Produced by an unknown maker, the intended use of this very distinctive Confederate weapon is a matter of some speculation; Abels' "Classic Bowie Knives" (page 66) asserts that it was likely intended as a combat knife that could also double as a pike head or bayonet, while Albaugh's "Confederate Edged Weapons" (page 165) suggests that the rings integral to the guard and pommel are too small for an appropriate rifle barrel or pike staff. The Confederates were known to have explored the pike as a combat weapon, as well as having experimented with non-standard bayonets for the variety of sporting rifles and shotguns pressed into combat service. The unfinished interior of the rings may have been intended to be fitted out by an end-user or armorer to match a specific barrel or staff, though some form of retention hardware would need to be provided, or the knife would need to be friction-fit to the base. Some examples have been attributed to a T.A. Potts of New Orleans. The heart of the weapon is a large bowie knife in the archetypical Confederate style, 17 inches overall with an impressive 12 1/4 inch long clip point blade, fitted with a fine flat-sided wood handle and brass furniture. The guard and pommel are both thick and rugged brass with dual "quillions" on both, an upturned hook on the front and a brass ring on the back. The front ring has a 1.23 inch exterior and .78 inch interior diameter, and the rear ring has a 1.32 inch exterior and a .82 inch interior diameter. Information supplied by the consignor attributes the item to James Truman; born in New York in 1841, he was active in California during and after the Civil War as an express business operator and newspaper publisher, with forays into Mexico, stints as a Chief Auditor with the Treasury Department and a Post Master, a delegate to the Democratic Convention. How he procured the knife is not noted, though a man out and about on the frontier would likely feel the need for a rugged knife. Following his death, many of his possessions were given to the Bainbridge Historical Society of New York, the knife among them, which was later auctioned to raise funds for the Society.

Good overall. The blade retains about half of the bright finish, with areas of spotting and a small amount of pitting. The brass fittings show a mixed antique patina, darker in the protected areas, with a few light dents on the grip.