WTK: Northfield Knife Co Bowie Knife

[MD66948]

I bought this Knife at an auction. I thought it was a custom made knife but a friend of mine told me after I won the auction that it was a Northfield Bowie Knife. I never saw the inscription.

What I would like to know is if anyone has any knowledge about Northfield knifes. I would like to find out how old this knife is. I was told by several people that Northfield Bowie Knifes were carried by soldiers in the Civil War.

The knife is marked: "NORTHFIELD UN-X-LD KNIFE CO."

Here are a few pictures. The marks on the blade is not rust.

[JenniferG]

The Northfield name is now owned by Great Eastern Cutlery and the UN-X-LD line is their top of the line in slip joint pocket knives. According to their site Northfield had been making knives since 1858

The original Northfield knife company was incorporated and operated in Connecticut from 1858 to 1926. Their UN-X-LD branded pocket knives were known for their quality and are highly collectible today.

http://www.greateasterncutlery.com/g...field-cutlery/

It is quite possible that Civil war soldiers carried Northfield Bowie knives. That style of blade is the original sandbar style Bowie blade as opposed to the later and famous V-44 style WWII bowie.

The Bowie Knife’s Bloody Entrance

The infamous Sandbar Fight along the Mississippi River on September 19, 1827, catapulted James and his knife to fame. The affair, which started out as a duel between two men, ended up as a bloody brawl between the aggrieved combatants, their seconds and comrades. James killed one opponent and badly wounded another, despite being seriously wounded in the chest, thigh and head. The murderous clash was reported in the local papers and picked up by others throughout the country, eventually spreading as far as Great Britain. Before long, James’s heavy bladed weapon became known as the fighting knife of the West. Both man and blade achieved such notoriety from this fight that the name “bowie” became a household word. The moniker was recognized as early as 1830, as evidenced by the December 24-30, 1830, advertisements for bowie knives in the Washington D.C. newspaper Daily National Intelligencer.

https://www.crazycrow.com/site/fight...-the-frontier/





Later V-44 Army Air Corps survival Bowie.

http://www.quanonline.com/military/m...knives/v44.php

[Sauconian]

Both Bernard Levine and C.Houston Price agree that the Northfield Knife Company was established in 1858 and was declared bankrupt in 1929. They also agree that Northfield was purchased by Clark Brothers Cutlery who dropped the Northfield name in 1919. Price further states that Charles Platts became plant superintendent in 1872 and that the UN-X-LD trademark ( unexcelled ) wasn't adopted until 1876.

The history of American knifemakers is very complex and convoluted. Lots of "incest" in the business. Nice old knife regardless and if you want a bunch more opinions post your photos on allaboutpocketknives.com or blade forums.

[MD66948]

Both Bernard Levine and C.Houston Price agree that the Northfield Knife Company was established in 1858 and was declared bankrupt in 1929. They also agree that Northfield was purchased by Clark Brothers Cutlery who dropped the Northfield name in 1919. Price further states that Charles Platts became plant superintendent in 1872 and that the UN-X-LD trademark ( unexcelled ) wasn't adopted until 1876.

The history of American knifemakers is very complex and convoluted. Lots of "incest" in the business. Nice old knife regardless and if you want a bunch more opinions post your photos on allaboutpocketknives.com or blade forums.

Thanks for the info, l that helps date the knife.

[JenniferG]

You're welcome.

[Xringshooter]

You could also post and probably get good info here: https://www.bladeforums.com/