Bill Bagwell Knives

great to see some more Bagwells :D makes my day seeing some more. Can't wait for mine to be finished it's gonna be a beaut. Wonder if anyone else in the U.K has a proper Bagwell :P. What are the forged blades like Joe cutting ability wise? Like how they to use? :) cheers, Phil
 
Phil Bill flat grinds his blades but the edges seem to be convex or apple seed slightly. His bowies are sharp but they do not have a thin edge which to me is a good thing . Very stout and you will not wrincle an edge if you chop and slightly twist by accident. IMHO his blades have something organic to them. No two are alike and the balance is excellent. All his bowies that I have handled have been more fighter than chopper but that is not to say they do not chop well. But he leans hard toward the fighter aspect of a bowie. Again in my opinion he is the king of fighting bowie's and a true aficionada of this gendre is missing out by not having one. He has his balance and heat treat done to a science and I would trust my life more to one of his pieces than most. Like he say's it will get ya home. I am very anxious and excited for you and can not wait to see pics. Bill does not have the finish of a Fisk or Dean and some of the other greats but his blades have a raw how can I say elemental feel to them that in my opinion captures the fighting bowie perfectly. You will be more than pleased and I am happy for you. I remember when I got my first bowie from Bill and even last year when he delivered a stag and carbon fighter to me when he came to visit they are magic and they are knives I would never part with.
 
Yea I'm really looking forward to it. It's put a big tightener on the my wallet for a while but when I found out I could get one I wasn't gonna pass up the opportunity. Gettin more excited with everyday :)
 
Here is a vintage shot I thought you would enjoy of the man himself carrying and swinging a bowie the way ya should
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I actually found that one. i find it funny that for someone so famous it's really hard to find pics of him and his knives. It's a challenge for me :D. I know this may sound awful but I actually thought that Mr. Bagwell was dead and it was only seeing your post of your beaut of the stag and damascus bowie. Then I tried my best to find his info and this brilliant forum allowed me to get into contact with him. I inten to ring him and thank him when my knife gets here. Be a combination of accents :D, my Northern Irish and a great Texan :D
 
Bill is a different kind of guy and he basically has shyed away from the ABS. Bill was a founding member of the ABS and I do not know if this and or his very opiniated way of saying things has hurt his popularity. Hell when I first called him he did not even seem interested in making me a knife. But know I call him a friend and I enjoy his unique personality and character. No one in my opinion has done more for the combat bowie and I believe in the end he will be reconized as the king of the combat bowie even more than he is now
 
Joe, thanks for posting those classic Bagwell pics from his brochure. A friend of mine had that brochure back in the 80's. We were just teenagers hoping to have one of his Bowies some day. I tried contacting Bill several times in the 90's but I never received a response. I finally bought a Damascus Bowie of his second hand at the San Francisco Gun Exchange. I'm glad I found it.
 
I will give Mr Bagwell his dues when I first talked to him he was very nice indeed and I was exceptional glad he said yes. Yea I was wondering a bit about him and the ABS and why he wasn't listed on the ABS website and other things like that. I know that a couple of smiths wouldn't agree a lot on the ABS image of a knife through their testing for mastersmith etc so I don't know. I've wondered an awful lot though :D. Yea my bowie Bill is making is a stag and damascus Hell's Belle but cos I'm 6ft2 i think it's gonna have a 11.5 inch blade so it's def gonna be an impressive size of knife. Just wish I was taller to get a really massive Bowie. If I can afford it I would love Bill to make me a blade with massive blade; 14 inches or so to have a really unique Bowie by him. :)
 
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Bill is making me a damascus belle due next summer. after getting my carbon belle i knew i had to have a damascus version too. no other knife feels like a Bagwell in my experience.
 
Mine should be ready in about 2 to 3 weeks as informed by Mr Bagwell today. Wish I could concentrate on these philosophy essays I have to do instead of this beau of knife coming :D
 
From those pics, Joe, it looks like Bill is a lefty. And since you say he's opinionated, that's even better. The world needs more opinionated left-handed people.
 
on modern knives vol.5 he forges with his left hand but demonstrates technique with both hands so maybe he is ambidextrous
 
Bill is left handed and he is a very talented great guy. He loves to hunt and talk about hunting so we talk more about hunting than knives when we speak. Bill also makes his knives right or left handed not many makers doing that
 
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I can't wait even to have a chat with him. If the exchange rate picks up some me and my friend are intending to go to America for a trip and I hope to stop of in Texas and hopefully get a chance to meet the man himself :).
Would never have twigged that he was a lefty :P
 
Does Bill ever do any hamons? Just was wondering cos when I was looking at your damascus and stag bowie Joe it looks as if it has a sort of hamon like thing going on? Could be wrong :D
 
pootsythesamurai said:
Does Bill ever do any hamons? Just was wondering cos when I was looking at your damascus and stag bowie Joe it looks as if it has a sort of hamon like thing going on? Could be wrong :D
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Bill does not do temper lines like you would see with a traditional clay tempering process. He differentialy heat treats his blades with a draw back method that is very commen. His blades are definately differentaly heat treated though
 
yea, I was just wondering. I'd love to see one with a temper line would be beautiful but sure :P. I do love his damascus. Would be great to know what the edge retention is like. Would the damascus hold a better edge than his forged?
 
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