I stumbled across a reference to an "Arkansas Toothpick" type bowie knife known as the "Tahchee (an Indian chief) Coffin-handled Bowie:
http://www.antiquebowies.com/antiqueBow ... ahchee.htm
and became enamored with the knife/pattern:
![Image](http://www.antiquebowies.com/antiqueBowies/historic/tahchee/3._RARE_COFFIN.jpg)
I became determined to have myself one, or something like it - at a cost just a little bit lower than the $20,000 an original was evaluated @ on the Antiques Roadshow a little while ago.
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
While I'm searching for a few very large farrier's rasps, with which to fashion said Bowie - I ordered & received this repro, last week/today, for very little $$$:
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img543/5494/dscn1055w.jpg)
When I opened the box, my first thought after I recovered from the near-blindness from the glare was: "Not even close"
It had a blade polished as shiney as a chrome truck bumper, short "Rosewood" (?) scales, and a leather sheathe with a crappy/cheap, fringe/welt, insert.
![Crying or Very sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)
My second thought was: "What can I do to change it, so it looks more like the original ? "
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Sooooooo, I de-glared the blade, removed the fringe from the sheathe, and extended the grip panel forward of the guard as on the original.
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img13/5659/dscn1057lr.jpg)
I'm by no means done yet, and I'm also contemplating exactly what to do with the sheathe - carve/decorate the existing one, or make a new/different one, maybe a parfleche-type on the order of (but not exactly like) the one below.
![Image](http://www.crazycrow.com/mm5/graphics/4860-012-002-350x350.jpg)
[ 5/10/13 EDIT: I started off by decorating the sheathe that came with the knife (see post waaay below) ]
.