“Lill” William Doyle alias Little Willy, called Bassfish

The so-called “Confederate D-guard bowie,” with an overall length exceeding half a meter, likely derives from original artillery military “short sabres”. This truly large knife was typical for Confederate soldiers and is often seen in period photographs from the era of the American Civil War and the “Wild West.” The design draws inspiration from the originals, yet the result is my own artistic interpretation of this type of knife. Overall, the work on this knife took me approximately 250 hours, a substantial part of which was spent on the sheath and its demanding fitting to the knife.

Blade – five layer  go-mai – W.Nr. 1.2842 (O2 / ČSN 19 313) + 75Ni8 Uddeholm (15N20), 

Guard / spacers – patinated mild steel

Handle – bog oak. This wood was part of the foundation of a medieval bridge and was worked by people around the year 1305. I obtained the wood legally from the head of the archaeological team as leftover material intended for disposal. It is fascinating that this piece of history did not end up in a landfill but could live again as a witness of the past.

Sheath – made of the same material as the handle

Dimensions – overall length 52 cm (approx. 20.5″), blade 38.5 cm (approx. 15.2″),

blade width max. 53 mm (approx. 2.1″), thickness 6.5 mm (approx. 0.256″)

– 17.06.2024 –