A man's last line of self defense in the Old West was often his trusty bowie knife. It could not jam, run out of ammunition, or misfire. The finest bowie knives intended for sale in the American West were made by well respected English cutlers in Sheffield. This Antique 1880s Old West Wade Wingfield & Rowbotham Stag Handle English Bowie Knife is in Very Good Condition, with a bit of nicking to the blade tip, some light sharpening to the blade edge, some cleaning, scratching, and pitting at each side of the blade, some verdigris along the top front edge of the guard, some light cleaning, scratching, and pitting to the guard, some light scattered shrinking to the handle scales such that they remain a bit shy of the tang in areas, and with some light overall age wear evident. Otherwise, the knife is in fine shape, with no other damage. Most interestingly, it features a bright 7” clip point bowie blade with a top false edge, sports elegant genuine stag handle scales secured by 3 steel pins, and is stamped along the left side of the blade with its maker, “WADE WINGFIELD / & ROWBOTHAM / SHEFFIELD”, along with the firm’s “crown and harp” logo. It’s also marked “SHEFFIELD / ENGLAND” at the ricasso. The lack of “ENGLAND” in the vertical maker’s stamp and the presence of that “SHEFFIELD / ENGLAND” mark at the ricasso reveals a great deal about the time at which the knife was made, likely ca. 1885-1890. It was clearly made without a country of origin mark originally, but after 1890, in accordance with the McKinley Tariff, all foreign made knives imported into the US had to be stamped with the country of origin. Thus the knife was likely made before 1890 but close enough to that date that it was still in the company’s inventory to be imported into the US and require the country of origin stamp. It boasts a nickel silver full guard, and is complete with the original Antique 19th Century Brown Leather Scabbard in Very Good Condition, with only some scattered wrinkling, darkening, and age wear evident. Otherwise, the scabbard is in fine shape, with absolutely no rips, holes, tears, or other damage. Most interestingly, it bears an understated line of embossing down the sides at front and back, carries a fully intact sewn leather belt loop at the upper back, below the familiar “mushroom” shaped leather piece commonly encountered on these ca. 1880s scabbards, and the set is a fine example of a very rare, original Antique 1880s Old West Wade Wingfield & Rowbotham Stag Handle English Bowie Knife.