Birth Of A Helle's Belle

Thanks guy's the more I play with this knife the more I realize how well it fits me. Now I know you are thinking that is because I am just getting used to it but the truth is I am seeing and more importantly feeling subtle little handleing characteristics that are really making me like this knife more and more. I cut some heavy cardboard tubes with it and usually when I am cutting I have to be very aware of my edge angles so I do not cup my cut. You can feel it when you cut right it just pops and you do not really feel anything. You can also look at your blade and see if one side more than the other is showing light scuffs that will tell you that your angle was off and you are kinda slapping the target. With this knife I seem to not have to be so conscious of my edge angle I can just swing with a loose grip and at the moment before I make inpact with the target tighten my grip and the knife does an instant kinda snap cut and a light pop later there is a nice 45 degree angle no realization of impacting anything and if there is any scuffs on the blade they are equal on both sides which is showing me that I am in touch with my edge subconscously. Then a quick buff and the blade looks like new. Bill left a bit of a toothy edge on this knife and it is a very agresive cutter.

In a world where most of my friends do not understand my love of blades and have no interest in a piece like this or any other it is nice to be able to come here and post this blade and talk about it. For that I thank you all
 
JParanee said:
In a world where most of my friends do not understand my love of blades and have no interest in a piece like this or any other it is nice to be able to come here and post this blade and talk about it. For that I thank you all
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Right on, brother!:thumbup:
 
:D
JParanee said:
In a world where most of my friends do not understand my love of blades and have no interest in a piece like this or any other it is nice to be able to come here and post this blade and talk about it. For that I thank you all
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Joey, my son, I am now completely at ease knowing if you are ever mugged by a gang of cardboard tubes, you will defeat them handily.:D:D

Tally Ho! and for STeven Best Regards!!!

Send me that knife!

Paul
 
Congrats on your new Helle's Belle, Joe. Man, that bowie is wicked. Simply elegant, and elegantly simple... I love it! Great post & pix, thank you for sharing! :thumbup::thumbup:
 
Pappy Long as usual one of my knives would not be complete with out at least two of your sheath's:D Bill's sheath is excellent but I prefer to rotate my sheaths abit the same as with handgun holsters as long as they carry the same I have found by rotateing they last for a very long time.....


Jaxx my buddy good to see you here give me a call sometime and thanks for the kind words...
 
very sweet bowie Joe!

i've had to unfortunately cancel all of my custom orders so i can swing my upcoming damascus HB this summer but you have to do what you can right;)

thanks as always for the great pics:thumbup:
Mark
 
JParanee said:
In a world where most of my friends do not understand my love of blades and have no interest in a piece like this or any other it is nice to be able to come here and post this blade and talk about it. For that I thank you all
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spot on man! spot on!
 
CharlieDelta said:
Hi

What carbon steel does Bill use on his blades?
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To be honest I don't know When I get a chance I will ask. I am sure if you contact Bill he will be happy to discuss it ... I do know that what ever he is useing must be pretty tough after Bill's heat treat. He told me he stuck this knife in a vise and gave it a good hard pull and even impressed himself at how strong it was. Don't quote me on this but I believe he said he put a 20 inch pipe on it and still with moderate force could not get it to lay over and Bill is a big strong boy with some scary mitts and forearms (must be all those years of swinging a hammer) and that all I need to know. :D

That brings up a good point I have read alot from guy's that do not see the point in the testing of a blade by bending it. They say a knife was mean't to cut not bend and that a knife should be judged by how well it cuts and holds an edge. I do not understand this sentiment from having bent and broken some blades in the past doing things that are far from what I feel abuse. In my mnd When you have a guy like Bill that knows how to differentialy heat treat a blade you can have a blade with the best of both worlds and with a blade that you might have to pry a manhole cover up with or apply massive amounts of torque to in an all out survival situation this could be a huge plus. A knife that was ten inches long that instantly becomes a much shorter blade by breaking kinda becomes useless and a blade that bends like a bananna and does not return is better but still is rather hard to put back in it's sheath so you can keep moving so that not a good thing either. I think what ever steel that is being used the more important thing is how the maker heat treats his blades. Alot of people say that all the forged guy's got is that they can do the abs bend test and I would love to hear more thought on this from you guy's..

