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VERY RARE CONFEDERATE “POTTS BOWIE KNIFE BAYONET” NOW ATTRIBUTED TO REES FITZPATRICK OF NATCHEZ, MS, WITH ORIGINAL SCABBARD AND BELT LOOP, AND SOLDIER’S INITIALS

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This is a rare southern knife in excellent condition with its even rarer scabbard. These knives have a considerable collector history, being first attributed to Potts of New Orleans by a marked example in the Ben Palmer collection. Both the validity of that marking and its interpretation were later called into question with some doubting the authenticity of the marking and others suggesting that even if real, it was a retailer’s addition rather than a maker’s mark. The knives have since been attributed to maker Rees Fitzpatrick of Natchez, Mississippi, with Hadaway (2008) noting a bowie knife made by Fitzpatrick that lacks the rings, but has an identical blade. The interpretation of the knife as a bayonet has also been questioned, with collectors noting the rings on original examples are unfinished on the inside, suggesting that despite their similarity to some sword bayonets with barrel adapters in the pommel these were more likely early war side knives made so that they could be fixed as spearheads for use on improvised pikes, a weapon associated with rebellions and produced in significant quantities in the south early in the war as a weapon of necessity. Whether they ever saw such use is unclear, but several are known with the rings removed for more conventional use as a sideknife and Bowie indicating they did make their way into the field.

This is in excellent condition. Both rings are in place and the brass hilt and scabbard mounts show a pleasing, medium tone with some thin age stains. The pommel ring shows some exterior file marks, and there are some light handling marks, but neither ring nor the guard has any large dings or scratches. The rosewood grip has good color and surface with only minor light scratches and has a good fit to the pommel and to the guard, which has two or three small exterior dings or dimples to the lower guard.

The blade is smooth metal, a light silver gray in color, with good edge and point. There are are some very light diagonal wipes on the lower portion of the blade on left and right, mostly from the choil to the midpoint of the blade, and a few thin, gray age spots on the left, but nothing egregious.

The scabbard is very good, with both throat and tip still affixed, though each missing a pin on either side. The scabbard body is solid, showing typical age crazing to the finish and wear spots showing as brown against the black finish, along the edges and just below the throat, and a short crease or crack on the obverse near the tip. The seam on the reverse is tight. There is a touch of verdigris on the reverse of the tip. Most significantly, the narrow belt loop is still in place, sewn to the scabbard body and riveted to the throat at the top.

This is one of the most dynamically styled and esthetically pleasing knives out there, with the shallow curve of the clip point carrying over along the top edge to the swept-back rings of the grip, with the forward curve of the lower pommel and guard extensions mirroring the curve of the blade choil under the ricasso, looking like they were affected by the acceleration driving back the rings. We don’t think it an accident that maker also chose to mount the belt loop on the reverse at a diagonal. As a final note, the throat of the scabbard has a lightly scratched, but visible set of initials, “J.G.D.” in open block letters with the “G” given serifs, a nice indication of actual use.

This is a rare knife in very rare complete condition with its original scabbard.  [sr] [ph:L]

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