Jonathan Crookes stamped Bowie 9 inch blade

[Oniclub]

Greetings from the Uk, new to the forum and collecting so my terminology might be fully off I have this Jonathan Crookes Bowie knife. 9 inch blade with what appears to be bone hand grips with plaque and possibly nickel pommel depicting a half horse, half Alligator. The sheath is nickel plated fittings and wood with black leather wrap. The blade is etched with “America land of the free And the home of the brave”. I found some info that Jonathan Crookes was still in business up until 1990 in Sheffield, Uk but has been around as late as 1790s?. I believe this to be recently made maybe 1970s - 1990 but unsure on price or what it could be worth. Either way I’m keeping it

[Steve Warden]

Sorry, I have no help.
But welcome! Very cool knife!!

[Reverand]

Welcome to AAPK!
I am sorry that I do not know about your knife, but there are likely people on here who will provide some answers.
As far as value, one of the best guides is to search on eBay for Completed auctions, and find knives similar to yours. Knives are listed for a wide range of prices, but the Completed Auctions will give you at least a range.
I hope you hang out here a while and have fun with us!

[kootenay joe]

Great looking knife and i agree that it is likely a modern made knife, not vintage. Value i don't know because i don't collect fixed blades. Hopefully someone who does will post.
kj

[Gunsil]

This is definitely a modern knife. It may even not have been made by Crookes, there are many fake Crookes and other "bowie" knives out there. The lettering in the stamping tell us it is a new knife as well as the sheath and overall appearance. The knife appears to be a copy of a Woodhead or Woodhead & Hartley knife but with a Crookes mark. Not to abash the British, but England has been the source of thousands of fake bowie knives since the 1970s.

[Oniclub]

Thanks for all the info people I agree it’s a newer knife for sure probably the 1950s-1990s when slater had taken over Jonathan Crookes & sons. I believe it to be a real Crookes knife as I purchased it from a collector of other antique Bowie and other Sheffield branded knives but it’s not to say it still could not be a fake as I’m open to all options. The knife looks to be very high quality but just found the mounts very unusual and made me purchase. I have seen other older Bowie’s with the same pommel sometimes with the horse and alligator reversed. Also found an example on an old Crookes blade that sold at auction.

[Oniclub]

I take it back about the antique version, woodhead was correct for those fittings. Found something of interest Fred James of Sheffield produced a few knives before his death in the 1980s with this fitting, even with the same engraved etching I have on my Crookes Bowie.

[Oniclub]

Better photo of the etching on mine

[Gunsil]

Sorry, but I do not believe your knife ever had anything to do with Johnathan Crookes or any of it's later iterations. The companies that owned the name never made any bowie style fixed blade knives after the 1930s and I don't believe they made your knife. That etch used by James and on your knife is commonly seen on many modern repro or fake bowies. The originals with the horse alligator pommel had a hollow pommel made of stamped nickel silver and filled with cutlery cement, the newer repros have nickel plated brass pommels. Crookes would not have used a Woodhead design, they made their own designs. Surely there must be an expert on these types of knives in your county where you could take it to or send photos for an appraisal. You could contact Bernard Levine, America's biggest expert on old knives, he charges a small fee but if you really want to know from someone other than myself about your knife it might be worth spending the money, it isn't a lot. It's a cool looking big knife, but it is a modern reproduction or more properly a fantasy knife since Crookes did not make such a knife originally.

[Oniclub]

Sorry Gunsil whilst I appreciate your opinion I know some of that information to be untrue due to Geoffrey Tweedale’s directory of Sheffield cutlery manufacturers 1740 - 2013 “The mark was soon acquired by razor maker Joseph Allen, at Ecclesall Works, 245 Rockingham Street. Crookes continued to be advertised as a stand-alone name at that address. In the 1950s, Slater acquired the heart and pistol mark, which it continued to stamp on Bowies and other knives until about 1990.”

[kootenay joe]

So, this is a 'modern' 'fantasy' Bowie made to resemble vintage British 'Bowie' knives. Does it matter who made it ? Would this affect value ?
I think that all modern 'copies' of vintage Bowies are of similar value, but i do not collect these so i don't know.
kj

[Oniclub]

I was just intrigued if anyone had seen any Jonathan Crookes Bowies between the later periods ,now I think it’s been made 1950s - 1990s. I know it’s niche but couldn’t find any info and came across this forum initially. Not a clue on worth and not about it being modern or fantasy but more so the name and if it’s genuine. The cool thing about the Sheffield knives makers is yes the materials may well be modern in this day and age but a lot of the knives are made in the same manner and hand the designs from the old days. Thanks for your replies chaps.