Arkansas Toothpick

By Crusader1307

Often seen as part of The Bowie Knife Family, these knives/daggers were first seen around the 1830s in America. Double-edged and extremely sharp, they were considered a cutting and stabbing weapon. They ranged from 12 to 24 inches in length. They featured no or a very small cross hilt.hand guard. The had longer handles than most knives of the period. James Black (the Blacksmith responsible for crafting David Bowie's famous blade, made the first prototype). Toothpicks were popular among Duelists in the 19th Century, so much so that Regulations banning and limiting their possession were enacted in some States. The name "Arkansas Toothpick" come from a popular myth of using the blade to pick clean one's teeth, as well as being invented in the State of Arkansas. Some of these blade would be seen in several future American conflicts (as personal battlefield weapons).