Best Bowie user for $120 or less shipped?

this thread could probably go a hundred different ways with recommendations. that is the nature of knife knuts;) and none of us could agree on what a traditional bowie looks like either but we all have our opinion anyways.

to me a traditional bowie is known for being the sidearm of the day so it isn't some heavy bladed chopping knife like a machete. all of mine balance at the guard area. if he likes the looks of the laredo i would get it. It is balanced correctly, is flat ground which i much prefer for woods use and has a semi sharp clip. The only drawback is it has a "faux wood handle" instead of a real wood handle but it still looks traditional instead of having a synthetic look to it. the laredo will do many tasks given the chance.

other traditional options were the ontario hells belles but they have gotten rather pricey since being discontinued but they can sometimes be found. these are fighters first and tools second so keep that in mind if he wants to spend a little more.

the western bowie as mentioned earlier is also a work horse with that look and can't be frowned upon either.
 
ChapmanPreferred said:
Thanks for all the input folks!

He has already gone the route of cheap yard sale and discount knives. He has a couple of Victorinox and Spyderco knives. He has a Pappy who helps him earn money. He is currently studying his Christmas gift which is:
Click to expand...

He's way ahead of the game, I was about 23 when I dscovered you get what you pay for, but now at 28 I have come full circle and think my moras are just as good as it gets. ;)

If you can find a ka bar short or heavy bowie they get great reviews, I have the kukri and the cutlass machete. Not traditional but still excellent performers and cheap, relatively. The dollar value mat be a good lesson for him to learn this young as well.:)
 
Dad had me skinning and fleshing on the trapline at 8 yrs old. A mature kid in grade 5 can appreciate a good tool.
Get him the Laredo he WANTS, show him how to put a mustard patina on it to make it his own and watch the obsession grow.
I like my laredo, not as functional overall as the trailmaster.... you might want to steer him in that direction explaining the disadvantage of the sharp clip for dedicated bush use.
Keep us updated, preferably with the little rascal holding his prize.
Have not smiled that much in a while thinking of myself at that age with a knife like that.
 
Pvt.snoballz said:
i say wait it out and get the scrapyard regulator. its gonna be amazing!
Click to expand...

Yep, for 100 bucks, this is where you want to be..

Regulator4.jpg
 
Is that his fathers money? Your money for the knife? Get him a 25 dollar Cold Steel Long Hunter etc, and put a traditional handle on it, and make a sheath for it. With him. He'll really like it and the time spent with you.
 
Ontario Marine Raider Bowie is traditional in design but not handle material. They can still be had for around $45-$50.....
 
The money is his that he collects from chores at home, chores when visiting Pappy and Grammy (dog breeder) who live in the same town and monetary gifts at holidays.
 
Sounds like how I was at 10. half of me says, "he's ten, for crying out loud!" but then, I would have wanted the real deal and nothing less. My first knife was a keychain knife from NZ. I was 12. (gawd, I even brought back spent .22LR casings, and got to go into the plane cockpit, something few kids'll get to do these days.)

Get him exactly what he wants, within reason; but don't let him get so into his blades that he doesn't chase girls when he's older :D (guilty!)
 
The Browning Crowell is a fantastic knife for the money

The Cold steel Laredo is a great prouduction bowie especialy in the old carbon V blade

Maybe a trailmaster would be better.

I had knives when I was young but unless he has alot of knife expierence be careful these knives could take a finger or worse with one stroke
 
As already mentioned, the Ka-bar heavy bowie is an excellent knife.
I have used mine extensively and it has held up without any problems.

It may not be the most fancy nor made of the latest super steel, but for the price it's hard to beat.
 
I agree with the buck 119 , except that at 10 I was throwing every kind of knife I could find. The 119 will not stand up to throwing , it will snap at the guard.. not the 1st time maybe but real soon. and it viods the warranty. been there done that
 
Get a Marine Raider Bowie 2nd from Chestnut Ridge. Then, for a more traditional look, strip the coating off the blade and guard. You can't get a more functional bowie for the money.

Cabela's has several traditional bowies in their Cutlery Catalog for $75. High carbon steel and very classic looking. I like the 1850 Bowie quite a bit myself.

Actually, $120 or a bit more would get both of these blades, shipped. Then he'd had a user he can beat on and a looker to enjoy the classic knife.

The Blackjack is a nice knife for $40 for one that's ready to go to work. You'd have to get a different sheath for it though. It really sucks. If people think that the Spec Plus sheaths from Ontario are cheaply made, you should see the one that comes with the Blackjack. It's a shame, the knife really deserves a good sheath.
 
Western or the Case would be fine. I bought my western as a teenager, paying 19 dollars for it. I still have it, and it spent many a years in the woods.
 
Chappy, as a kid who was given a Kabar 1217 for his first "Real Knife", you can't go wrong with it, just for the fun part, he can get 2, for the price that you listed. Get a traditional 1217 so he can hold a little history, then, get him one of the Kraton handled Kabars, so he can see what new and old colliding in one knife feels like.

Or get a Becker BK7, and an ESKabar for a great woodland paring.

Either way, sounds like you got a winner of a kid there, nurture that desire and turn him into a bladehound like the rest of us.:D

Moose
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top