BladeForums BEST BOWIE - 2012 - Voting Closed - Finalists Selected!

LOTS of very good work here. The bar's raised every year,it seems.....
maybe by a couple of notches this year.

Post 2, Knife # 5 DEAN
Post 2, Knife # 7 LURQUIN
Post 20, Knife # 1 KEESLER
Post 25,Knife # 4 QUISENBERRY
Post 34,Knife # 1 FISK
Post 68, Knife # 3 FEUGEN
Post 99,Knife # 1 RHEA
 
It's a real pleasure to review a year's worth of beautiful work from so many talented, hardworking makers.

There's a bunch more, but here's votes for seven that struck me,

#2-1 Lisch Flying Dragons

#16-3 Branson Simple Elegance

#17-1 Hanson Walrus/Hamon

#59-2 Lurquin Damascus Guard

#69-4 Ruth Stag/Damascus

#92-2 Lurquin W-2 Tsavo

#135 Wheeler Damascus

John
 
Lot's of really fantastic knives. Still Here are the 5 I think stand out:

#2-5. Harvey Dean, Dogbone
#3-2, Stuart Branson, w/ Hamon
#20-4, Rodrigo Sfreddo, Black diamonds
#21-2, John White, Nihonshiki
#26-1, Jerry Fisk, Clamshell Dirk
 
Shazam! What a year! There are so many here I'd love to own. After several pass throughs to narrow the list I end up with the following...

Post 2 #4..... Hanson Ivory and Damascus Bowie. That name could describe many DHIII knives. I call it "The Long One". That blade is a dream (length, general shape, clip, wicked damascus)

Post 2 #7.....Lurquin Tsavo Bowie. I MUST own one of Sam's knives. This one is a favorite. Blade shape, handle shape, guard shape, blade material, handle material, guard material...I've got Lurquin fever.

Post 3 #1.....Royer Blue Ivory Bowie. The Young Master at it again. Look at that damascus! Blue ivory of the gods. The details executed with precision. You go Kyle :thumbup: One I'd be so proud to own.

Post 20 #1....Keesler 50th Anniversary. Joe commemorating with a stunner. The handle has me dizzy with delight. The spine is spine tingling (sorry, had to say that). I know this is about the knife but look at that sheath :eek:

Post 26 #1....Fisk NLT #4 Clam Shell Dirk. Whoever owns this knife, please contact me immediately. Surely I have something (or a bunch of somethings) you desire. I'll give you almost anything you want...

Post 34 #2....Ruth Jr Sub Hilt. Enjoyed chatting with Mike at Blade a couple of years ago as I plied him with M&M's and Snickers. Now he makes this sub hilt for my sub hilt lovin' self to drool over. Not mine but love seeing it here.

Post 135 #2...Wheeler with no name (or number). To me it's the "EKG Bowie" for 2 reasons...the heart monitor damascus and it stopped my heart cold. Darn beauty of a knife. I don't have one of Nick's knives yet. I must remedy that soon.

Thank you Roger and Lorien!!! This is always sinfully fun.
 
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this is going great, gents! Nice and smooth- thanks for sticking with the format. Listing your choices in order that they appear in the thread is very helpful too.

Patterns are emerging. No big surprises, pretty consistent with last year so far. But things can always change at the last minute and that's why I love doing this! Real time, baby.

some of you have left a bit of a puzzle for Roger and me, notably posts #143,165,167,176,182
 
ok hear we go in no order
post 2 #3 Fisk trail of tears this knife had me back like 20 time something about it struck a chord with me I just love it
post 9 #1 Jason knight I had the chance to handle this and it is sweet also best Bowie 2012 blade show
post 21 #1 John white Old glory this is what I think a D guard should look like it has real soul and so dose John
post 25 #3 Tad lynch the knife is sweet but the way he did the sub hilt is out side the box nice job Tad
post 60#1 Jon Christensen D guard this knife just on how over the top the construction of the guard was alone gets my vote but then there is the damascus really you should look at how this knife was made very nice Jon.
post 111#1 Mike Queesenbury dog bone I also had the chance to handle this one and it was hard to put it down supper clean and it was his first one.
post 129 #1 John Doyle His work has a real nice clean flow to it and this knife is a hint of what I think we are going to see from him in the new year .
I have to say it was hard to pic just 7 as i truly love a nice bowie and to see them all together in one thread dose not get much better then that. Thank you Roger and Lorien for your work and thanks to anyone that threw a vote my way
 
Post 20 #1 Joe Keesler
Post 20 #6 Kyle Royer
Post 22 #2 Bruce Bump Hideout -- kewl innovation
Post 25 #1 Kyle Royer Shadow -- as nice a knife as can be handled
Post 70 #1 Mike Ruth
Post 82 #1 JR Cook -- Cookie always does some nice knives but this one is especially well done
Post 111 #1 Mike Quisenberry Dogbone -- nice execution and size
 
