POTD: Now That is a Knife… Bayonet – The Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet
Sam.S 08.02.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a rare military bowie knife bayonet. This is the Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet. The Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet was a gnarly knife-bayonet hybrid designed by Admiral John Dahlgren in 1856. It was meant to replace the Navy’s standard-issue sword bayonets with a more versatile knife/bayonet for close-up clobbering. Forged by Ames Manufacturing, these Bowie knives were built to be a multi-use tool for the Plymouth/Whitneyville rifles. Dahlgren pictured sailors wielding the broad, stout blades during boarding actions at sea while they also come in handy as utility tools aboard ship and onshore.
“These bayonets were designed by Admiral John Dahgren as a replacement for the sword pattern bayonets. The Dahlgen Bowie was designed for use in close quarters combat during boarding actions, as a utility knife on-board, and as a bayonet. The blade was originally 12 inches long (now 11 5/8 inches) and is marked “USN/D.R/1864” and “anchor/P/G G” on the right ricasso and “AMES MFG CO/CHICOPEE/MASS” on the left. The brass hilt has a “DR” cartouche on the butt. Includes a leather scabbard with brass fittings.”
Lot 269: Civil War U.S. Navy Dahlgrenn Bowie Bayonet with Sheath. (n.d.-m). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved August 1, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/77/269/civil-war-us-navy-dahlgren-bowie-bayonet-with-sheath.
