2017 John White MS Memorial BEST BOWIE Thread - Vote for FINALISTS!!

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Good morning Bladeforums - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

I'll start once again by thanking this terrific forum community for keeping this event alive. Absent your participation, contribution and enthusiasm, this thread simply does not exist.

The rules are no doubt well known to all by now, but a recap for anyone new to the event:

What types of knives are included?


This thread is about celebrating the quality and diversity of the genre, and the talented bladesmiths and knifemakers who have kept the bowie alive. This is NOT an attempt to define the bowie knife in either historic or contemporary terms. While I appreciate that people have strong feelings on the subject, no-one is in possession of a conclusive, exhaustive and universally-accepted definition. As with all past years, bowies, fighters, camp knives and generally any fixed blade that meets the size requirements are welcome to be included amongst the nominees. Both stock removal and forged blades are equally welcome. Daggers are excluded, as are Khukris and traditional Tantos.


Requirements are:

1) Blade length 6" and up.

2) Knife must have been made or first shown on Bladeforums in 2017.

3) Must be a custom knife.

PLEASE DO: number each knife in each post, starting with the number 1. And if you can, say a bit about WHAT you like about your nominees.

PLEASE DO NOT quote earlier posts and reproduce the images contained therein (this really messes up the voting for finalists).

Nominate as many as you like!

Here are a few to get the ball rolling.

1. Sam Lurquin CAS Collaboration Bowie.

"Epic" might be the best single term to describe this piece. Though no one word or collection of words, for that matter, could really do it justice. Though "Best of Show" certainly comes close.

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2. Jerry Fisk America Bowie

A masterful piece from the master himself.

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3. Wess Barnhill Ironwood Bowie

I have never lost my love of the simpler bowie knives - particularly when executed with surgical precision. Wood handled carbon steel bowies are where most collectors and enthusiasts start, after all. This one elevated with a light touch of gold inlay.

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4. John Cohea Bear Jaw Bowie

Variety is the strength of this genre, IMO. One could easily assemble a collection of 50 knives each of which look quite distinct from the other. Here is one that would fit well in such a collection.

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5. James Rodebaugh Maple Bowie

I just love the string, stout lines of this piece.

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6. Don Hanson III - Ivory Bowie

A Best Bowie thread without a Hanson? Perish the thought!

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7. Matt Gregory Bullwhip Fighting Bowie

Badass total package. Matt's contemporary take on a classic coffin handle bowie results in a timeless classic of his own.

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8. Mike Quesenberry Dogbone Bowie

A bowie thread without a Dogbone makes little sense. A bowie thread in memory of John White without a Dogbone makes even less sense. So let's add some sense with a spectacular rendition of the Dogbone.

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1. Jerry Kennedy multi-bar 13” Damascus Bowie
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2. Anders Hogstrom Sub-Hilt Persian-style Bowie
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3. Samuel Lurquin Bowie/Fighter
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4. Kyle Gahagan first Feather Damascus
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These are a few pieces I picked up this year that had at least a 6” blade.
 
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My favorite thread of the year

Thank you Roger and Lorien and all that participate

For me 2017 was not the year of the Bowie for me

I received some excellent knives but all on the smaller side and the largest was a Smatchet :)

If I were a betting man my money would go toward the CAS LURQUIN COLLAB PIECE

I did receive one exception piece that means a lot to me and that is The Lurquin Hybrid Maximus Two Finger Subhilt Fighting Bowie

This piece is a departure from my norm but it is a sculpted masterpiece that Sam is telling me takes him much more time than a conventional blade

I would consider it more of a Fighting Bowie than anything else

So my sole entry this year is

1) Sam Lurquin Maximus Hybrid Two Finger Subhilt Fighting Bowie


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Joe, I thought the same thing this morning. The CAS/Lurquin collaboration is my bet to win.
 
Thanks for the comments and submissions, gents. Here's more:



1. Doug Campbell D Guard Bowie

Very fine trim details on this beautiful D Guard bowie.

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The variety of knives which will find their way into this thread are ALWAYS mindblowing. Roger: We appreciate your return to the lead! Lorien: I thank you for the support.

BTW: I hope folks will display favorites without hedging 'Winners' yet. (Don't talk about Fight Club... ;))

I have not shown these two bowies in my Gallery. Yet. I'll start them here.

#1 Marcus Lin (Let's use the one with the guards as the competitor.) ALL of us familiar with his work know of his impeccable Loveless renditions. He's since moved to Malaga Spain and only has rudimentary shop tools, yet has created a FORMIDIBLE bowie in spite of this.
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EDIT: as I posted: Roger shows the 4-piece set above. he will leave it to my post for the display.

#2 Kevin Klein
His spirited rendition of a Persian/Mediterranean Bowie Is unmistakably skilled and delightful to the eye.

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Imagine that ^^^ x 4 !!! This was one of a set. YIKES!
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There will be more which I captured. (PLEASE submit anything from my Blade/ECCKS threads.) Here's a few that also need prominence.
 
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Lols Coop, great minds and all that. Could you please add the group shot of Kevin's knives to your post and I'll edit mine out?

Thanks my man!
 
All very nice, but that ironwood is just sick! :eek::thumbsup:
Love this thread!
Here are three that I made this year that qualify

1.)Feather cowboy bowie with Ringed Gidgee
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2.) Ring Guard 6 Bar Turkish Twist with Turkish Walnut
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3.) Mosaic Bowie with Ironwood
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What a great start to this years thread.

I was on a Bowie mission this year. I was able to score two of Cody's submissions. My other acquisitions are.....

1. CAS San Mai with their incredible stag.
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2. Another CAS with ladder Damascus and Ringed Gidgee.
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3. TK Steingass with English walnut
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4. Ben Seward subhilt with Hawaiian mango.
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Always love this thread. I thought I would post some of the incredible Bowies that generous members of this awesome community donated to Knife Rights in 2017 to help further our efforts. Just a wee bit of public acknowledgement and appreciation of their generous support.

#1 Freedom’s Steel™ VI – Victory’s Edge™ Bowie which raised $120,000 for NRA-ILA.

Knife by Master Smith J.R. Cook - Engraving by Master Engraver Barry Lee Hands - Photo by Jim Cooper. Full details including video of auction at: https://kniferights.org/freedoms-steel-vi-victorys-edge-bowie/

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#2 Master Smith Ray Rybar's All American Bowie donation for the 2017 Ultimate Steel - photo by Jim Cooper Full details at: http://us.kniferights.org/2017prizes/rybar_2017.htm

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