don't mean to be rude but your the type of people that makes me not do the civil war stuff just to stuffy about the whole thing i've seen every type of gun knife weapon on civil war battle fields i'm sure they even used stick and stones to kill with ,LOL my wife does have a bowie"smashing period corect",sword 1862 ammes,three 1858 rems,and rides in a texas cal.group who uses cowboy stuff,so this little boot knife wont hurt anything and your right when out on the field none of them take there knives but when there walking around camp they just have fun,then there them guys that are running around yelling thats not right this aint right most of the time we just laugh at them people.its just a knife chill out .my kid rides also she the bugler and she has her sword and knife all period correct, shes 13 ,But i just cant handle the crap of some people having to be just right.so i don't do the civil war stuff.just stay home and make knives .