Bill Bagwell / Bowies / Big Knives / Battle Blades

KAISA

KAISA

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Hello Bladeforum

I hope this finds you all well.
Is there any other literature on the knives of Bill Bagwell - than Bowies - Big Knives and the Best of Battle Blades you could recommend ?

Is there maybe any other book, literature - or knowledge explaining basic things quick and easy or also more complicated and technical ressources, which would also be fine.

And last but not least some basic facts about steel, why to choose this or that, just to understand basic things from a more technical aspect.

Last but not least - I am more interested in function - than in art - not that I do not consider its beauty, function is an art in itself, if this helps - and also insights in Samurai Swords - but I think this opens the topic a bit too much and maybe I should open a second post under the Sword section ;)

Thank you all for the help !
 
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Regarding steel, there are four basic attributes that determine performance:

Corrosion Resistance: resistance to rusting.

Toughness: How resistant to breaking the steel is. In other words, how easily the steel will deform without cracking.

Edge Retention: How long the edge will stay sharp. Typically this refers to resistance to abrasive wear on the edge, but it depends on what the method of cutting is.

Hardness: How resistant to deformation the steel is. The hardness is determined by how the steel is heat treated. Lower hardness allows the steel to deform more so increases toughness but also allows the edge to wear away faster so decreases edge retention. This graph shows how hardness affects toughness and edge retention for some different steels:

1000007784.png

The main thing that makes these steels different is the type and amount of other metallic elements in their composition that combine with carbon to form carbide grains that are harder than the steel they are embedded in. Having more carbides can increase the edge retention and hardenability of the blade, but it also tends to decrease toughness since cracks can more easily propagate in between the carbide grains.

Large bowie knives and swords tend to be used harder so tougher steels are preferred. For hard chopping action, how long the knife stays sharp is determined largely by how tough and how hard the knife is rather than abrasion-resistant carbides. The combination of toughness and hardness is called edge stability. Some steels with excellent edge stability are Z-Tuff, CPM-1V, and 3V.

high-alloy-toughness-3-7-2024.png
 
JParanee said:
I can try and answer your questions Bill was a friend

Click to expand...
Dear Joe
I am sorry to hear about the loss and my deepest condolences!
Thank you for the kind offer
Mostly the question is about balance and weight distribution as well the shape of the handle, (and also of the blade)
I had the chance of holding one of Bills knife’s and the Feeling is awesome.
If I remember it right he recommended the Birds Head over the Coffin and the Stag handle as the last recommended.
Couldn‘t write you a private message - but if you could help me with the questions this would be super kind.
The goal I have in mind would be to create my own handle.
They sometimes show up on the secondary market, so I might be lucky in the future!
Thank you in advance and excuse the late reply!
 
The magic of a well balanced Bowie and what separates the large majority of what I call paper weights and proper fighting Bowies is the balance and power that comes from Radical distal taper a stick tang and a properly shaped sharpened clip

As for the handles Bill did prefer the birds heads and coffin over stag

But man stag looks good



What are you thinking for a handle style ?
 
Good evening
Wow that is a beautiful bowie, thank you for showing.
Thank you for the explanation of the properties of a good fighting knive feeling like nothing.
For what I plan to use it - I would probably start with a quadratic handle which is probably also easier to build than a birds head - stag might be to expensive and exclusive for what I planned to use it.
Could you recommend a maker, which could make a proper wood handle, with bespoken measurements - it’s more about the function than the details, or if it isn‘t so difficult - I could try doing it myself - it‘s a prototype but I think it could work out like this, might also be - that the birds head might be better - but think I would start with the coffin shape.
Just found there is a fourth which is called dogbone. Which might be an option.
Considering balance I did find some pictures - and they all look balanced about 2-3 inches in front of the guard, which also seems important.
And stag looks awesome with the dark damast steel
 
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Bagwell did a series on You Tube on making one of his bowies and some dissertation on its' use and the type of point a proper bowie should have along with sharpening etc.
Never owned one but did own a couple of the Ontario bowies they designed along with his input. Truth be told I just don't like carrying a knife that large on me for various reasons. Biggest I go know is a Recon Scout in a custom sheath of thick leather. Great knife, easy to keep sharp and doesn't cost an arm and a leg and immediately available. Nothing against customs or hand mades as I have several, most recent is a Koester homage to the BUCK 124 but in ats34 and well just way way better. Fun knife but not one I'd likely use but collect. Anyways good luck and stay safe

PS JP is correct I mis-spoke, Ontario did the Bagwell Master series not Camillus
 
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If I’m not mistaken, Camilius did the Fisk designs . Ontario did Bills designs

Pleases elaborate on your handle design.
 
Thank you all for the positive replies.

I will have to think about it.
There is a very specific task the handle has to perform and specific measurements it has to fulfill, I also like the designs of Moran and Knight, they might be a little to big / bulky for the job and also the one from Lurquin.

Its mostly about control and force and quick speed and change of direction and not so much about chopping, I think the design of a fighting bowie is closest to what I want it to do, maybe a Japanese handle would also work out, as the shape seems straight and is within the limits of the measurements and offers by its more rectangular form instead of the existing quadratic form a better grip.

However the more quadratic shapes are probably better fitted for it and offer a better hand and tip control, the handle should be as quadratic as possible and as smooth and ergonomic as the measurements allow.

The birds head - seems very very functional, but will be difficult to integrate in the existing design - because the head of the bird and the beak offers an additional holding position.

To me the dog bone and the coffin makes the most sense and maybe I can integrate the ideas and shape from Moran / Lurquin and Knight into it, to make it a bit smoother.

Whats not possible is to have an additional hole / grip for the index finger, or broadened ends to hold it better and there is a round and huge pommel I will have to integrate into the design.

What I like is the belly from the birds head, as it will transition the force better into the hand.

If I think about it properly - I will sure be able to come up with a draft (and also the measurements) and then it all makes sense

The best would be to integrate the pommel into the existing design, it must be round, but maybe it can be smoothed or adapted a bit or filed slightly to make its integration.

Best material for it would probably for the prototype be a strong and clean piece of wood.
 
How long are the handles of Bill Bagwell knives?
I have one custom made Bowie by an European maker and the handle is 12-13 cm if I remember it right. While the blade is heavy - but it doesn‘t feel like it.
 
The OP is talking about using a fighting bowie at a very high level of proficiency -- kind of like Olympic-level fencing. In fact, there are multiple fencing disciplines that have different design elements for the swords.

My own sense -- definitely not an expert -- is that a person would need very high-level skills to take advantage of the best fighting bowies. And some of those design factors would be specific to that person as an individual, just as not all professional tennis players use the same rackets or the same string tension.

That kind of person would already know the best bowie for him to use.
 
Thank you
Not the bowie - but the fencing, but I think there are parallels!
 
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