George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

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LongBlade
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George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Previously I posted a Woodhead Bowie a few years ago that I was very lucky to score… Recently at the NCCA show I was lucky enough to find a Woodhead Swell-Center Pen knife. It is not very often you find pocket knives by Woodhead so wanted to share the pair with you, and look forward to any others folks may have in their collection. In fact if anybody else has an original Bowie and folder from another company that made both Bowies and pocket knives please do share them. A few weeks after I scored the Woodhead, a new member posted a Barnes quill pen on AAPK (just last week) – I actually have a original Barnes dagger fully etched with a Civil War slogan – a score of a Barnes pocket knife would be perfect. At this point I only have the Woodhead and Barnes Civil War period Bowie & Dagger – I found a Woodhead pocket knife to pair with the Bowie and hoping to find a Barnes - that is something on my watch list now among a few others ::nod:: :)

Brief History (summarized from Tweedale): George Woodhead (1808-1884) and his partner Joshua Hartley started in 1839 as spring knife manufacturers in Bower Spring. In 1841, the firm of Woodhead and Hartley started producing Bowie knives as well and were located on Lambert Street. In 1849 George Woodhead went out alone and moved to 36 Howard St in Sheffield. He employed 20 men at that time and his factory included an office, warehouse, packing room, 6 workshops, a grinding hull and steam power. The workforce expanded to 40 men by 1871 and became George Woodhead and Sons in 1876. In addition to Bowie knives which they were most known for making during that time period, they produced pen, pocket and table knives. Woodhead’s Bowie knives were considered classic in style – half-horse, half-alligator pommels, coffin-shaped but shortened handles in pearl and ivory, and his blade style was known for simple, clean lines. According to many and to paraphrase – “his knives could be spotted a room away”….

Swell-Center Pen – 3” closed; Tang stamp on master matches that of Bowie (but as you can see a letter or number on each end didn't make it due to size of tang and stamp used – Tang stamp on pen blade is full and was characteristic of Woodhead folding knives with “GW1” as Trademark and "Celebrated" at bottom of stamp. Still has strong springs, blades seen some sharpening but not abused, and the MOP has some nice iridescence - not fiery but color :) … Most likely made between 1849-1876 based on history.

Bowie - Spear-point blade that has a minimal amount of sharpening; Horn handles with characteristic Woodhead circular pearl inlays as seen on some on a few of his Bowies. Original scabbard. The throat of the scabbard is the most likely reason for the worn tang stamp on the blade as the stamp slides and sits underneath the brass or bronze throat, though the blade no doubt had been sharpened but not abused.

Here’s a few pics of the Woodhead Swell-Center Pen and a few of the Bowie & pen together including tang stamps (I couldn't decide which photo so included both :wink: )… not exactly a matched set but a cool pair of Woodheads that I thought a few of you may enjoy seeing that are about 150-170 years old... Cheers...
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Closed Mark Side DSCN3129.JPG
Closed Pile Side DSCN3141 2.JPG
Blades Open DSCN3158.JPG
Tang Stamp - Master DSCN3229.JPG
Tang Stamp - Pen DSCN3246 3.JPG
Final Closed Blade DSCN3276.JPG
Final Open Blades DSCN3288 2.JPG
Tang Stamps DSCN3328.JPG
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by ROGERGREEN »

Geo. Woodhead always made a distinct Bowie knife. Yours is a classic 1850's design. Very nice! I'm not well versed on his folding knives but the Bowies are very desirable. Good find!
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by knife7knut »

Beautiful knives! I have a couple of George Woodhead folders but both are in what I consider relic condition. That tuvedo is drop dead gorgeous!
Here is a pic of my Joseph Rodgers spear point bowie paired with a really nice 4 blade pearl of about the same era. Hard to date exactly as Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901.
Attachments
GeorgeWoodhead.JPG
GeorgeWoodheadSleeveboardJack1.JPG
Jos.RodgersKnives2018 001.jpg
Jos.RodgersKnives2018 002.jpg
Jos.RodgersKnives2018 003.jpg
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btrwtr
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by btrwtr »

Great history and knives. I especially like the pearl pocketknives shown.
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Wayne

Please visit My AAPK store https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/catalog/btrwtr
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LongBlade
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by LongBlade »

ROGERGREEN - Thanks - I appreciate the info on the classic 1850s design ::tu:: I've seen a number of Woodheads now and had heard this design was classic but also have seen in hand a few others with the fancy pommels - pretty amazing pieces of cutlery :wink: ... I think they made alot more Bowies than pocket knives - also I know I have seen more Woodhead Bowies than folders over time so was glad to find that little swell-center pen ::nod:: ...

