Cheap Beater Bowie

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oldschooljeep48

Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
56
First off, please dont beat me up because I want a cheap knife. I do want a nicer knife, but I cant afford one right now, and I want to learn my "pefered style" of knife before I spend money on something that i thought i wanted but actually doesnt work for me. That said...

Im looking for a larger Bowie type of knife to use a camp knife for splitting wood, chopping small branches, and making traps and whatever. I want to be able to batton with it and use it to see if I prefer a larger knife or a hatchet. I have seen the Frost line of things and the cheaper than dirt knives, but both lack a shomewhat decent sheath. I know I cant get much for the price range I want, around $30, but there has to be something out there.

Your feedback is appreciated!
 
miro44 said:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ItemListing.aspx?catid=682

look around there, they are actually quite decent knives and as proven by knifetests.com, quite tough, too :thumbup:
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I know these are decent knives, but from what I have heard, I would be better off with a cardboard and duct tape sheath then what comes with it. So I am hoping there is a similar knife with a better sheath. I dont mind paying $25 or $30 if I can get a useable sheath. Again I know nothing in this price range is going to be great, but im looking for useable.
 
Makes good sense to save a buck here and there, and you can find some inexpensive knives at a local gun show in your area. What you won't be able to locate is a good quality leather sheath in the price range you had suggested, but I've seen many folks wrap the sides of the cheaper sheath with duct tape and cardboard. Looks horrific but does the job at hand although I don't think it is very safe. Meyerco makes some very cheap blades but my favorite chopper in their line has been the combination axe and machete. This beast is fairly tough, takes a good edge and gives plenty of performance for under $30. I have used mine for all kinds of jobs in the field, and it works.

A far as heft and blade feel goes, I have to say that I love the MTech MT-151. The thing looks like a CS Trailmaster that has been thinned up a bit. Blade is 440, sports a black coat which eventually rubs off just like my Busse cutters, but the knife cuts like a demon and seemes to be strong enough for most tasks, certainly robust enough for your needs as a camp knife. Take my word: many people at the gun shows are purchasing these so called 'cheap' knives for good reason. While QC is average, the tools do the job at hand without breaking your bank account. When you've only paid a small sum for such a knife, you'll not shy away from using her for the beastly tasks we deem abusive.
 
What about Cold Steels Bushman ? Great steel - great knife - proven tough. The sheath is lame but otherwise ...
 
The Schrade Extreme Survival has a decent sheath and in your price range. Its not a bowie though. The sawback is useless so I wouldnt be too concerned ruining it batoning. Its heavy enough to chop but I havent tried it. Mine cost seventeen dollars at SMKW now I see they are 33 dollars.
 
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Tostig said:
What about Cold Steels Bushman ? Great steel - great knife - proven tough. The sheath is lame but otherwise ...
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I was thinking about this one, but the lack of a decent handle really sucks. i know people have put on bike handles but im afraid if im holding the end and chopping with it its going to fly out of my hands, not good. And again the sheath, poor. It doesnt have to be kydex or thick leather, but something OK and useable. Something like the gerber or buck sheathes. Maybe a nylon type with a liner that isnt great, but something I can actually hang from my belt for a walk in the woods and isnt going to fall apart.
 
oldschooljeep48 said:
I was thinking about this one, but the lack of a decent handle really sucks. i know people have put on bike handles but im afraid if im holding the end and chopping with it its going to fly out of my hands, not good. And again the sheath, poor. It doesnt have to be kydex or thick leather, but something OK and useable. Something like the gerber or buck sheathes. Maybe a nylon type with a liner that isnt great, but something I can actually hang from my belt for a walk in the woods and isnt going to fall apart.
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Condor Rodan. Dirt cheap, carbon steel, leather sheath, convex edge. ;)
 
The Cheaper Than Dirt Rough Use Knife is excellent and "tough" and the sheath is good enough. The same can be said of the Cold Steel Bushman and the sheath has a pouch. The Cold Steel 12 inch machetes are excellent "tough" camp knives if you can still find one. The Cold Steel Kukri machete is a "tough" chopper.

