A little help, on my first REAL knife.

J

Jakel

Joined
Dec 13, 2001
Messages
3
I have been exceptionally impressed by the vast knowledge on this board. So much so I registered. Now I need some help. I am interested in begining a knife collection. I would like my first purchase to be a memorable one.
I am looking for a fixed blade preferrably a Bowie but could be a Buck. One with a 5 inch blade or larger to around 7 inch is ideal. Hollow ground seems preferable to me but, over the years as in life, I have learned certain situations require different measures. I would like to stay within a dollar range of 200.00 - 500.00
I would call the blade I am looking for to be a generalist for me: Meaning use on wood, deer cleaning, cheese. Something with a 'pucker factor' I might like as well.
There appear to be some reputable dealers and makers here and I could frankly go with one of them or a Gun & Knife show here in Dallas. I am looking for personal choices from others. Now I am a newbie to this industry so all info I will absorb like a sponge.
Please assist.
With many thanks.
Jay
 
I would advise you to handle this in three steps if you truly want your first to be special, both in the short term and particularly the long term.

1) Cruise the web and find some knives that visually appeal to you and meet your requirements. Some of my favorite sites include;

www.knifeart.com
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
www.arizonacustomknives.com

2) Narrow down your choices and bring a list back here and I am sure you will get more feedback on your selected models than you could hope for. You may even form your own ranking in advance and keep it to yourself.

3) Buy what YOU like. Chances are that if say, you bring 5 possible knives back to the forums for critique, these are 5 knives that you already find appealing. Weigh the pro's and con's of each and make your decision based on your own personal choice cross referenced to forum members input. Ex. If your personal pick is also the one most favored by the forums, that's your knife!

If only it was this easy :rolleyes:
 
There is some confusion in your description:

"I am looking for a fixed blade preferrably a Bowie but could be a Buck."

"Bowie" is a class or general type of knife, bearing certain blade and handle characteristics.

"Buck" is a brand name, they make several fixed blades in the sie you describe, with clip point blades, but one would be hard pressed to call them "Bowies".

I'm sure you know what you want when you see it :D, just trying to clear it up for those who want to give advice.
 
Your points are well taken.
And I agree, a choice like mine is a very relative one to me. I will enjoy reading other posts as well. As will I enjoy participating in some discussions in the future.
:)
 
GO to a knife-show or a GOOD local "knife-shop" where you can handle many knives, and find the one that is the best for YOU.

With that being said, there are many excellent knives that fit your search very well. SOG makes some excellent "Bowies", as well as Marbles, Busse, Bill Siegle, and Camillus. Fallkniven has just come-out with a nice Bowie.
 
Bearing in mind what you would like, I think one of Bob Dozier's larger blades would fit the bill admirably. Check out his stuff and see if any of it appeals to you.
 
Take a look at the Randall line of "Bowie types" if you can find one. They are definately a nice start to any collection. As far as "Bowies" go, they are my personal favorite...
 
Another way to go would be to get in touch with a maker and discuss what you want. This way your first real knife will be one you had a hand in designing. In your price range, 2 good ones that come to mind are Barry Jones(jknives@gamewood.net) and Centercross(www.centercross.com).
Good luck in your search.

Dave
 
Go see these guys:

House of Blades
tel 817-237-7721

They are an old time knife shop with a very large and broad collection of knives. Certainly well worth the drive.

The last time I checked (about a year back) they were located at:

7020 Jacksboro Hwy
Forth Worth TX 76135

They were planning on moving to a new location a few blocks away so give them a call first.

BTW, Welcome to the forums.

N2S
 
I will follow these leads and will get back with results later.
The sites I have visited so far have been exceptional in aiding my search. I hope others who are new to this, have the pleasure of gaining insight from these posts as well.
:D
Thanks again
 
Don't forget Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works. I don't own one, but I've had the pleasure of using a Full Penetrator. Wow. His prices are around $100-200 and he makes bowies.

Just a thought...

Zero
 
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