Bowie Knife vs. Saber

[Jonathan Randall]

Given the popularity of both bladed weapons in the United States of a century and a half ago, there must have been more than a few Bowie knife vs. Saber confrontations (particularly during the Texas uprising against Santa Anna). What strategies could a bowie knife armed fighter use to survive - ore even prevail - against the much longer and heavier saber?

 

[Blindside]

Colt Walker Revolver, Bowie vs Saber is a serious mismatch.

lamont

 

[Ken Pfrenger]

What strategies could a bowie knife armed fighter use to survive - ore even prevail - against the much longer and heavier saber?

Cobbs Traverse!

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Cobbs Traverse!

What's that?

 

[Blindside]

Cobbs Traverse!

I always liked the way Silver wrote, my copy has it as "Cob" though.

 

[Ken Pfrenger]

I always liked the way Silver wrote, my copy has it as "Cob" though.

I read somewhere and I can't recall the source that it is named after a duellist named Cobbe who had a habit of fleeing when things got tough.

So to answer your question Jonathan...cobbs traverse is turning tail and running And just to keep in a wma mindset this was written about in:
George Silver's Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes Of Defence
Unpublished, dated: 1599

 

[Rich Parsons]

Given the popularity of both bladed weapons in the United States of a century and a half ago, there must have been more than a few Bowie knife vs. Saber confrontations (particularly during the Texas uprising against Santa Anna). What strategies could a bowie knife armed fighter use to survive - ore even prevail - against the much longer and heavier saber?

Sneak up on the guy with the sabre in the sheath and attack while he is nto aware.

If the Sabre user is not as trained, then you could pass and get inside where you could trap his arm and stab him with the bowie.

If it is a duel with both prepared and both well trained then the bowie user will have to cover distance and have lots of work against him.

Yet as the length of the Bowie increases and length of the sabre decreases so that the lengths are closer to a match then it becomes more equal.

Me personally, unless forced, I would not duel a sabre with a bowie.

 

[lhommedieu]

It's a mismatch. It's almost like asking, "What could an unarmed man do against a sabre?" (Run or get inside the point.) Granted, though, that with a large Bowie you are armed with what is essentially a small sword of sorts, it would be very difficult to a) parry the sabre's cuts and thrusts b) riposte to the hand of the sabre fighter - but it could be done.

In "Fighting with the Sabre and Cutlass" (Cold Steel), Lynn Thompson and Anthony DeLongis spar with sabre vs. cutlass and the cutlass man shows how it is possible to defend and attack with the shorter weapon (assuming both opponents are equally skilled) - although it is difficult given the reach advantage that the sabre man has. A cutlass has about twice the reach as a Bowie, so I think that the difficulty factor with the Bowie has to be much greater.

Best,

Steve Lamade

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Good points all. Yes, it's a mismatch no person in their right mind would choose. However, Jim Bowie himself fought, apparently, very effectively against such from his deathbed at the alamo. He was, of course, almost certainly more skilled than any of his opponents who were armed with bayonets and sabers (Mexican officers) and his last fight was at extreme close quarters.