PUBLISHED CONFEDERATE BOWIE MADE FROM ALTERED SOUTH CAROLINA MARKED STARR 1812/13 CAVALRY SABER

$1,495.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1251-01

If you want a Confederate Bowie knife not just like the one in the book, but actually the one in the book, this could be for you. It is pictured and described in the 2008 updated Confederate Bowie Knife Guide by Hadaway on pages 62-63 and pages 92-93 in his color plate. Nathan Starr, of Middletown, CT, had a US contract for 5,000 sabers in 1812. After completion of 1,000 swords some minor design changes were required and the contract modified and increased to 10,000 swords on top of the 1,000 already delivered. The resulting saber is thus usually termed the Starr’s “1812/13” pattern by collectors.

This total, combined with another 10,000 of Starr’s 1818 pattern and the temporary abolition of U.S. cavalry regiments after the War of 1812, meant that most of these swords ended up in the hands of state militia, and South Carolina had a number of mounted militia units in the 1830s-1840s who might have received the saber, which was then brought out of storage or taken down off the wall twenty-years later for use in the war. This still shows most of its original US markings on the right side of the blade just above the guard: traces of a “P” for proved can just barely be made out, but below that the “HP” of “HPP,” Inspector Henry H. Perkin’s initials are clear, as is the full “N. STARR” maker stamp and the particular bladesmith mark, or factory inspector, “O” is clearly stamped at the bottom. The reverse shows a very clear state ownership stamp in small block letters, “S. CAROLINA” reading from the point to the hilt, in line with the blade, just forward of the guard.

The iron shows as a mix of dark gray and brown with patches of pitting, more likely careless postwar storage than anything else. The blade edge shows nicks and roughness, but the point is good. When converted to a knife the blade was shortened to 19 inches overall, giving it a length of 23 ½ inches overall. The grip and pommel cap were discarded, but the original guard was retained and shows its classic reverse-P form with slot for a sword knot. The original grip was replaced win a one-piece wood cylinder with the top of the knucklebow secured by peening the blade tang. The grip was made without a ferrule but show a slight bevel to the edge at the pommel. The grip has nice color and surface and is stable, but there is an age crack running along its right side.

This is a very interesting, dead-real, published Confederate knife with a tight connection to South Carolina.  [sr] [ph:L]

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