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Although the term Bowie knife is certainly an American one, it's well known that many of the pieces denoted by it have been made outside the US, most prominently in England, which exported large quantities of Bowies to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries. To cite but one historical account, Francis Sheridan wrote once, in connection with a series of murders in what was then the Republic of Texas, that "most of the Bowie knives in use are manufactured in Sheffield and Birmingham and brought over in British ships."
However, England is not the only country besides the US in which knives of this kind have been historically made. Indeed, several other nations, especially in Europe, have long traditions making such blades, going back to the 19th century and even earlier than that, even if the term Bowie knife has not been usually used to refer to them. Thus, it seems appropriate to open a thread to share images and information about Bowie knives – or Bowie-type knives for the purists out there – made outside the US, and potentially also outside England. For these purposes, I suggest we adopt Harold L. Peterson's definition, which provides a clear idea of what a prototypical knife of this kind is but also gives room for some variability: "The bowie in its purest form will be considered a large knife with a clip point. Other knives [...] will also be classed as bowies but with qualifications describing either the point, the size, or any other feature that causes them to vary from the pure form." I'll start with three knives from my modest collection that I've already shown in other threads.
The first knife I want to share is one made by F. Herder Abr. Sohn of Solingen, Germany, probably around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, although there is no Germany stamped on the blade. As you'll see in the picture below, this piece, featuring an 8" clip-point blade, seems to follow a pattern by Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield. If you want to help me date this knife, or are interested in Herder Bowies in general, check out this thread.
The second knife I want to share is a hunting plug bayonet made by the Fábrica de Toledo, Spain, in 1880. Perhaps not many will feel inclined to label this piece as a Bowie knife, but it does match Peterson's definition, featuring a 6 1/2" blade with a very pronounced clipped point, which, as shown in the picture below, is beautifully etched in acid. Moreover, it's often said that the development of the American Bowie knife was largely influenced by the Spanish knife-making tradition, and this seems fairly plausible when we look at examples such as this one, especially those made in the 1700s and early 1800s. Note that the sheath is not original to the knife; I'll probably create a post in the appropriate subforum talking about it at some point.
Finally, I couldn't end this post without including a knife made in England. The knife pictured below, featuring a 7" clipped-point blade, is a rather plain piece made by Cambridge Cutlery Works around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, as evidenced by the England stamped on the ricasso.
Be welcome to comment and/or share other examples, especially (though not exclusively) from your personal collections or your friends'. This may also include modern imports from countries such as Pakistan or India (the latter of which has a very interesting tradition making knives of this kind), so long as you feel there's something of note about them.
Cheers,
C.
Edit: Images fixed, yet again
However, England is not the only country besides the US in which knives of this kind have been historically made. Indeed, several other nations, especially in Europe, have long traditions making such blades, going back to the 19th century and even earlier than that, even if the term Bowie knife has not been usually used to refer to them. Thus, it seems appropriate to open a thread to share images and information about Bowie knives – or Bowie-type knives for the purists out there – made outside the US, and potentially also outside England. For these purposes, I suggest we adopt Harold L. Peterson's definition, which provides a clear idea of what a prototypical knife of this kind is but also gives room for some variability: "The bowie in its purest form will be considered a large knife with a clip point. Other knives [...] will also be classed as bowies but with qualifications describing either the point, the size, or any other feature that causes them to vary from the pure form." I'll start with three knives from my modest collection that I've already shown in other threads.
The first knife I want to share is one made by F. Herder Abr. Sohn of Solingen, Germany, probably around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, although there is no Germany stamped on the blade. As you'll see in the picture below, this piece, featuring an 8" clip-point blade, seems to follow a pattern by Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield. If you want to help me date this knife, or are interested in Herder Bowies in general, check out this thread.
The second knife I want to share is a hunting plug bayonet made by the Fábrica de Toledo, Spain, in 1880. Perhaps not many will feel inclined to label this piece as a Bowie knife, but it does match Peterson's definition, featuring a 6 1/2" blade with a very pronounced clipped point, which, as shown in the picture below, is beautifully etched in acid. Moreover, it's often said that the development of the American Bowie knife was largely influenced by the Spanish knife-making tradition, and this seems fairly plausible when we look at examples such as this one, especially those made in the 1700s and early 1800s. Note that the sheath is not original to the knife; I'll probably create a post in the appropriate subforum talking about it at some point.
Finally, I couldn't end this post without including a knife made in England. The knife pictured below, featuring a 7" clipped-point blade, is a rather plain piece made by Cambridge Cutlery Works around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, as evidenced by the England stamped on the ricasso.
Be welcome to comment and/or share other examples, especially (though not exclusively) from your personal collections or your friends'. This may also include modern imports from countries such as Pakistan or India (the latter of which has a very interesting tradition making knives of this kind), so long as you feel there's something of note about them.
Cheers,
C.
Edit: Images fixed, yet again
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Yes, some Sheffield makers never added 'England' to their stamp, though Nowill did use a stamp to which it was included. I'm afraid I've done no research on this particular knife 
Just over 10" from the front of the guard to the tip. I did an image search, and turned up a couple with near-identical blades online, being sold by Sheffield retailers, kind of crazy prices - that's one of the reasons I don't collect Bowies! 