‘Alexander’ and ‘Sheffield’ appear on Bowie knives from the US Civil War era.   They are usually plain spear-point knives, with occasionally a shield device and the letters ‘NY’.   No ‘Alexander’ appeared in Sheffield di-rectories at that time, which suggests that Alexander was an American importer.  A likely candidate is Robert H. Alexander, who began selling cutlery in John Street, New York, in about 1850.  Later he partnered  John C. Barton (as Alexander & Waller, Platt Street).   Septimus P. Waller later joined them to form Barton, Alexander & Waller, a hardware merchant in Beekman Street in the late 1860s, then Duane Street in the 1870s.   By 1877, the firm had become Barton & Co and – according to Goins (1998)¹ – continued to market ‘Alexander’s Celebrated Cutlery’ and ‘Alexander’s Cutlery’.  But it was soon in financial difficulties and apparently owed Horrabin $11,000 (Sheffield Independent, 26 November 1877).

^1. Goins, J  E, and Goins, C, Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings (Indianapolis, 1998)