A Bear & Son 'Gold Rush Bowie' knife coming my way as an addition to my collection...

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I've never had a Bear & Son Cutlery knife in my collection, but did finally order a Bowie knife made by them to have at least one as a representation of their brand.

For many years I have been wanting to add one or more of their knives into my collection. But, over those same years, there seemed to always be a lot of so-so reviews about their quality control/final execution.
There were also some reviews that would crow about them being pretty darned nice for the little money that some could be had for, (especially for being an American made product), but that it was a hit or miss thing with them.

Well, with my already having a mint Western W49 Bowie, (from the Camillus Cutlery era), and a Case XX Bowie, I decided that the Bear & Son Gold Rush Bowie that I had pondered buying so often before, (during the past so many years), was something I would finally take a chance on, and so I finally ordered one.
Based on videos and online photos of this model knife, it seems to be an almost outright copy of the Western W49. I am liking the idea that it actually may have real Cocobolo wood handle scales, since usually the name Cocobolo is used for birch laminate scales that are only stained as if they were Cocobolo.
I should be getting it within the next few days.





Hopefully she winds up being a nice representation of their brand
It should fit right in with my Western & Case Bowie knives shown in the following photo

 

[The Mastiff]

I like the big bowies too. Always have. I thought about getting that one more than once so please let us know how you like it. It's obviously made of good quality materials. I have bought a few of their folders and while they came pretty dull/thick edged the performance was easy enough to bring out by sharpening.

Good luck with it Pocket Knife Jimmy.

Joe

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I like the big bowies too. Always have. I thought about getting that one more than once so please let us know how you like it. It's obviously made of good quality materials. I have bought a few of their folders and while they came pretty dull/thick edged the performance was easy enough to bring out by sharpening.

Good luck with it Pocket Knife Jimmy.

Joe

Thank you, Sir!
And, yes, I will come back here when it arrives and will share my impressions of it

Here's a Western W49 in the hands of Robert Redford while playing the part of Jeremiah Johnson



I think my main draws to the Bear & Son Gold Rush model Bowie knife are...

*It's Western W49 styling.

*It being made in the USA.

*The Cocobolo wood scales.

*And, the old school look that the two small pins attaching the wood scales give it.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I received my Bear & Son "Gold Rush Bowie" knife today.

Okay, so there's good, and not so good.
I'll start with the good first...
It has a pretty sharp edge that's consistent from ricasso to it's tip.
The materials used to make the knife and sheath are of good quality, including the grip scales that are actually a nicely grained real cocobolo wood, not a laminated wood facsimile. Also, the wood has no cracks/fractures of any sort, and no repair/wood filler spots anywhere.
The blade is straight/true with the handle.
The guard has no looseness/wobble.
The knife is actually very close in profile to the Western W49.


So, what's not so good about it?...
Well, one handle scale meets totally flush with the guard, while the other side's scale is short of the guard by about 1/32"
While the blade has decent grinds, they aren't perfect, but it's the waves in the blade that are more discouraging. They are pretty easy to see when the blade is seen at slight angles.

I think if the knife were totally unmarked, and I had no idea where it was made, I would have guessed it to have been made by Windlass Steelcrafts of India. That's not a bad thing, but not quite what I would expect from an American cutlery company.
I must say, if Bear & Son would up their game by about 10 to 15 percent, they would hit the necessary mark. But, as it stands, I now can see why they are only considered okay, but not usually very sought after by those seeking out USA made brand knives. It's too bad that after all these years, they just can't seem to up their game that little extra bit that would catapult them into being more mainstream.

But, with that all said, it still has an overall decent look and feel about it, and... they are actually priced at a level that makes their purchase okay. So, although I now finally have a Bear & Son representation in my collection, I won't be seeking to add any more in.

In one word it's... Okay.

Edit to include the following change in my overall review of this knife...
Upon further inspection and consideration, I have decided to return this knife back to the vendor. It simply does not meet my expectations... Further explanation and pictures can be found further down on this thread.

 

[brownshoe]

It's $116, made in US, Cocobola so a little gap ain't too bad. The Case is $190. Does it work well chopping up chunks of wood for the Weber? That's what I use my bowie for

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

It's $116, made in US, Cocobola so a little gap ain't too bad. The Case is $190. Does it work well chopping up chunks of wood for the Weber? That's what I use my bowie for

It's just another knife for my eclectic collection. It fills a gap, my not having previously owned any Bear & Son knives.

And, yes, as I mentioned above, the knife is only okay in it's overall final build execution. But, since they can realistically be had from $100 to $120, the price for it matches what one gets for the money, and therefore makes it an okay purchase. In other words, the reason they don't sell for $175 to $200 plus, is because they just don't have the overall build quality to command that much money for them.
The Case does have a very good build execution, as does my Western W49. Both of those knives are nicer representations of this genre of knife

 

[Fixall]

I received my Bear & Son "Gold Rush Bowie" knife today.

