Museum Collections

Civil War Drawings Collection. The Arkansas Toothpick is essentially a Bowie Knife: a heavy dagger with a pointed, straight 12-20 inch blade. The "toothpick" is balanced and weighted for throwing and can also be used for thrusting and slashing. Because of its large size, the Arkansas Toothpick is usually carried in a holster across the back. The nature of the Bowie Knife or "Arkansas toothpick" is to be heavy enough to be used as a hatchet for cutting wood, but sharp enough for shaving or combat. Its versatility had such an impact that two of Arkansas's nicknames became "The Bowie State" and "The Toothpick State"