shell, bovinecowhorn, gold & silver, as well as importers and manufactures of hand tools, abrasive wheels, leather drive belts, et al. There were 3 known material "turners" in San Francisco beginning in the early 1850s; and who later produced the knife hilts for Michael Price Bowies, as well as other makers. The population was fast increasing, the harbor was filling up with ships, immigrants were coming by the thousands, and business was exceedingly brisk and profitable. Thus, the need and opportunity emerged for Sheffield Bowie knives to be "made up" in the "California style". This time frame existed from when Gold was discovered in early 1848, until established cutlers in San Francisco gained the means to hand forge the knife blades required in making complete knives to order; first beginning around 1854 with Hugh McConnell. This continued into the mid 1850s, when a greater variety of San Francisco made knives were available, as well as a plethora of Sheffield Bowies, and undoubtedly a few from East Coast makers such as Ames. By the time Hugh McConnell, San Francisco's first "cutler" began making butcher and Bowie Knives in his 116 Pacific street San Francisco shop in 1852, San Francisco had grown to a metropolis of 36,000 with 2,500 to 4,000 new immigrants arriving San Francisco by sea each week. McConnell would not be listed in the San Francisco city directory until January of 1854. Even then, McConnell did not advertise his knives, but did wholesale some to dealers. By December 1854, John Tucker, a prominent San Francisco jeweler, advertised "two hundred silver mounted dirk knives of California manufacture". Hugh McConnell was the only cutler known to have made silver mounted knives in California in 1854. Tucker advertised aggressively, and all miners learned that their usual outfit of a slouch hat, flannel shirt, and nankeen breeches were not complete without a brace of engraved pistols and a silver-mounted California Bowie knife. Another cutler, Frederick Kesmodel, did not arrive in San Francisco until 1856, and was not listed in the San Francisco directory until October of that year. As a side note; a reporter in November 1856 visited Kesmodel's shop, and noted a machine in operation for grinding and polishing that had a drum 9 feet in diameter, 2 feet wide, and powered by a dog who would run on the inside of the wheel! Jacob Schintz, another San Francisco cutler, joined McConnell in 1856. Michael Price had come to San Francisco in the mid 1850s, but there is only speculation that he made knives for Andrew Taylor, aka "Natchez", a gunsmith listed in San Francisco from 1854 through 1858. Price was not listed in San Francisco directories until 1859, and was not an established cutler until 1860 with his shop at 59 Montgomery Street. Although Julius Finck arrived in San Francisco in 1850, he worked as a locksmith and bell hanger, and not recorded in San Francisco until 1859. Frederick Will did not arrive in San Francisco until 1859, and joined McConnell.
In addition to the only published Tillotson Bowie example, only two other silver mounted / Sheffield / San Francisco style Bowies have surfaced to date. The former owner of the only known McConnell San Francisco Bowie originally discovered both. There are possibly other examples in existence; however, only these two San Francisco / Sheffield Bowies known have yet to surface and be recognized. The short time frame before several San Francisco cutlers began creating complete knives with their own hand forged blades account for the very few numbers of San Francisco modified Sheffield knives that have survived and been properly recognized as such. Both examples have distinctive San Francisco / California characteristics, i.e., only the Sheffield blades were utilized in their recreation. Both have upgraded hand carved hilts; one with a carved hilt in a very similar in style to a known Michael Price hilt on a dress dagger, and the other in carved horn. Both have fancy silver cross guards and ferrules, with one also having a silver pommel cap. One has an American etched motto on the blade, demonstrating it was originally destined for the American frontier; the other has a reshaped blade in the then popular California drop-point style. Both have leather sheaths replacing their original thin leather veneer cardboard Sheffield style sheaths; one in the new, distinctive tooled California style.
