Model 003 by Browning: "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.
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Robert E. Lee was known to Virginians as the "First Gentleman of Virginia". He had a great white horse, Traveller, which became a symbol for Lee, a "Hero". The black oak wood used in the handle of Robert E. Lee knife symbolizes the enduring strength of this man. The wood handle is taken directly from a black oak on the grounds of Lee's former estate in Arlington, Virginia. American Forests in conjunction with Arlington National Cemetary harvested the wood for use in this project. This special handle is 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. |
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Overall Length: 14"
Blade Length: 8 1/2 "
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Blade Steel: 420 HC
Bolster: 13 Stars |
Blade Engraving: "First Gentleman of Virginia" |
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| There are few knives that are more distinctly American in design and concept than the D-guard, and it is unique to the soldiers of the Confederacy. It is a forgotten fact in this age of automatic weapons that in those days of muzzle-loading firearms, the heat of battle rarely afforded time to reload a rifle in close combat. For that reason, bayonets, swords and knives were a soldier's closest friends. Knives were valuable because they could be employed in concert with a sword or bayonet to extend the range of a man's defense. Swords were often broken in the clash of battle and resourceful soldiers quickly realized that the broken steel could be turned into a lethal weapon with a minimum of effort. Most sought-after were officers' blades because of their superior grade of metal. The guard protecting the hand, made it easier to hang onto the weapon.
A centuries-old black oak tree once stood next to the Lee home, Arlington House, on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, where Robert and Mary Lee lived. The Lees inherited the 1,000-acre property from Mary's father, George Washington Parke Custis. Five generations of Lee's called the land and mansions surrounding Stratford Hall and Arlington House home, including two brothers – Robert and Harry "Lighthorse" Lee who both signed the Declaration of Independence. At the start of the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was offered a position as commander of the Union's newly established army, which was determined to fight against the seceding southern states. Refusing to abandon his home state of Virginia, Lee turned down the offer and sided with the Confederate armies of the South. On April 22, 1861, Robert and Mary Lee left Arlington House for good; Union forces quickly moved in, establishing the house and property as Fort Myer. |
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