Description: "From Sword to
Knife." Loading rifles during the
Civil War was time consuming and
impossible in close combat. The
Confederacy would scour battlefields
for other objects that could be used
as weapons, especially in close
quarters. Broken swords of offers
were especially prized because of
the superior steel used in the
blades. Soldiers would quickly turn
the broken blade into a close combat
"d-guard" knife, so named because of
the hand guard. Gen. Robert E. Lee
was no exception, and carried a
"d-guard" knife he made from his own
broken sword.
The Robert E. Lee knife is a
D-guard Bowie, modeled after an
original surviving "d-guard" knife.
The blade measures 8 1/2" and is
hand-forged from 420 high-carbon
steel with a hand guard of solid
brass. The wood handle is taken
directly from a black oak on the
grounds of Lee's former estate in
Arlington, Virginia. It's decorated
with 13 brass stars forming the
familiar pattern of the "Stars and
Bars" Confederate flag, symbolizing
the pride of the South. It is
engraved with "First Gentleman of
Virginia," with a certificate of
authenticity. Only 1,807 knives, the
year Lee was born — will be made.