This is the silver mounted carved bovinecowhorn hilted Bowie knife variation noted above. Originally made in Sheffield, the blade flat is hot stamped, "THE HUNTERS COMPANION", "WARRANTED NOT TO BE", and "EXCELLED IN QUALITY" in three lines. Near the false edge at the top of the blade, is hot stamped, "MAPPIN BROTHERS" with their sunburst logo. The ricasso is hot stamped, "QUEEN'S", "CUTLERY WORKS", "SHEFFIELD" in three lines. Mappin is a Sheffield name dating back to at least the late 1500s. The Queens Cutlery Works opened in 1851, suggesting this Bowie was "made up" in San Francisco during the 1851 to mid 1850s; before most San Francisco cutlers had the ability to hand forge their own blades, and before the gold rush ended around 1856 -1857. This Bowie is 12 5/16" long overall, with a 7 3/4" long spear blade made from heavy 3/16" thick stock and a 3¼" false edge ground at the top. As were most Sheffield Bowies at this time, this Bowie was shipped to supply America's fast growing Frontiers. The blade edge has been properly sharpened over time, with areas of later grind marks to the top false edge and one thin grind mark on the backside blade flat. There is light scattered pitting with a few small dark patches; mostly on the obverse non-display side. As noted above, only the Sheffield blades of these hybrids San Francisco Bowies were used in making up the then current California style Bowies. The top edge of the blade was reground to create a then popular drop point to the Bowie. This would not be evident if not for the top half of the HUNTERS hot stamped lettering at the top of the tapering blade showed this redesign of the new knife pattern's profile. A few very small period nicks to the edge of the blade are not noticeable, but can be felt when running the finger up & down the blade edge. The hand made cross guard is 3/32" thick, made of coin silver in a center oval and snowman shaped finials. The 1" long, hexagonal shaped ferrule is also coin silver. There are four wide sides and four narrow sides to the ferrule, conforming to the shape of the carved cow horn hilt. Although the cross guard and ferrule are coin silver, and under magnification show, the various dings and scratches associated with soft silver, there is a nice aged coin silver patina, especially in the protected areas. The period pommel cap is a thin piece of copper, which is square when looking at the end of the Bowie. If not for the wear to the edges showing the copper color underneath the coin silver plating, no one would ever know or notice this interesting but absolutely original variation. The hilt is a finely hand carved one-piece of select green bovinecowhorn, a popular handle material of the period. The hilt is eight sided, en suite with the coin silver ferrule, and swells towards the pommel. Each of the wider 4 hilt panels have carving that raises a design within each panel and terminates in a spade shape at the pommel. This one piece, 3 dimensionally carved bovinecowhorn hilt is 4 3/8" long including the ferrule, and swells to 7/8" wide at the widest point at the pommel. All natural materials shrink over time, and there is a naturally occurring age cracks on the backside, about half way down the hilt from the ferrule, as is common on large pieces of bovinecowhorn. There is also another very thin hairline crack near the pommel. The hilt has a nice, well-worn feel to it, and a slightly darker color from oils in the hand from actual use and wear over decades of handling. The hilt, ferrule and blade are all tight, with just a tiny wiggle to the cross guard due to natural shrinkage. The sheath was also period replaced; replacing the standard thin leather veneer covered pasteboard Sheffield style sheath with a more rugged and functional thick leather California style sheath with double cuts in the frog for a belt loop vs. a flimsy "button" that always seemed to rip off the throat.
This very distinctive California style sheath, with tooled basket weaving, was the preferred style of California knives of the period. The beautiful, heavy leather sheath has expected wear, mostly on the backside, but is in fine, untouched condition, with all the stitching intact. The stitching is done by hand. Leather makers stitched leather all day long for years, and acquired great skill and consistency. The stitching is very well done and uniform, as it was sewn by artisan. Under magnification, you can see the unevenness of a few of the stitches at the tip of the sheath, where a few of the stitches are about twice as long as some others.
With just the Sheffield blade being utilized, the carved horn hilt, silver mounts, and California style sheath combine to make this a one-of-a-kind early San Francisco style California Bowie, and one of only 3 known to date. This is a very handsome, eye-catching piece with coin silver mounts, carved horn hilt, and a fabulous California style tooled sheath; all from a raucous period of American history on California's wild & wicked San Francisco Barbary Coast of the 1850's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE VISIT MY
NEW
WEST COAST TRADING POST STORE!
CLICK ON " VISIT STORE " BELOW MY USER NAME
IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF MY LISTINGS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEE SELLER'S RETURN POLICY BELOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE U.S.A. & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, HANDLING, DELIVERY
via USPS. International shipping using the Global Shipping Program.
