87R6 JGH-D
By: Springer H.C.R. No. 1
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Forever associated with Jim Bowie and the heroic
Battle of the Alamo, the Bowie knife has long been a vivid and
colorful symbol of the history and heritage of Texas; and
WHEREAS, It is thought that the first Bowie knife was made by
Rezin Bowie, Jim's brother, during the 1820s, when the two siblings
were in business together in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana; after Jim
was involved in a gunfight, Rezin gave him the large hunting knife
for personal protection, and in September 1827, in the chaotic
aftermath of a duel near Natchez, Mississippi, Jim used it to stab
an assailant who was trying to kill him; the story of the "Sandbar
Fight" ensured Jim's reputation as a deadly knife fighter, and all
across the South, men began to ask blacksmiths to make them a knife
like Jim Bowie's; and
WHEREAS, The weapon's fame grew when Jim Bowie took it with
him to Texas, and he and other defenders of the Alamo are thought to
have used the knives during the battle; the Bowie knife later became
popular with the Texas Rangers who served under the legendary Jack
Hays and Ben McCulloch, as well as with Confederate soldiers, who
were known to engrave "Sunny South" and other mottoes on the blades
of their knives; and
WHEREAS, During an era when guns often misfired, the Bowie
knife was a valuable back-up weapon, and schools were set up to
teach the technique of using the blade in a fight; knife makers
throughout the country met the increasing demand by creating
versions of the blade, and a journalist in Louisiana wrote that "all
the steel in the country, it seemed, was immediately converted into
Bowie knives"; they became internationally famous as well, and
cutlers in the English steel town of Sheffield began crafting
models that featured elaborately etched titles and slogans, such as
"Arkansas Toothpick," "Rio Grande Camp Knife," and "Americans Never
Surrender"; and
WHEREAS, The blade became less widely used as firearms became
more reliable, but it has continued to be popular with hunters and
collectors; designs have varied over the years, but today, the
Bowie knife typically features a steel blade that is at least an
inch and a half wide and eight inches long and between 3/16 and 1/4
inch thick, with a clip point that gives the weapon its distinctive
shape; the knife's handle often incorporates an S-shaped guard,
with the upper part angled forward so as to catch an opponent's
blade during a fight; and
WHEREAS, In 1958, one scholar wrote that "in the history of
American arms, three weapons stand out above all the rest: the
Kentucky rifle, the Colt's revolver, and the Bowie knife"; since
the days of the Alamo, the knife has served as an evocative reminder
of Texas' storied past, and it is inextricably linked with the
fierce and independent spirit of the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the Bowie knife as the official state knife of
Texas.