Manufactured around the time of the American Civil War, the Crookes Brothers firm of Henry and John was in operation from the very early 1860s, after their partnership with John Slater dissolved, until 1893 when Henry Crookes died. Bowie and belt knives such as this one were in extremely high demand on the American market during the period of westward expansion and the Civil War. It measures 11 3/4 inches overall with a 7 1/2 inch spear point blade. One side of the blade has a large etched panel that features the slogans "Americans ask for nothing but what is right", "O.K.", along with "And will submit to nothing wrong". These slogans are all ones that are often seen on Civil War period knives from a variety of Sheffield makers. The two-piece guard is German silver with floral scroll engraving. It is fitted with stag grip scales and a blank German silver escutcheon on one side. Includes a leather sheath with light gilt filled tooling and German silver fittings.

Very fine overall, the exceptional blade mostly bright with some scattered light spotting, a few light nicks and a minor bend in the edges, and crisp acid etching. The German silver is bright with crisp engraving. The grips are excellent with a few light handling marks. The sheath is fine with some mild wear.