Oldbattleaxe, why ask when you do not wish to heed replies. Like that abomination of a spear point you posted about. This knife is not at all like a pre-civil war knife. It looks like a Mexican Spanish-American war era knife. Like I said above there is an almost indisputable expert on these kind of knives, and if you don't get a confirmation from him I think you don't really wish to hear the truth, your mind is already made up that it is an early American made knife. In the first set of photos you posted it looked like the knife's guard and pommel were steel, but now it is evident that they are brass. Early American knives almost always had iron or steel hardware. The brass eagle head pommel as noted by another poster screams of Mexican manufacture or possibly European descent. The extreme curve of the clip screams of fake bowie knife, looks like it was re-ground that way from the blades original shape. You talk about the D-guard knives, well at least 90% of those on the market are fakes. Please heed my advice and ask Mr. Levine about this knife. One other expert is Mr. Mark Zalesky, editor of "Knife World" magazine. You could e-mail him at the magazine site and ask him, he is a huge collector of early bowies and another leading expert in the field. Failure to refer to these experts will indicate that you don't really want to know the real origin of the knife. A letter of authenticity from Mr. Levine will increase the knife's value. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and a fool and his money are soon parted. It would be truly foolish to spend good money without consulting the real expert. I have been collecting antique military, hunting, and "bowie style" knives for fifty years, and am a life member if the Northeast Cutlery Collectors Association. I know a lot about such knives, but I would still contact the real experts when in doubt. Merry Christmas and good will to all mankind!!