Okay, so there's good, and not so good.
I'll start with the good first...
It has a pretty sharp edge that's consistent from ricasso to it's tip.
The materials used to make the knife and sheath are of good quality, including the grip scales that are actually a nicely grained real cocobolo wood, not a laminated wood facsimile. Also, the wood has no cracks/fractures of any sort, and no repair/wood filler spots anywhere.
The blade is straight/true with the handle.
The guard has no looseness/wobble.
The knife is actually very close in profile to the Western W49.


So, what's not so good about it?...
Well, one handle scale meets totally flush with the guard, while the other side's scale is short of the guard by about 1/32"
While the blade has decent grinds, they aren't perfect, but it's the waves in the blade that are more discouraging. They are pretty easy to see when the blade is seen at slight angles.

I think if the knife were totally unmarked, and I had no idea where it was made, I would have guessed it to have been made by Windlass Steelcrafts of India. That's not a bad thing, but not quite what I would expect from an American cutlery company.
I must say, if Bear & Son would up their game by about 10 to 15 percent, they would hit the necessary mark. But, as it stands, I now can see why they are only considered okay, but not usually very sought after by those seeking out USA made brand knives. It's too bad that after all these years, they just can't seem to up their game that little extra bit that would catapult them into being more mainstream.

But, with that all said, it still has an overall decent look and feel about it, and... they are actually priced at a level that makes their purchase okay. So, although I now finally have a Bear & Son representation in my collection, I won't be seeking to add any more in.

In one word it's... Okay.


View attachment 1818358View attachment 1818359

Some pics with the Bear & Son Bowie next to my Case Bowie...
View attachment 1818403View attachment 1818404View attachment 1818405

You’ve summed up my thoughts on Bear and Son perfectly with this post.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

You’ve summed up my thoughts on Bear and Son perfectly with this post.

Yes, it seems like they made a knife where a person concerned with only using it as a tool would feel okay, but not if they also wanted to feel a pride of ownership with it.
Being an American made item, I just can't feel that sense of pride in owning it because it just misses the mark in very obvious ways.
In fact, upon further inspection and consideration, I have decided to simply return it.
To put that into context... I rarely return ANYTHING!
Most times if the issue(s) are not that bad, I try to accept them as not such a big deal, part of a world of imperfections.
But, I had this knife on the kitchen table alongside some other knives, including some of my Russian made knives, and I almost felt embarrassed for the Bear & Son product. Next to those other knives, it truly looked like a third world product.
I will try sharing some pics of the poor fitting in the handle scale to guard fit that leaves a gap. Which is especially a no-no on a knife that requires that fit to be done correctly in order to keep the guard from easily loosening. Of course the gap also just screams out poor fitting/poor quality control.
I will also try capturing a picture of the waves in the blade.... They are just not acceptable to me.

I tried capturing the flaws best that I could, (gap between guard and handle scale and waves in the blade). They are easily noticeable in hand, but a little more tricky to capture in photos.
But, the pics tell the story well enough, with one showing how one can see the tang between the gap of the handle scale and guard...

 

[KenHash]

Just out of curiosity, are you going to add the Cold Steel Wild West Bowie to your collection?

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Just out of curiosity, are you going to add the Cold Steel Wild West Bowie to your collection?

No, I looked into it, but it seems to be another one of those really hit or miss things with that one too.
Also, I saw a photo of the tang construction, it being skeletonized, which I am not a fan of on this style of knife. Besides, the look of that tang was horrendous. I mean, really ugly work under those scales. I understand that part is hidden by the handle, but it bugs me to see such crude work and know it's under there. To each their own, I guess.
I do have a few of the 1917 Frontier Bowie knives in my collection, they having a beast of a tang, and not skeletonized.
Yeah, their Wild West Bowie doesn't call out to me, including their oversizing it from the basic platform size of the Case and Western models.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

To be fair to Bear & Son, I have sent them an email with a link to this thread.
I figure it's good for them to have a chance to at least read this post, which has very much turned into a review of their Gold Rush Bowie knife. They could choose to respond or not, but at least they can make that decision by knowing this is over here.
I was not out to bash Bear and Son, I am only sharing what I received. I think the pictures do well enough in explaining why I felt the knife was simply way too unacceptable.
Maybe something as simple as this thread about their product could finally cause Bear & Son to look into honing their skills to the point of becoming more quality conscious and quality consistent.
Hey, you never know.
I sure would love to see Bear & Son become a quality American name brand... I don't feel they are anywhere near that at this point.
I don't want to see another American Cutlery go way of the Do-Do Bird.

