cold steel 1917 bowie, disappointing

O

oolong dao

Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Messages
71
a while ago i purchased a 1917 bowie. when i got it i thought it was the coolest thing i ever owned. unfortunately i then began to notice small problems. like the blade seems to be, what i can only describe as dull as all hell and the S Guard is welded improperly in such a way that it gives the knife a off center feel, also the handle isn't black so much as dark red like if you blued brass slightly. can it be replaced or fixed?
 
I don't know what you can do about the guard. Your handle complaint is unreasonable but i guess you could paint the handle if you wanted too.
 
Photos would help understand your situation. The dullness can be fixed by sharpening. Not sure about
the handle color because I always thought it was a redwood-like color, not "black". Since it is hardwood
I bet you could stain it to your preference. Would like to see photos showing that the guard is "welded improperly".
 
sorry about the misunderstanding when i said hand i ment the s guard. but i'll be posting pictures soon. i kinda like cold steel and would like to continue biying their products but if they cant fix this, then i cant invest in them anymore.
 
Hi
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If there's a flaw with your knife you need to let our customer services team know
Our warranty covers defects in materials and craftsmanship
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None of the handles are black they are a dark red/brown just as the advertisemnt pictures show....
Unless it's been modified by it's owner...
Call Cold Steel customer service and explain your concerns and I'm sure they will help you.
Sorry to hear that you are unhappy with yours...
The 3 I have are flawless and for the price of them, even if there was a minor issue like sharpening I would deal with it myself.
 
I feel as if Cold Steel cares more about their customers than any other company I know of; In fact I think they care more than Benchmade or Spyderco. If you have a problem with the knife not being as how it was advertised or you think you have been mislead talk to them
 
Got mine in yesterday. First thought was it was a counterfeit. Plain brown box, knife covered in grease and British approved? Wtf. But it cleaned up nice. Only complaint was nipple fastner on sheath was rusted.I've learned from this forum the knives are made in India. Feel like I ordered a Ferrari and found out it was built in Sierra Leone..
 
KenHash said:
India....did not know CS had any made there...
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Their western style swords and daggers have been made there for a long time, but I think this is the first non-dagger style knife they've offered from India. I also think Freman is correct that Windlass is their current supplier. The Indians make some great stuff. A bit crude here and there but fully functional and very tough. :thumbup:
 
mr.tactical said:
Feel like I ordered a Ferrari and found out it was built in Sierra Leone..
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Wait, you mean you bought a huge bowie for $129 and expected a Ferrari?

What you bought was a nasty, mean, get down and dirty junk yard dog! A pit fighter!


Sharpen that sucker up and watch your fingers! It will bite!
 
I really like the 1917; I get lots of catalogs and do a lot of shopping online, but I always find myself staring at that one longer than any of the others... going to have to take the plunge eventually.
 
I was reading this post and wanted to share my experience about the blue finish I have on my three Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie knives.
The first specimen I ordered, which is a very early specimen, does fit the description of the OP above. That is to say, the handguard has more of a red/brown look to it's finish. Being an early specimen, it has the 1055 carbon steel blade, which does have a blue finish more like what one would expect (that blue/black look). I imagine the blade and guard all received it's bluing at the same time, and if the guard is of a significantly different steel, maybe it was that that causes the blade and guard to have taken the bluing so differently. I personally do not mind, as a personal preference, this two different color look, since it seems to add to the rustic/vintage appearance of these knives.
As for the other two CS Frontier Bowies I own, their blades and guard match in color. I believe these other two are made of the higher number carbon steel that CS has switched to for these blades (1080-1085?). So maybe now the guard and blades are closer in metal composition.
 
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I own one. Love it. Nasty little short sword. Like a small cutlass. I have no doubts in its toughness.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Gots mine today. If you're on the fence do yourself a favor and buy one.
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Hi from Australia,
I got one the other, birthday present from my wife, took a while to clean the grease off it. Yes, it needs a good sharpen, but other than that, it's fantastic, Well balanced, absolutely love it. If you did get that wasn't what you thought it would be in the finish department, get onto CS. Mine is great.
 
oolong dao said:
like the blade seems to be, what i can only describe as dull as all hell ...............
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Maybe Cold Steel's product description of the 1917 is a clue:
"This versatile knife is suitable for historical re-enactment groups from the 1830’s onwards, Cowboy Action Shooters, civil war re-enactors and even modern Military groups."

I dont get your complaint about the handle; the pics of the 1917, that Ive seen, doesnt show a black color handle but more reddish and again I must refer to the official CS product description; handle - rosewood.
 
Mick P said:
Hi from Australia,
I got one the other, birthday present from my wife, took a while to clean the grease off it. Yes, it needs a good sharpen, but other than that, it's fantastic, Well balanced, absolutely love it. .
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Great gift, that's a knife.
[video=youtube;iQrLPtr_ikE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQrLPtr_ikE[/video]
 
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