Post 3 #1 Kyle Royer- blue bowie
Post 17 #1 Don Hanson- hamon/walrus
Post 20 #6 Kyle Royer- White checkered bowie
Post 67 #1 Nick Wheeler- Ladder and Koa
Post 70 #1 Mike Ruth Jr.- orange fire bowie
Post 115 #1 Burt Foster- Bold damascus bowie
 
Sorry I didn't follow the rules guys! We were literally on our way out the door to a family wedding as I was getting those put up. :eek: :foot:
 
Tough.. These caught my eye. So many others....

post 1-#7 Sam Lurquin
post 14-#1 John White - Autumn Bowie
post 20-#3. Larry Fuegen & Tim Hancock CKCA Bowie
post 20-#6 Kyle Royer - Not my cup of tea but undeniably brilliant craftsmanship
post 25-#4. Mike Quesenberry, Dave Lisch
post 36-#1 Markman/Lurquin
post 69-#9 Wheeler
 
People have some weird ideas of what constitutes a bowie but I guess that's a topic that can go around and around forever.

In any event, these are the knives that I feel are the outstanding bowies of the year:

1) Post # 2: Lin Rhea stag bowie - incredible lines and fantastic stag handle on this beautiful piece

2) Post # 26: No. 1 - Fisk Clamshell Dirk. Stunning. I must confess I pretty much love everything JF makes.

3) Post # 34: No 4 - Fisk Southwest bowie. Another home run from the master. It was between this and the Trail of Tears one but I think this one edges it out.

4) Post # 14. No 2 - Jason Knight Charleston Bowie. This has really got it going on. Jason does a lot of fat blades with recurves but I much prefer the slim elegant lines of this one. It must be so fast in the hand!

5) Post # 115 Foster Half-Light fighter. OK its a fighter, and to my mind that is a separate category altogether but it fits the criteria nontheless. Wow, just wow... what presence this blade has!

6) Post # 129 No. 1 J. Doyle. Love the guard on this and the way the butt is integrated into the handle. Very original!

7) Post # 134 Nick Wheeler Zombie Killer Bowie. Nick makes many awesome bowies but this one really impressed me. I love the heavy 1/4 inch thick blade, the handle and the amazing clip on that blade. The hamon is just icing on the cake. I dont think a knife has to be fancy to impress. This one just has the lines, baby!
 
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#2 N°7 Samuel Lurquin "Tsavo". Power and agresivite, it is the Tsavo !!!

#3 N°2 Stuart Branson I like this shape of blade, I'm not used to this "primitive" style, but I love the result.

#15 N°1 Samuel Lurquin "Maximus Bowie. With it, I'm nothing afraid...

#19 N°1 Samuel Lurquin "DragonFly" The shape of blade, the affected small luxury with the guard in Damascus, even with a handle "xl" for the small hands of Fred...

#21 N°2 John White "Nihonshiki Bowie" I love the "mixture" of genres, the "tsuba" way guard and the hamon...

#92 N°2 Samuel Lurquin "Tsavo W2 Hamon" Bad !!!!!
 
As with years past, a couple early front runners, then things get VERY tight. Cast those votes gentlemen.
 
Post #2 Knife #3 Fisk
Post #22 Knife # 1 Bump Mayhem
Post #70 Knife #1 Ruth Jr
Post #82 Knife #6 Cook
Post #118 Knife #3 Rhea
 
Best thread of the year. So many nice bowies. Hard to pick just 7. Heck I want to pick all of them. :D

Post #6 pic #1 Toruk - Wieland

post #22 pic #1 Mayhem Bowie - Bump

Post #25 pic #2 Sun Fighter - Lish

Post # 60 pic #2 Black star - Christensen

Post # 69 pic #1 Coffin handle -Quesenbury

Post 118 pic #3 Ivory Sub hilt -Rea

Post 129 pic #1 Amboynia - Doyle
 
Don Hanson III said:
Wow, not easy and my poor ass internet doesn't like pages with that many photos!

These are just a few that caught my eye. I could easily come up with another 7 or so...

Post 3 #2 Branson

Post43 #1 Royer

Post 70 #1 Ruth Jr

Post 135 #2 Wheeler

Post 21 #2 John White

Post 21 #7 Lurquin

Post 5 #1 Wieland
Click to expand...
Correction, my 6th choice should be; Post 2 #7 Lurquin

I fixed it on my original post.
 
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NickWheeler said:
Sorry I didn't follow the rules guys! We were literally on our way out the door to a family wedding as I was getting those put up. :eek: :foot:
Click to expand...

Well go back and properly number the knives in your Post #135, this is not rocket surgery.
 
Don - I'm even more confused now - Post 2 Knife #1 is a Lisch knife, not a Lurquin. Did you mean Post 2 Knife #7 (Lurquin), or Post 2 Knife #1 (Lisch), or ??
 
Post 9, Knife 1, KNIGHT

Post 13, Knife 1, HANCOCK

Post 20, Knife 3, FUEGEN/HANCOCK

Post 20, Knife 6, ROYER

Post 25, Knife 2, LISCH

Post 34, Knife 3, HENDRICKSON

Post 135, Knife 1, WHEELER
 
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