Active in the 1830s and 1840s, James English and Henry Huber, Jr. (credited as the first American smiths to produce a proper clip-point Bowie, and reported by some sources as a supplier of edged weapons to no less than Jim Bowie himself) operated out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and were most famous for their "Sheffield Works" line of knives. While most certainly named to take advantage of Sheffield, England's reputation as one of the great blade heartlands of Europe, English & Huber weren't just coasting on the name, instead producing some of the best knives to be found on the American market. Measuring 13 5/8 inches overall, with an 8 7/8 inch blade fitted with a 2 3/8 inch sharpened back clip, marked "PHILADELPHIA" on the right ricasso and "J.ENGLISH/& HUBERS" on the left. A pair of ball quillions are mounted on the brass oval guard, with a smooth contoured one piece hardwood grip with blank inscription panels and brass bead accents, and a brass ferrule and pommel cap. The sheath is made from tooled brown leather, with brass fittings.

Good, showing signs of a lifetime of active use. The blade shows a mixed gray patina with brown spotting, with scattered potting and evidence of extensive sharpening, with the current edge nearly a quarter inch back from the leading line of the ricasso in some places. The hilt shows a mixed aged patina on the brass components, with a few absent beads and thin cracks on the grip. A small amount of play is present in the guard and pommel, but the grip remains solid on the tang. The sheath is good, with the throat showing some mild damage, scuffing and cracks of the leather, and some denting and deformation of the frog stud. While the history of the knife is unknown, whoever owned and carried it clearly used it extensively. This is a very iconic American Early 19th Century Bowie Knife!