Manufactured c. the mid-19th century, this is a very fine example of a southern-made, American Bowie knife of the Civil War era. While American-made knives during the period were not unheard of, they were certainly heavily overshadowed by their English-produced competitors which flooded the North American market. Bowie knives exploded in popularity during the Civil War, particularly in the South, where this knife was made. Alfred H. Dufilho was born in Paris, France, in 1833 and in 1853 established a cutlery firm along with his brother Louis in New Orleans, Louisiana. From their address at 21 Royal Street (between Custom House and Canal Streets), they produced surgical instruments, swords, knives, and all manner of other cutlery. They had contracts with the Confederate government for surgical instruments and naval cutlasses, as well as producing a variety of other edged weapons for the rebel war effort. Examples of Dufilho Bowie knives documented as carried by Confederate soldiers are pictured on p. 213 of "The Bowie Knife" by Flayderman and on p. 81 of "The Antique Bowie Knife Book" by Adams, Voyles, and Moss. Those two examples share similarities to each other, as well as a simpler design overall compared to this piece. Another Dufilho knife is pictured on p. 26 of "Classic Bowie Knives" by Abels, where it is listed as item No. 34. The knife in this book shows a very similar blade shape to the piece offered here, while the hilt is of a similar "coffin" shape to the previous two mentioned. This example measures 14 1/8 inches overall, with a 8 3/4 inch drop point blade with wide, shallow fullers in each side and the maker's mark "Dufilho NewOrleans" engraved in the spine. The style and location of the maker's mark on this example compared to other documented Dufilho knives suggests that this may have been a presentation or special order piece. The thick iron guard is a plain elliptical shape. The hilt is primarily of German silver with traces of silver plating, a turned/stepped bolster joining the guard and grip, a multi-faceted grip with alternating panels of German silver and what appears to be horn, and a turned bun shaped pommel. The knife is ornate but not overly elaborate, retaining a deadly and practical appearance that would have been very fitting for a wealthy southern gentleman in service of the Confederacy. Includes a leather wrapped sheath with scalloped nickeled fittings and a belt stud. Provenance: The David Hayden-Wright Collection

Fine, the blade is mostly bright with some very light polishing/cleaning evidence and some scattered very light spotting. The iron guard and German silver show an attractively aged patina with some faint traces of silver plating on the hilt and some scattered light dings. The grip facets show some scattered minor handling marks.