All eBay Global Shipping  locations are included
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE U.S.A. & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, HANDLING, DELIVERY
FOR USA PURCHASES, SHIPPING, HANDLING & DELIVERY IS FREE VIA U.S.P.S. FIRST CLASS MAIL (UP TO 14 OZ.) OR U.S.P.S. PRIORITY MAIL USING ONLINE SHIPPING LABELS WITH DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WILL HAVE THEIR ITEM SHIPPED TO EBAY'S U.S. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER; AND EBAY WILL INFORM THE BUYER OF THE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING / CUSTOMS / TARIFFS, VALUE ADDED OR ANY OTHER FEES, LEVIES OR TAXES. All items are shipped within 1 to 2 business days with email confirmation. Items shipped to a California address require CA State sales tax of 8.625% or a valid CA seller's permit # or the item can not be shipped. All items are shipped using PayPal or eBay's online shipping service, and are covered for non-delivery by their shipping service with free delivery confirmation. BUYER HAS THE OPTION TO REQUEST AND PAY FOR SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION OR U.S.P.S. EXPRESS MAIL WITH TRACKING. BUYER MUST REQUEST AND PAY FOR ANY OPTION WITH PURCHASE. PLEASE MAKE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ITEMS REQUIRING A SIGNATURE AS PROOF OF RECEIPT.*Buyer agrees to sellers return policy that supersedes Ebay's return policy for all items.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAYMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAYPAL & ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER, e-CHECKS & ALL MAJOR CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS THROUGH PAY PAL. PREPAID NEGOTIABLE U.S.A. BANK DRAFTS DRAWN ON A U.S.A. BANK CONSIDERED WITH PRIOR APPROVAL. INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS MUST PAY VIA PAYPAL ONLY.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TERMS & CONDITIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL BUYERS MUST CONFIRM HIGH BIDDER STATUS AND MUST MAKE PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAYS OR 5 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER LISTING ENDS; otherwise, Seller reserves the right to cancel the sale and report you to eBay as a non-paying bidder. Seller reserves the right to relist an item if eBay's system goes down within 24 hours of the end of the auction. Bids will not be accepted from anyone that is not a registered eBay user. Seller reserves the right to cancel bids from any eBayer who Seller determines has an unsatisfactory eBay transaction history, has changed their eBay user Identity in the previous 30 days, whose eBay rating is listed as private.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SELLER'S RETURN POLICY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EBay customers are protected when they are an eligible buyer, complete a purchase of an eligible item on a eBay's website, and purchase the item on eBay by using the "Pay Now" option, third-party checkout or an eBay invoice in one lump payment with a PayPal approved financial business. Buyers must keep their PayPal account in good standing. Buyers must show good faith conduct with the seller. Improper good faith conduct can include, but is not limited to, any means by which a buyer can attempt to unjustly benefit from the Seller's Terms & conditions or eBay's Buyer Protection plan. Moreover, good faith conduct does not include buyer's remorse, regardless of the reason. Returns will not be accepted such as changed my mind, Found a better price, Just didn't like it, Ordered by mistake, Arrived too late, etc.. Returns will not be accepted and buyers will be reported to eBay when buyer makes false claims such as doesn't match description or photos, doesn't seem authentic, Doesn't fit, Wrong item sent, Missing parts or pieces, Doesn't work or defective, Arrived damaged. If you wish to take advantage of any of the issue resolution options available from the seller, you must have the business courtesy to discuss any potential issue within 3 days of receipt,  and gain agreement with the seller prior to requesting a return through eBay, leaving feedback or initiating any online dispute process. By doing so, buyers commit to negotiate in good faith, and that they have not initiated any other form of resolution processing; including eBay / PayPal dispute process or credit card charge backs, or purchases where you have been or may be compensated by a third party. Possible buyer / seller resolution examples are: if seller and buyer agree that an item is significantly different than described and photographed, exchanging an item for a different item from the seller (whether listed or unlisted), credit from the seller against any current or future item, adjustment, trade, return, or any other arrangement that is mutually agreed upon between the seller and the buyer, and confirmed in writing via eBay's email system. These options are designed to expedite resolution of any potential issue quickly, easily and amicably, in lieu of eBay / PayPal on-line dispute resolution process which is lengthy, laborious, and allows decisions to be made by a 3rd party instead of the principals; i.e., the buyer & seller. Due to a myriad of International and U.S. Federal, State, Territory, County, City or Local law(s), ordinance(s), restrictions(s) or regulation(s), some articles shipped via U.S.P.S. may have restrictions and / or regulations that may apply to your article(s) shipped to a U.S. address. Buyers are responsible for knowing if any International, Federal, State, Territory, County, City or Local law(s), ordinance(s), restrictions(s) or regulation(s) may apply to your article(s) shipped to your ship to your address; and buyers are responsible for any loss if any prohibited or restricted item(s) shipped to your ship to address is confiscated for any reason. Any item returned must be pre-approved by the seller and received by seller within 7 days from receipt. If a buyer claims the item is damaged in shipping, it must send photographic proof on eBays email system, gain agreement with the seller, and item must be returned before buyer enters a feedback comment and before any exchange, credit or refund is issued. Buyer must use appropriate shipping, delivery confirmation and / or signature confirmation (items 0 ) and/or insurance at the buyers expense. Restocking fee, partial refunds and refunds are negotiable when buyers are dealing in good faith.
v.11.30.2018
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE VISIT MY
NEW
WEST COAST TRADING POST STORE!
CLICK ON " VISIT STORE " BELOW MY USER NAME
IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF MY LISTINGS.
WEST COAST TRADING POST
PLEASE CLICK ON THE
m
e
BUTTON IN MY EBAY LISTINGS FOR ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES OFFERED BY
WEST COAST TRADING POST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE VISIT MY
NEW
WEST COAST TRADING POST
STORE
CLICK ON " VISIT STORE " BELOW MY USER NAME
IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF MY LISTINGS