“What if we took the perfect idea of the Bowie knife and challenged the best of the best bladesmiths in the world to create their own interpretation of it. Just one rule: Stick to the design, the rest is entirely up to you.” This is the premise behind The Jim Bowie Project, as stated by The Unnamed Society – a collective of passionate inventors, designers and artisans who “conceive the impossible and then make it a reality.”
Over two years in the making, The Jim Bowie Project was conceived by The Unnamed Society in collaboration with the legendary French knife maker and designer Tashi Bharucha to create a unique collection of handcrafted knives.
Since childhood, Tashi had been nurturing the dream of paying a worthy tribute to the iconic Bowie knife – a large, fixed-blade sheathed fighting knife with a crossguard and a clip point. Created by Rezin Bowie in the early 19th century for his brother, Jim Bowie. The celebrated American frontiersman had become famous for his use of a large knife at a duel known as the Sandbar Fight.
A chance encounter with The Unnamed Society would lead to Tashi’s dream being realised through The Jim Bowie Project. The best bladesmiths from around the world were invited to create a collection of 50 knives, each one reflecting the knife maker’s personal style, technique and metal affinity. However, the blade’s silhouette had to comply with the outline provided by Tashi.
Twenty-six knife makers from 13 countries, including Tashi, took up the challenge, putting all their skill and creativity into smithing their version of the iconic knife. The fact that this unique collection took just two years to complete is a testament to Tashi’s standing and reputation within the community because some of the craftsmen have client waiting lists that span years.
“It has been a remarkable journey to go and see the best bladesmiths in the world today, including up and coming talents who will perpetuate this amazing skill, truly an art, and see the sparkle in their eyes as their imagination took over as we discussed the project,” recalls Tashi.
Each knife in The Jim Bowie Project comes with its own bespoke sheath crafted by Jeremy Guillaume, one of the best sheath makers in the world. “When Jeremy Guillaume agreed to participate in The Jim Bowie Project, it was icing on the cake,” says Tashi. “Jeremy is known not only for his absolute mastery of the full range of hides and materials, but also, and perhaps especially, for his uncanny sensibility in combining textures, colours and techniques to express, even amplify, the character of the object that his sheath protects.”
The knives in the collection feature different types of steels, alloys and techniques – from mono to sanmai to damascus and others, – as well as various approaches to knife construction, such as integral (blade, guard and handle made of one piece of steel), semi-integral, tang styles (full, partial, hidden) and so on. In addition to steel, meteorite, exotic woods, carbon, whale ivory, and horn are some of the materials used in constructing the knives.
“The Jim Bowie Project is a lifelong dream come true thanks to the vision and determination of The Unnamed Society,” says Tashi. “I know I am speaking for the community of appreciators of the truly exceptional, when I say that this project is the perfect tribute to the Art of Fire, of forging metal into a tool that is also a jewel, an expression of strength but also of sensibility, something so fundamental to the Human Story.”