On another note this knife should be getting to Pappy Longs hopefully tomorrow. As I said earlier Bill's sheath is excellent and is very compact . The flower stud that he hand carved I think is fantastic and I will always cherish this sheath. I know the time he spent on that stud. But one of my knives would not be complete with out some Paul Long love and he tell's me he has something special for me and Paul does not dissapoint. I have had people that have never handled one of Paul's heavy duty sheaths ask how they wear and seemed suprised when I tell them that they wear like iron. They seem to think that something so pretty could not be so tough. Well I am here to tell you even wearing a large piece iwb where most sheaths would take a curve in the tip like Bill's knifes they stay straight and are amazeingly tuff. Some light touch up with some shoe polish and a coat of bick 4 and the sheath only looks better. With Bill's mirror polish I do not have to be afraid to use it because I can so easily touch it up on a buffing wheel and Paul's bulletproof leather this package is sure to age better than me:D and give me a lifetime of service and comfort knowing I am carrying IMHO some of the best of the best. Hell I even got Lester my gunsmith to in one day drop everything and turn me out a custom carbon fluted stud for the sheath so I have some of my favorite people's work on this setup which to me makes it all the sweeter.. It's funny this knife came from Texas then went back to Texas and all I want to do is play with it so when it comes back I will be sure to post pics of the new sheath and even some pics of how I carry this knife in the field and in the real world and how this knife disappears when I want it to. One of the spots I have has alot of cops that hang out there and they all know my love of blades and we speak of carry options for fixed blades. One is a swat cop from plainfield nj named Jerry Plum and he is one of the owners of Tech Ops International which is a training house and security co. His life is training and he has a huge love of teaching technique's. Like any good teacher he also has a huge love of learning things also. When I met him he carried a folder and my thoughts and demonstrations on carry of fixed blades in a law enforcement application which would mostly be for weapons retention have converted him to a fixed blade. Of course it is not as large of a knife as I carry he has departmental rules he has to adhere to. In fact I spoke to Laci Szabo for awhile yesterday and he has just designed a fixed blade for exactly this purpose and Tops is doing a prouduction version. Being a swat cop in Miami and a highly advanced martial artist and a hell of a cool guy I respect his opinion very much and I was pleased our thoughts on this subject ran along the same lines. Unknown to me when I spoke to Laci he is an old friend of Bill's and owns a few Bagwell's himself. I will post pics as soon as Paul gets done. Thanks to all
 
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I spoke Mr. Bagwell briefly at the Ohio Classic show in 2007. I asked him what steel he was using these days and he said 1084. Of course, I am still wondering where he gets that heavy 1084 stock. As for Mr. Long's sheaths, you have another very satified customer here. Aside from being gorgeous and incredibly well made, they, also fit perfectly from day one. No "stretching" necessary.
 
Definitely a sweetheart, Joe! Bill has a way of working magic into a blade. Looking forward to talking in person sometime.
 
Just got this back from Pappy Long and what can I say he is my friend and a leather god and just a fantastic person to boot. He knew this piece was important to me and he said he had something special in store but I will tell you he really nailed this one.. I have alot of Long leather and this one just might be my favorite. He used Crocidille belly that is a rich dark brown with black highlights the picture's really don't do the color of this skin justice I was in a hurry and just could not get the lighting right that and the lint on the blade make these not my best pics. Back to the sheath the fit is fantastic and I can tell he really tried to give me the look and fit that I really wanted and for that I am thankful. Lestor my gunsmith turned the stud which I blackened the flutes of. This whole package really means alot to me Having one of my favorite Bladesmith's ,Leathersmith's and Gunsmith's work on it and more importantly all are good friends. Thanks guys and thanks to all for looking ... I have also enclosed a pic with Bill's most excellent sheath and Hand carved stud. Thanks Pappy Long:D
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That is much slimmer then what I expected Joe. Trouble is now ya got have matching boots, belt, holster and of course hat band. Well maybe not the hat band, that would be to much. I think it's quite classy and I see I need to add to my trade offer.


Patrick
 
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