Bowie Knives

R

Ruger 44 Redhawk

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Feb 19, 2021
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Hi all, question on Bowie knives. So my buddy just picked up a nice 6" or 7" Muela Bowie with stag handle and brass finger guard. It's not the Magnum from Seraphim Falls movie which I always liked but still a nice blade. I think the steel is X50CrMoV15 steel which I think is on par with the 440 series? Anyway, I've never been into Bowie style blades because of the clip point. I always prefer drop point blades for the extra steel and strength. But now I'm looking at maybe adding a 9" or 10" Bowie to the collection just to have. I never baton blades so I would never willingly pound on the clip point and risk breaking it. And I can see the advantage of having the tip for piercing. But I'm thinking if I found a good 1/4" steel blade in carbon steel, 5160 preferably, then maybe I'll throw down on one. Do you all prefer Bowie style blades or drop points for deep mountain expeditions? In other words a do-it-all blade that is tough as nails. What are some nice big Bowie's that won't break the bank.
 
As mentioned, Cold Steel has several Bowie options. Also...

Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie
Kailash Plain Jane Bowie
KHHI Bowie
Tops Prather War Bowie

Here's my (patina'd) Prather and my SP10, and a pic of my work-in-progress Kailash Bowie which I should have soon:

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eveled said:
Probably not what you want, but for a really practical Bowie like knife it’s hard to beat the Buck 124.
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Yes I've always liked the Buck 124 Frontiersman. I actually e-mailed Buck a couple of years ago and asked about the handle being full width and length. Sure enough, they got back to me immediately and sent me pictures without the micarta slabs on and it is full width and full length tang.
 
If you can find a vintage Western W49, go for it. Make sure it is one of the older carbon steel versions.

n2s
 
Beautiful knives y’all have mentioned. I will follow this thread closely, as I am in search of a 6-7”. No long Bowies here, just a Hinderer Emmett and Eklipse w Bowie blades.
 
The Spyderco Respect is a gorgeous modern interpretation which yet you can clearly see its roots. Costs a bit though.
 
I prefer a drop point style blade over the Bowie pattern. Not a fan of the Bowie style and I'm probably in the minority. I'm more of a ESEE 6 kind of guy for a deep words hike.

Like others have said, Cold Steel and Kabar were the first ones I thought of.

FYI, the Ontario RD6 at .25 and 5160 is close to your specs but more a clip point then Bowie. A Bowie to me is a long, drawn out clip point essentially. <- Probably not the true historical representation tho. I have one. I like it but the newer ESEE 6s with the G10 grips are more comfortable.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Ontario-OKC-Ranger-RD-6-Fixed-Blade--75452

Good luck!
 
RMK has some nice Bowies. My personal favorite is the Buxton fighter.

view


It’s the middle one. The only one in this picture I kept.
 
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I like the L.T. Wright Traveler knife.

It's marketed as a camp/kitchen knife.... But it's clearly far more useful than that.

I bought mine on a whim. They are pretty inexpensive. I feel it's one of the Best deals on a knife. I've really grown to love mine. It's a little thin, but the handle length goes forever. All hand positions are comfortable.

I affectionately refer to it as a Gentleman's Bowie. I keep wanting to make a sleek kydex sheath to carry it appendix style.
Currently mine is in a beautiful leather one.
 
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