 

[Alone]

I've been following this thread pretty closely, and...I gotta' say...I think you may've gotten a REALLY substandard iteration. I went and looked at mine, and it isn't nearly that bad. It ain't perfect, but it's about as perfect as one would expect for a large "Made in the U.S.A." Bowie in that price range.

I bought a Gold Rush after watching a vid on YouTube titled something like, "Five Bowies You Should Own". When it got to me, it was so pretty that I didn't want to use it/beat on it. As an example, I've beaten my CS Wild West and Condor Undertaker like red-headed stepchildren. That being posted, I'm glad you broke with tradition and decided to return it. I think you'll find, when you get another (*unless you get another lemon), that was a good choice. (*I hope you have good luck. Returning a brand new knife is a PIA)


Here's a pic of my Gold Rush that I posted on another Site, last year, for "National Knife Day"...

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I've been following this thread pretty closely, and...I gotta' say...I think you may've gotten a REALLY substandard iteration. I went and looked at mine, and it isn't nearly that bad. It ain't perfect, but it's about as perfect as one would expect for a large "Made in the U.S.A." Bowie in that price range.

I bought a Gold Rush after watching a vid on YouTube titled something like, "Five Bowies You Should Own". When it got to me, it was so pretty that I didn't want to use it/beat on it. As an example, I've beaten my CS Wild West and Condor Undertaker like red-headed stepchildren. That being posted, I'm glad you broke with tradition and decided to return it. I think you'll find, when you get another (*unless you get another lemon), that was a good choice. (*I hope you have good luck. Returning a brand new knife is a PIA)


Here's a pic of my Gold Rush that I posted on another Site, last year, for "National Knife Day"...

That's the thing that made me originally shy away from Bear & Son... That whole hit or miss inconsistency thing.
Over the years they have been known for that. One knife looking pretty good, while another one looking like it was made by a total rookie.
This is not something new about them, and it's why I kept away, since I didn't care for the 50-50 odds of getting an acceptable specimen.
Again, the pics don't lie, and I am sure yours looks just fine, but it only further proves that real hit or miss thing Bear & Son seems to have going on.
One thing I read in quite a few reviews over the past few years, was how the Gold Rush Bowie arrived to folks with a little wobble/loosened guard.
With seeing how poorly my specimen's one side handle scale was fitted, I can see that being a problem. So, again, what I received is shown in the photos, and I don't believe such poor workmanship/quality control has been rare with B&S, since I have been reading about it for years.
My thought and hope was that maybe it was something they finally had a handle on, (pun not intended), but apparently they still do not. Things occasionally slip by any company, but the awful waves in the knife's blade, that awful fitting of the one handle scale?... Well, not even a quality control person that was blind could have missed both.
I am happy that yours is one of the good ones, but it seems the bad ones are still not a rare thing at all with Bear & Son... Worse yet, the bad ones are still likely common.

That is why my return is for a full refund, my not caring to play ping pong with yet another one I would need to return.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

To add something here concerning this matter, I believe the reason you really don't get many members here posting about Bear & Son knives, is because they have indeed gained a reputation for being mediocre. I could be wrong on this, but I feel that their quality control has indeed been a consistent problem, and their popularity/reputation amongst knife folks, (not the average occasional knife buyer), has been damaged.

The following link is to another thread on Bladeforums concerning Bear & Son and their quality in general. One can see the pattern they have had, and I guess continue to have...

Thread 'Bear and Sons American made knives your thoughts' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bear-and-sons-american-made-knives-your-thoughts.1310483/

 

[Alone]

To add something here concerning this matter, I believe the reason you really don't get many members here posting about Bear & Son knives, is because they have indeed gained a reputation for bring mediocre. I could be wrong on this, but I do feel that their quality control has indeed been a consistent problem, and their popularity/reputation amongst knife folks, (not average occasional knife buyers), has been damaged.

Admittedly, when I bought the above Gold Rush, I really didn't know much about Bear & Sons. As I posted, I fell victim to a YT vid. I have a "bag o' Bowies" that I grab from (*Ontario, Barky, Cold Steel, Condor, Khukuri House, etc.) and thought the Gold Rush might be a nice addition.

I don't mean to go all "political", and don't own a quarter of the blades that you do. However, I've seen a lot of nonsense over the last few years. In-between the pandemic and the apparent work ethic of our last couple of generations, it seems that quite a few American Manufacturers are going through the process of vetting, training, and ultimately losing workers...only to start and repeat that whole process over and over again. It's a shame, but it seems that it is what it is.


