Manufactured c. 1835 to 1838, this knife was almost certainly made by one of the plethora of blade makers in Sheffield, England at the time. John Graveley and Charles Wreaks were English immigrants and arrived in New York City around 1835, forming a business partnership shortly after. Their address is listed in the New York directories as the Astor House at the intersection of Broadway and Barclay, placing them firmly in a very affluent location. They are known for sourcing a variety of high end and ornately mounted cutlery from the finest makers in Sheffield, with this knife being a fine example of exactly that. This piece is an example of one of their advertised "hunter's knives", the blade etched with the slogan "The Chase The Chase". A visually identical example to this one is pictured on p. 69 of "The Antique Bowie Knife Book" by Adams, Voyles, and Moss. It measures 14 3/4 inches overall with a 10 inch drop point blade, having the previously mentioned etching on the left. The left ricasso is marked "GRAVELEY/& WREAKS/NEW YORK". The hilt is German silver with both the guard and pommel lightly floral engraved. It is fitted with smooth antique ivory grip scales with German silver panels on both sides. The sheath has light border tooling and German silver fittings.

Fine, the blade mostly bright with some scattered patches of light pitting/darker patina, the etching slightly faint, and evidence of sharpening. The German silver shows an attractively aged patina. The grip scales are fair with multiple cracks and chips absent. The sheath is fine with moderate wear. A rare American retailer marked knife from early in the golden age of the Bowie!