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by John Sexton

Q: I was given this sword by my dad. I wanted to know how old it is and TO ABOLITION.”
how much it’s worth. He found it at a house he was restoring in South Chevalier knives have
Carolina over 40 years ago. quite a variety of features.
Dagger point blades like
JS: You have a very inter- the one on your knife are
esting knife whose blade very scarce, whereas most
and sheath were made by of Chevalier’s products
a well-known American had clip-point tips.
cutler (one who makes, The handle of your
deals in, or repairs cutlery) knife does not appear to be
who worked from 1835 to made by Chevalier but was Maker’s mark “J D CHEVALIER /
1871 at his shop on added later when the NEW YORK / 360 BROADWAY”
German silver sheath with frog button appears Broadway in New York original grip was most likely
original to Chevalier, form fit to blade. City. He made surgical damaged or broken. The iron guard appears to be from a European
instruments prior to taking small sword dating to the 18th century. Since it was found in South
on bowie knives. Carolina, it was possibly used in the Civil War by a Confederate soldier.
“Bowies” had become a This would not be the first Confederate knife known made from sword
craze after the infamous hilt and older knife or sword blade.
“Sandbar Fight” near Confederate bowies often have a “D-guard” and that is one reason
Natchez, Mississippi in old sword hilts worked well for Confederate knives. This knife, as
1827, when a political configured, has seen
duel became a free-for-all. some use, and the wear
James Bowie, who was an leads me to believe the
observer at the duel, was blade was heavily
shot and stabbed through sharpened. There is a
with a sword cane, but he dark iron patina from
managed to kill his major years of use, and the
opponents with a Bowie grip slabs appear to be
knife, even though his made of a polished
James “Jim” Bowie whose knife became a craze wounds were so grave that bone – heavily cracked,
during the Civil War his life hung by a thread but intact.
for weeks afterward, when The knife has a
Jim Bowie used his knife to kill two combatants. good look and would
Newspapers across the country made Bowie famous and the demand appeal to both Civil
for “bowie knives” began. American cutlers (many of them surgical War and knife collec-
instrument makers) and Sheffield, England cutlers began to make tors. I would estimate Iron guard with small clam shell languet appears
Bowie knives to fill the market demand. The Bowie Period only lasted its value to be $2,000- from early 18th century sword. The German silver
about forty years – from the Sandbar Fight to the end of the Civil War. $3,000 at auction, and ferrules and well-patinaed bone or ivory grip
John D. Chevalier was one of the early makers, though his best- would not be surprised could be from the knife originally.
known knives were made in the 1850s with blades etched “DEATH to see it bring more.

John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert on Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of various appraiser
organizations. He can be contacted at 770-329-4984. If you have a Civil War item for him to appraise, email a photo and a
description to him at: jsextonatlcom.ne@mindspring.com.

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