Arkansas Toothpick?

The Bowie Knife: Unsheathing an American Legend, at http://www.amazon.com/Bowie-Knife-Unsheathing-American-Legend/dp/193146412X

If you love Bowie Knives or just enjoy American History you ought to have a copy of this book in your library. People still do have home libraries don’t they? Anyway, it is not a cheap book, at Amazon it is $79.99 but it is a great read and the full color photos are terrific. One of the book’s chapters discusses the difference, real or not, between an Arkansas Toothpick versus a Bowie Knife. I was always taught that there was a difference and the toothpick was a double-edged dirk style blade rather than the Bowie which was a clip or spear point style. According to Mr. Flayderman’s extensive research these names have been used interchangeably, or not, throughout history. In the following photo you will see a beautiful Toothpick made by AC Warren and my Big Matt Lamey Bowie. Both knives have twelve inch blades and are very typical of the powerful fighting knives carried in the mid 1800s. Of the two, the Bowie is the more versatile fighting knife. It is quite capable of thrusting but also of creating grievous cuts. The Toothpick has obvious ties to Scottish Dirks of the 1700 & 1800s, or possibly the main gauche of an earlier time. It is primarily a thrusting weapon.
Either one would ruin your day if they were in the hands of an agitated opponent. The Toothpick will require more finesse to be effective but, like the Bowie, it has a big intimidation factor. Kudos to Mr A.C. Warren for creating this beautiful rendition of an Arkansas Toothpick. The handle is ebony and the mounts are brass. The sheath itself is truly a work of art.