I'm sorry you won't be trying another Bear & Sons, but can completely understand.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Admittedly, when I bought the above Gold Rush, I really didn't know much about Bear & Sons. As I posted, I fell victim to a YT vid. I have a "bag o' Bowies" that I grab from (*Ontario, Barky, Cold Steel, Condor, Khukuri House, etc.) and thought the Gold Rush might be a nice addition.

I don't mean to go all "political", and don't own a quarter of the blades that you do. However, I've seen a lot of nonsense over the last few years. In-between the pandemic and the apparent work ethic of our last couple of generations, it seems that quite a few American Manufacturers are going through the process of vetting, training, and ultimately losing workers...only to start and repeat that whole process over and over again. It's a shame, but it seems that it is what it is.


I'm sorry you won't be trying another Bear & Sons, but can completely understand.

Yeah, sometimes it just is what it is.
I'll tell you one thing, after my second inspection of that B&S Bowie, I knew right then and there that my previous desire to own a specimen or two of theirs has totally vanished.
Like I had mentioned above, it laying there on my kitchen table next to knives from Taiwan, Russia, Japan, and USA, the Gold Rush Bowie looked totally out of place. It was the one that looked the least like a quality knife.
I had initially stated that it compared to a Windlass Steelcrafts made product, but I was wrong. Maybe like a Windlass made years ago, but not like a any Windlass I own made anytime recently. My apologies for having made that comparison to Windlass of India, since I believe Windlass has indeed notched up a bit in their quality.

Here is my Cold Steel Cinquedea (made by Windlass Steelcrafts)

 

[The Mastiff]

For good or bad thanks for taking the time to update us here. It's a shame because that knife has a lot of potential due to the design and materials. For a while in trying to satisfy my bowie fix I'd look for old Solingen made bowies from the 60's and 70's on ebay. It seems like everybody decided to do the same and things quickly got out of hand price wise. There are not many in good shape and the ones that are still have some quality issues that they were made with. Now it's rare for me to find one I like in decent shape that isn't hugely overpriced. I even tried getting worn /rusted ones and working on them but between the cost and my time I was not happy. That brought me to the point you are now too I think. Still looking for nice knives that are built of good quality materials and still halfway affordable.

It's a shame. I was hoping it would work out for you. I'd feel the same way though. Spotty quality control is the one thing that seems to hold Bear & Son back from being truly liked and accepted with us knife hobbyists.

Oh well.

Joe

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

For good or bad thanks for taking the time to update us here. It's a shame because that knife has a lot of potential due to the design and materials. For a while in trying to satisfy my bowie fix I'd look for old Solingen made bowies from the 60's and 70's on ebay. It seems like everybody decided to do the same and things quickly got out of hand price wise. There are not many in good shape and the ones that are still have some quality issues that they were made with. Now it's rare for me to find one I like in decent shape that isn't hugely overpriced. I even tried getting worn /rusted ones and working on them but between the cost and my time I was not happy. That brought me to the point you are now too I think. Still looking for nice knives that are built of good quality materials and still halfway affordable.

It's a shame. I was hoping it would work out for you. I'd feel the same way though. Spotty quality control is the one thing that seems to hold Bear & Son back from being truly liked and accepted with us knife hobbyists.

Oh well.

Joe

Yes, I agree, Sir.
I have my mint Camillus Cutlery era Western W49 Bowie, and she is a beaut!
I also recently acquired a Case XX Bowie to replace the one I had sold off during my divorce about 16 years ago.
And... since I liked the quality of that recently purchased XX Bowie, I went ahead and ordered another one, but this one will have no etched blade scenes and have the white colored handle, (I always thought that one looked over the top cool)

So, I have this genre of Bowie style, (the WW2 Collins V44 type thing), well represented in my collection...
I just thought that maybe the itch I long had for the Bear & Son Gold Rush Bowie should be scratched as well. But... it turns out it's been scratched off the list instead!

Btw, it was only a year ago or so that I was able to pick up my mint NIB condition Western W49 for, if I remember correctly, $135 or $140, (definitely one of those prices), at a local knife show that was being held.
So, they are out there, my friend... Keep your eyes peeled

 

[JPD1998]

I have a few Bear & Son's knives. My experience has been similar and I have knives made by them going back 15 years or more.

The worst being a Remington branded swing guard and the best this Bowie knife I bought about three years ago.
I've heard rumors that they've always had issues with employee turnover. They're located in a small town in Alabama.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Well, I have not heard back from Bear & Son, my having informed them about this thread, (and my having sent them a link to it).
They obviously already know that their reputation is not the greatest, and likely ignore all the complaints, while moving forward without any positive change.
I don't know how they have made it this far, but can't imagine them holding on for much longer, especially under the new economic norms we are now under.
We shall see.