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LOT 1082
Rare and Highly
Desirable
Graveley &
Wreaks New
York “The
Chase The
Chase” Etched
Blade Hunter’s
Bowie Knife
with Sheath -
Manufactured c.
1835 to 1838, this knife was almost certainly made by one of the plethora
of blade makers in Sheffield, England at the time. John Graveley and Charles Wreaks were
English immigrants and arrived in New York City around 1835, forming a business partnership shortly after. Their address is listed in the New York directories as the Astor House
at the intersection of Broadway and Barclay, placing them firmly in a very affluent location. They are known for sourcing a variety of high end and ornately mounted cutlery from the finest makers in Sheffield, with this knife being a fine example of exactly that. This piece is an example of one of their advertised “hunter’s knives”, the blade etched with the slogan “The Chase The Chase”. A visually identical example to this one is pictured on p. 69 of “The Antique Bowie Knife Book” by Adams, Voyles, and Moss. It measures 14 3/4 inches overall with a 10 inch drop point blade, having the previously mentioned etching on the left. The left ricasso is marked “GRAVELEY/& WREAKS/NEW YORK”. The hilt is German silver with both the guard and pommel lightly floral engraved. It is fitted with smooth antique ivory grip scales with German silver panels on both sides. The sheath has light border tooling and German
silver fittings.
CONDITION: Fine, the blade mostly bright with some scattered patches of light pitting/darker patina, the etching slightly faint, and evidence of sharpening. The German silver shows an attractively aged patina. The grip scales are fair with multiple cracks and chips absent. The sheath is fine with moderate wear. A rare American retailer marked knife from early in the golden age of the Bowie!
Estimate: 7,500 - 15,000
LOT 1083
Massive Documented J. Walters & Co. Sheffield Bowie Knife with Sheath as Pictured in “American Knives” by
Harold Peterson - Manufactured c. 1850s-1860s by J. Walters & Co. at their Globe Works in Sheffield, England. Multiple knives bearing this marking were
discovered on the shipwreck of
the Modern Greece, a Confederate
blockade runner. This specific knife is
pictured in Figure 59 on p. 48 of “American Knives” by
Harold Peterson. This impressive example measures 18 inches overall with a 11 13/16
inch clip point blade. The left ricasso has the maker’s mark “J.WALTERS&Co/
SHEFFIELD/GLOBE WORKS”. It has an elliptical German silver
disk guard, a floral patterned
bolster beneath that, a smooth
contoured ebony grip, and a
German silver pommel featuring
floral patterns and a stag and doe scene
on each side. The red leather wrapped sheath has lightly
tooled floral patterns with gilt fill and German silver fittings.
CONDITION: Fine, the blade mostly bright with some scattered patches of darker grey patina and light pitting and the maker’s mark remaining crisp. The German silver is mostly bright showing a slightly aged patina. The grip is fine with a few hairline age cracks in the right side. The guard is slightly loose. The sheath is fine with some moderate wear and flaking and a loose end piece..
Provenance: The Ben Palmer Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 2,500 - 4,000
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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK AMERICAN KNIVES BY PETERSON