The Strange Origins of the Bowie Knife
Considering the fact that Jim Bowie was known for his short temper it should come as no surprise that he was prone to carrying a knife. But, while many are familiar with Jim Bowie’s association with the knife that bears his name, most are not familiar with how the legendary Alamo fighter first began his association with the famous knife. It all started long before Bowie became a famous adventurer and actually began when he was an applicant for a loan. During a local election, Bowie supported the opposition to a Sheriff named Norris Wright. Unfortunately for Bowie, Wright also worked in a bank and when a loan application Bowie submitted crossed his desk, Wright stamped a huge “rejection” on the application. Later, the two would have a verbal and physical confrontation in which Wright would pull a gun on Bowie. Bowie, more angered than scared, lunged at Wright and attempted to strangle him. (It is amazing Bowie wasn’t shot during this confrontation) The fight was broken up and Bowie later resigned himself to carrying a large knife as protection.
History is full of weird origins – the Bowie knife is no exception. For more on the Bowie knife, read “Bowie Knives: Benefits and Features of a Quality Knife”
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