Ray - I thought you had a Woodhead or 2 :) - Nice knives - relics or not - thanks for sharing them ::tu:: ::tu:: ...

Wayne - Thanks ::tu:: ... Amazing how some MOP retains iridescence after 150 or so years especially after being well handled ::tu:: ...
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by Gunsil »

Nice folder Lee!! But Bowie collectors wouldn't call your fixed blade a Bowie knife, it is a small dirk.
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LongBlade
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Gene ::tu:: ... well I can say I have showed it to a few Bowie collectors who know their stuff and they called it a Bowie even at that size - yes Bowies can be much larger but not all.. if I'm not mistaken it it a saber grind on the blade if that is what you are referring to... as I understand it again from those much more knowledgable than I daggers/dirks are steeper angled knives coming to a distinct point (and some of those can be large as well) - photo I took awhile back of my Barnes dagger/dirk as an example of what I call a dagger/dirk...
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by Quick Steel »

The word Bowie has come to be loosely applied to a wide variety of knives. However, "in the beginning" the one characteristic that distinguished the Bowie from other knives was its very large size. Also distinctive early on was a sharpened "false edge", only in this case it was not false. It was used for the famously deadly back cut. If the entire spine of the blade is sharpened that is usually associated with daggers/dirks. Your Barnes dagger is a very nice example.

Gradually smaller knives were designated with particular names, e.g. the Cowboy Bowie, the Frisco Bowie. These usually possessed a certain recognizable style.

LongBlade I cannot tell whether your Bowie blade has a sharpened false edge or if the entire spine is sharpened. In any event, I would think of your Bowie as heading in the direction of a smaller Cowboy style.

Bottom line: There is no law limiting the use of the name Bowie.
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FRJ
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by FRJ »

Very nice fixed blade and folder, Lee. ::tu:: ::tu::
Great picture too. ::tu::
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LongBlade
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Re: George Woodhead - Bowies and Pocket Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Joe ::tu:: - much appreciated !!
Quick Steel wrote:The word Bowie has come to be loosely applied to a wide variety of knives. However, "in the beginning" the one characteristic that distinguished the Bowie from other knives was its very large size. Also distinctive early on was a sharpened "false edge", only in this case it was not false. It was used for the famously deadly back cut. If the entire spine of the blade is sharpened that is usually associated with daggers/dirks. Your Barnes dagger is a very nice example.

Gradually smaller knives were designated with particular names, e.g. the Cowboy Bowie, the Frisco Bowie. These usually possessed a certain recognizable style.

LongBlade I cannot tell whether your Bowie blade has a sharpened false edge or if the entire spine is sharpened. In any event, I would think of your Bowie as heading in the direction of a smaller Cowboy style.

Bottom line: There is no law limiting the use of the name Bowie.
P1010988.JPG
Thanks QS and nice knife ::tu:: Who’s the maker? - my Bowie does have a false edge and no doubt was one of the classic Woodhead Bowie designs in the 1850s (as Roger above and others have told me) ... I am by no means a Bowie collector or expert but have a few pieces that I really enjoy having in my collection – I would love more but not on my budget ;-).. Anyway - Never heard of "Cowboy" or "Frisco" Bowies – Was there a time period associated with those names? - Just curious and always good to learn something new ::tu:: ...

I agree 200% that the definition of a Bowie is loose and all over the place. As you know there is no "bible" as to a definitive definition of a Bowie and what defines a Bowie has been discussed so many times (I would think the Bowie Collectors Assoc has their definition as well but not sure)... Just my opinion (after reading 10 others and hearing them as well :) ) - what appears to be considered a “true” Bowie piece (putting aside the other considerations of what defines a Bowie) pre-dated the Civil War and transitioned in the 1870s with the advent of better guns etc - it was a phase that transitioned Bowies into Hunters (though the blade design was not a significant change in some cases)... If you haven’t seen it Wayne (btrwtr) and Neal Punchard wrote a nice piece on those transition Hunters for Knife Magazine…. Nonetheless many still make Bowie-style knives and call them Bowies… As an aside I know William Worthen and Mark Zalesky have a new Bowie book out that I have heard is a great history of Bowies with many great examples… its on my near future book purchase list ;-)… Flayderman's book is also quite a nice presentation of lots of awesome Bowies and even some folders etc...
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