Lot 2249: RARE AND MASSIVE HALF-HORSE HALF-ALLIGATOR "AMERICAN BOWIE KNIFE" CIRCA 1840.

We usually ship ourselves, depending on your location. Generally, we will not send framed items as they can often get damaged. Please contact us for further details & a quote before bidding.

All items are to be paid for in American funds at the day of the auction. Non-residents who have not established an account with us and wish to pay by check, must do so prior to the beginning of the auction by presenting a current letter of reference from their bank or by providing references which are suitable to the auctioneer. Absentee Bidders - Directly after the auction a bill will be sent to you for the items you purchased and a total amount due. This bill is due upon presentation and must be paid immediately. The auctioneer reserves the right to hold merchandise purchased by personal check until the check has cleared the bank, if the auctioneer deems such action necessary to protect his interest. For bidders located outside of the United States we only accept payment by checks drawn on U.S. banks or wire transfer.

If you are the successful bidder and are unable to attend the auction in person or pick up your item, we will pack and ship your item for you. The costs for shipping include labor at $38 per hour, packing material and cartons, insurance at $0.75 per $100 valuation, and actual invoiced shipping charges.

Shall be reduced to 18% of the final bid price, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. This is ­assuming the account is paid by check, cash or any equivalent of cash. If you settle your account by credit card the buyer's premium then shall be the standard 21% of the final bid price which will be applied to each lot sold to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. Winning bids placed through a third-party online platform may be subject to a higher Buyer's Premium. If the Buyer's Premium set forth on any such platform exceeds the Buyer's Premium set forth herein, Buyer agrees to pay such additional premium charge.

Shall be reduced to 18% of the final bid price, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. This is ­assuming the account is paid by check, cash or any equivalent of cash. If you settle your account by credit card the buyer's premium then shall be the standard 21% of the final bid price which will be applied to each lot sold to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. Winning bids placed through a third-party online platform may be subject to a higher Buyer's Premium. If the Buyer's Premium set forth on any such platform exceeds the Buyer's Premium set forth herein, Buyer agrees to pay such additional premium charge.

State of Maine sales tax is 5.5% and will be collected at time of payment unless a current sales tax certificate is on file or if shipped anywhere except Maine and Massachusetts. If purchases are shipped to a Maine address, sales tax of 5.5% shall be collected unless a current sales tax certificate is on file. If purchases are shipped or delivered to a Massachusetts address, sales tax of 6.25% shall be collected unless a current sales tax certificate is on file.

We have attempted to make a consistent effort in cataloging and correctly describing the property to be sold. The catalog descriptions carry a limited guarantee. It is a guarantee to protect you against major discrepancies that would have a major effect upon the value of the item. Under no circumstances do we guarantee against anything less than a major discrepancy that would have less than a major effect upon value. This limited guarantee covers authenticity. It also covers any major restoration or repair not described. Also we guarantee against fakes, reproductions or major fabrications. As outlined above, our guarantee is limited, however, it is almost unique in a business that operates "Caveat Emptor". This is not a perfect system, however, and it is important to be aware of that. Our intention is to be as fair as possible in our catalog descriptions but it is virtually impossible to adequately describe an antique or collectible item that has been used and shows signs of wear. If you are a discerning, highly particular customer, it is virtually impossible to adequately describe an antique item that has been used and shows signs of wear. Imperfections, slight damages, handling marks, etc., are commonplace with antiques and with most buyers it is understood and accepted. If, however, you are a very discerning buyer and wish to know exactly what the lot is and if imperfections, handling marks, small alterations are something that are of great concern to you, then expecting mint or near mint condition, it is advisable that you not ever submit absentee bids here or at any auction house without seeing the item in person, since your definition of condition might be far more particular than what any cataloger would have time or space to specify. The entire purpose of our catalog description is to give our customers a general description and idea of what the lot is and we will stand behind that description regarding a major discrepancy only. If the discrepancy is less than major, under no circumstances would any adjustment or refund be made. This means that if you are purchasing a gun and find a small undisclosed surface crack in the wood or a couple of small chips in the wood that were not disclosed, it would not qualify for a refund. If however the stock were broken through the wrist, that would constitute a major problem and qualify for a refund. If a small in use repair were incorporated in an antique gun and overlooked in a description, it would not qualify for a refund. However, if the barrel were cut or the gun serial numbers did not match, but described as "all matching serial numbers", obviously that would qualify as a major problem and subject to a cancellation. If the gun were described as excellent original blue and it was discovered to have been re-blued, it would qualify for a cancellation. In regards to assessments of quality or percentage of original finish; under no circumstances would we cancel the sale for a difference in assessment. If our cataloger states that the gun retains about 70% of its original blue on the barrel and in your assessment after you receive the gun you feel it's actually 60%, a refund would definitely not be considered. However, if our cataloger stated that there was 70% original blue and it turned out that it was re-blued, that's a major problem and it would qualify for a refund. As stated above, this is an imperfect system; the very best thing that a client can do is to attend the auction and view the goods in person or have an agent examine the things on their behalf. In lieu of that, should you elect to leave absentee bids, we will protect you on major problems, but under no circumstances will we cancel the sale for less than a major problem. The purpose of our guarantee is to protect our bidders from major problems that would have major effect upon the value of the firearm. It is impossible for us and it is not our intention to guarantee to satisfy everyone; it is important that one understands this before bidding absentee. Should the need arise, the auctioneer reserves the right to make verbal corrections and provide additional information from the block at the time of the sale. Absentee bids will not be executed on items that are found to be other than described in the catalog unless we were able to contact you prior to the lot being sold and advise of this discrepancy. If we are unable to reach you or if time does not permit, we will not execute your bid. Please Note: the only thing we guarantee is what is in print in the catalog and what is announced from the block at the time of sale. Absolutely nothing discussed over the telephone or in person prior to the auction shall be construed as part of the guarantee.