- Joined
- Sep 11, 2002
- Messages
- 3,548
I wanted two worker Bowies that were of the classic design and not "tactical." I have a Busse Battle Mistress, and there have been plenty of reviews on it, the Swamp Rat, the Becker, the Trailmaster, and other hard use Bowie-style knives.
This is by no means a hard use review, maybe that will come later.
I decided to review these against one another because the Cold Steel is 1/4" thick stock and the Camillus/Fisk is 3/16".
1/4" stock has become the standard for hard use knives, so when I purchased the OVB I was surprised at how light it was. I wondered if it would chop anywhere near as well as a heavier blade. So here goes.
Specifications
The Cold Steel Laredo Bowie is 15 3/4" long with a 10 1/2" blade (measured from guard). The blade is 1 1/2 wide at the widest point. The blade is 1/4" thick. It weighs 16 1/2 oz. It is made of Cold Steel's proprietary Carbon V steel.
The Camillus OVB (Our Very Best) 2003 12" Fisk Bowie is 16 3/4" long with an 11 1/4" blade (measured from guard). The blade is 1 7/8" wide at the widest point. The blade is 3/16" thick. It weighs 14 1/2 oz. It is made of 0170-6c carbon steel.
Both knives have a ferruled tang. The Laredo's is held with a single bolt in the butt end. The Fisk has two bolts through the handle. The Fisk has a lanyard hole, the Laredo does not. Both are flat ground.
Fit & Finish
As you can see, both knives are very attractive. The Laredo has a "faux cocobolo" handle and a fitted brass guard. The Fisk has a fiddleback maple handle and a brushed steel guard, with steel & black spacers. The Laredo has a sharp swedged clip, the Fisk does not.
Both are solid and immaculate. The OVB Fisk had a little rust on the blade near the guard that I had to polish off.
Both are hair-popping sharp out of the box. Sharper than my Busses, sharper than my Sebenza, sharper than the Mad Dog Panther I used to have. Very impressive. They lift hair off my arm like it's not attached. No scraping at all.
Both blades have a satin brushed finish, not sure of the grit, but the gleaming mirror polish in the sales photos is way off the mark. This photo is a little less flattering. Both have been polished with Simichrome and then coated with Renaissance Wax, and they look a little better than out of the box, but a better polish would be great on both blades. My Cold Steel Black Bear Classic cost less than either, and has a great gleaming finish.
Sheaths, etc.
Both come with a sturdy leather sheath with a stud for through the belt or IWB carry. The Laredo's sheath has brass studs and is thicker leather, and has better fit. The OVB Fisk has a leather belt loop that is removable. It hooks into the stud when you slip it on. Nice design. The sheath is a little flimsy and mine has a plastic liner between the stud and the inside leather- I accidentally slid the knife in that because it wasn't glued down. I like the OVB Fisk design better, but the fitment on the Laredo is better. So each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
As a bonus, the Fisk OVB comes with a padded zipper case and a nice black storage box. The Laredo just comes with the standard blue Cold Steel box, and no carrying case.
Here is a photo of both knives in their sheaths:
The Tests
1. I took both knives into the woods behind my place and chopped some 1" branches into foot-long stakes. Both Bowies cut into the live and dead wood readily. The 2 oz weight disparity did not make any difference. The Fisk chops as well or better than the Laredo. Neither knife is front-heavy, and both would be out-chopped by a Battle Mistress or similar heavy camp knife, but they did a good job.
The slimmer flat grind of the Fisk OVB gives it a distinct advantage over the Laredo. It is also a much wider blade, giving it a much thinner bevel. For light chopping chores, I'd give the Fisk OVB the advantage.
2. Both knives swung right though brush and served fine as machetes. No advantage to either.
3. Next I whittled the cut branches into tent stakes. Or punji stakes, your preference. The Fisk outcut the Laredo here as well. The Laredo is just too thick and isn't ground down thin enough for whittling. It did the job, but bound up several times. The Fisk was capable of delicate work, and could strip the bark from the stakes with ease. The Laredo dug into the wood each time I tried to just strip bark, and required a much more delicate hand.
4. Both knives stabbed into dead logs readily. The point on the Laredo is much stronger due to its thickness. The clip is sharpened, but not razor sharp like a Bagwell-style Bowie. The Fisk has more belly and a wider tip, so would be less suited to thrusting.
Handling
The Fisk's handle is not only beautiful but also very comfortable. At no time did I worry about it slipping, nor did my hand get tired. The blade is very very lively in the hand and has a great balance. It feels even lighter than its slim 14.5oz.
The Laredo's coffin-style handle is "faux cocobolo" and highly lacquered. Not sure what it is really made of. It's comfortable enough, and has a deep, rich color. It flares slightly at the end, and while it looks slippery, the grip is very solid. It also feels quick in the hand, but is not as quick as the Fisk.
Both blades have a balance about an inch in front of the guard.
Overall
I think either of these knives make a good production Bowie worth using. The Laredo seems like more of a fighter than a worker, and the Fisk OVB feels like it can do both with ease. So if you're looking for a good Cowboy Bowie, the Laredo is excellent. If you want a beautiful Bowie that works great as a camp knife... I'd go with the Fisk OVB.
