Bowie: Don't Mess With Texas; Act With Courage: Freedom-loving fighter, inventor typifies the American spirit.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Byline: JAMES DETAR

Jim Bowie found himself at the wrong end of a sword.

Bowie, a country boy from Louisiana in his early 20s, had been drawn into a duel. It wasn't uncommon in rough-and-tumble New Orleans in the early 1800s. His opponent took his sword and stabbed Bowie in the chest, narrowly missing his heart.

Bowie felt pain, but he felt a stronger urge to live. He quickly drew out a knife his brother, Reason, had given him many years before.

Reason had put a metal guard on a regular hunting knife, between the handle and the blade. That way, Jim's hand wouldn't slip down onto the blade.

The knife's design held, and Bowie lived to fight another day.

After the duel, Bowie knew the knife Reason had given him had saved his life. Yet he believed he could improve on its simple design. He analyzed its form, experimenting with the way it felt in his hand.