Bowie Knives by Jerry Fisk

If you had a change to go back in time and meet Jim Bowie, you'd want to bring him a really nice gift, and you couldn't go wrong with one of Jerry Fisk's investment-grade Damascus-steel bowies. Fisk, an Arkansas Master Bladesmith who has been designated a National Living Treasure, has been making knives for more than three decades. His work has graced seven magazine covers and won him numerous awards. The following photos are taken from his website.

A midsize bowie knife with an antique ivory handle. 

A drop-point bowie with mother-of-pearl scales, and 24-karat gold borders and pins.

A "Southwest Bowie," Fisk's favorite large knife pattern.

Persian-influenced bowie with an 11-inch blade and scales of fossil walrus tusk.

Fisk was once asked why he made knives. He answered, "To show that I lived. My work will last hundreds of years longer than I will. But now they will know I was here."

That seems like a safe bet.