This is by no means a hard use review, maybe that will come later.
I decided to review these against one another because the Cold Steel is 1/4" thick stock and the Camillus/Fisk is 3/16".
1/4" stock has become the standard for hard use knives, so when I purchased the OVB I was surprised at how light it was. I wondered if it would chop anywhere near as well as a heavier blade. So here goes.
Specifications
The Cold Steel Laredo Bowie is 15 3/4" long with a 10 1/2" blade (measured from guard). The blade is 1 1/2 wide at the widest point. The blade is 1/4" thick. It weighs 16 1/2 oz. It is made of Cold Steel's proprietary Carbon V steel.
The Camillus OVB (Our Very Best) 2003 12" Fisk Bowie is 16 3/4" long with an 11 1/4" blade (measured from guard). The blade is 1 7/8" wide at the widest point. The blade is 3/16" thick. It weighs 14 1/2 oz. It is made of 0170-6c carbon steel.
Both knives have a ferruled tang. The Laredo's is held with a single bolt in the butt end. The Fisk has two bolts through the handle. The Fisk has a lanyard hole, the Laredo does not. Both are flat ground.
Fit & Finish
As you can see, both knives are very attractive. The Laredo has a "faux cocobolo" handle and a fitted brass guard. The Fisk has a fiddleback maple handle and a brushed steel guard, with steel & black spacers. The Laredo has a sharp swedged clip, the Fisk does not.
Both are solid and immaculate. The OVB Fisk had a little rust on the blade near the guard that I had to polish off.
Both are hair-popping sharp out of the box. Sharper than my Busses, sharper than my Sebenza, sharper than the Mad Dog Panther I used to have. Very impressive. They lift hair off my arm like it's not attached. No scraping at all.
Both blades have a satin brushed finish, not sure of the grit, but the gleaming mirror polish in the sales photos is way off the mark. This photo is a little less flattering. Both have been polished with Simichrome and then coated with Renaissance Wax, and they look a little better than out of the box, but a better polish would be great on both blades. My Cold Steel Black Bear Classic cost less than either, and has a great gleaming finish.
Sheaths, etc.
Both come with a sturdy leather sheath with a stud for through the belt or IWB carry. The Laredo's sheath has brass studs and is thicker leather, and has better fit. The OVB Fisk has a leather belt loop that is removable. It hooks into the stud when you slip it on. Nice design. The sheath is a little flimsy and mine has a plastic liner between the stud and the inside leather- I accidentally slid the knife in that because it wasn't glued down. I like the OVB Fisk design better, but the fitment on the Laredo is better. So each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
As a bonus, the Fisk OVB comes with a padded zipper case and a nice black storage box. The Laredo just comes with the standard blue Cold Steel box, and no carrying case.
Here is a photo of both knives in their sheaths:
The Tests
1. I took both knives into the woods behind my place and chopped some 1" branches into foot-long stakes. Both Bowies cut into the live and dead wood readily. The 2 oz weight disparity did not make any difference. The Fisk chops as well or better than the Laredo. Neither knife is front-heavy, and both would be out-chopped by a Battle Mistress or similar heavy camp knife, but they did a good job.
The slimmer flat grind of the Fisk OVB gives it a distinct advantage over the Laredo. It is also a much wider blade, giving it a much thinner bevel. For light chopping chores, I'd give the Fisk OVB the advantage.
2. Both knives swung right though brush and served fine as machetes. No advantage to either.
3. Next I whittled the cut branches into tent stakes. Or punji stakes, your preference. The Fisk outcut the Laredo here as well. The Laredo is just too thick and isn't ground down thin enough for whittling. It did the job, but bound up several times. The Fisk was capable of delicate work, and could strip the bark from the stakes with ease. The Laredo dug into the wood each time I tried to just strip bark, and required a much more delicate hand.
4. Both knives stabbed into dead logs readily. The point on the Laredo is much stronger due to its thickness. The clip is sharpened, but not razor sharp like a Bagwell-style Bowie. The Fisk has more belly and a wider tip, so would be less suited to thrusting.
Handling
The Fisk's handle is not only beautiful but also very comfortable. At no time did I worry about it slipping, nor did my hand get tired. The blade is very very lively in the hand and has a great balance. It feels even lighter than its slim 14.5oz.
The Laredo's coffin-style handle is "faux cocobolo" and highly lacquered. Not sure what it is really made of. It's comfortable enough, and has a deep, rich color. It flares slightly at the end, and while it looks slippery, the grip is very solid. It also feels quick in the hand, but is not as quick as the Fisk.
Both blades have a balance about an inch in front of the guard.
Overall
I think either of these knives make a good production Bowie worth using. The Laredo seems like more of a fighter than a worker, and the Fisk OVB feels like it can do both with ease. So if you're looking for a good Cowboy Bowie, the Laredo is excellent. If you want a beautiful Bowie that works great as a camp knife... I'd go with the Fisk OVB.