Consider a CS Trail Hawk or Riflesman's Hawk if you are hiking and camping and need to chop fire wood. Some prefer a folding saw and either work better than a knife for cutting fire wood; although a large knife is also essential for me.

All are inexpensive and will get the job done.
 
No problem! It also happens to be designed by one of the Wilderness and Survival Skills subforum moderators! That one is Joezilla's baby. :D
 
I can't believe I am saying this but get a BUD K bowie. I accidentally bought one on ebay earlier this summer. Didn't know what it was cause the pic was kind of bad but looked to me to be a CS Laredo except full tang. Well got it and it is a BUD K brand. I paid like 12 bucks plus shipping. Here's the thing, it is 440 steel which I don't care about really for what I was going to use it for it would be fine. The fit and finish and the grind lines are excellent on it. I am telling ya it looks identical to my Laredo except is it is a 1/4" thick at the spine instead of 5/16". It is slightly taller top of spine to edge and about 2" longer in blade length too, it is BIG. The sheath is the only niggle on it but for the price and the quality of the knife it is alright to carry the knife.

I have used this extensively camping for a week in Penn. this summer and it far out performed a beautiful Leauku I purchased for the same purpose. I mean it was like a night and day type thing especially when it came to splitting fire wood and kindling. Splitting 18" hard wood logs worked well where the leauku had a bit of a problem in that I couldn't do it. Maybe me and my technique but the BUDDY boy did it easily. I would hazard a guess that it is made in the same factory as the Laredo but with the changes made to the knife not to piss of CS. Anyways that's it. I have bought a bunch of bowies over the past few months some for some bucks and some for not, and the BUD K is about as good as any of them. I'll post pics when I get batteries for the camera. keepem sharp
 
How about one of the Cold Steel Bowie Machete's or the Condor Bowie type knives? You can also pick up an Ontario Marine Raider or Survival Bowie for the mid to high 40's, or the Ontario Marine Combat for the mid 30's to low 40's.
 
oldschooljeep48 said:
Sure... Show me one thats $30...

Read the OP. I would like a more expensive knife but dont have the $$ for one.
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For thirty dollars, you're going to have to make compromises. There have been a lot of good suggestions here, and the Cheaper than Dirt knife was one of them. It sounds like you want a 100 dollar+ knife...
 
GregS said:
For thirty dollars, you're going to have to make compromises. There have been a lot of good suggestions here, and the Cheaper than Dirt knife was one of them. It sounds like you want a 100 dollar+ knife...
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I agree, I know there are some good knives here, it just seems most of them come without a sheath thats any better than cardboad and duct tape. Thats why I was hoping I could find something like a $10 cheaper than dirt knife with a $20 sheath.

I do want a kabar or better, but with shipping its looking like $70-80 at the cheapest and i just dont have that.
 
get a k bar heavy bowie you can find them on ceaper than dirt for around 40 bucks 1095 steel plenty of weight for chopping its a good starer knife
 
Try this one:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/DBA057-1.html

I bought one a couple years ago, just to see if it was any good. I was amazed at this thing, especially the sheath. The sheath alone is worth more than the $25. price.

I beat the living he!! out of this knife, and the only damage was a broken blade tip, which I knew would happen anyway. I re-ground the tip, made it much thicker, and it's a great garden/yard/camp/bug-out kit knife now. I batoned, dug holes, split small logs, chopped through 2x4's, punched it through sheet metal . . . it held up very well.

Two issues may come up for you: first is the weight. 1/4" thick blade & full tang, with brass liners under the scales. (It's a tank of a knife.) The other is the rosewood scales. I think the mfr. (in China) doesn't use cured material for the scales, so they'll eventually shrink. Mine did, and I'm going to put G10 on it this fall.

Good luck -

thx - cpr
 
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