cold steel 1917 bowie, disappointing

Jeez, first time I've read a complaint thread that made me want the knife after, lol.
 
I think a major factor that is coming into play with this knife, is the fact that they are mostly handmade items. They will have deviations not commonly found on more machine made items. We have grown accustomed to things being made almost exactly the same from one specimen to another with most modern made things, but I, for one, like the more hands on made things. Yes, they may often have some deviations from piece to piece, but that adds charm for me. I would love to see Cold Steel produce a video of one of these being made in India. I would guess the video would not turn off most people, but only enhance it's desirability... It showing that not everything is totally state of the art today. Where we here in the USA pay dearly for American made handmade items, much cheaper cost of living and lower labor costs in places like India, can allow these types of handmade items to still be affordable to us. Sure, I'd love this knife to be USA made, but I believe it's price would be prohibitive for me if it were made in the same old school manner that they make them in India. Kind'a cool how Cold Steel offers so many different types of items that are made in both old school and new school ways 👍☺👍
 
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I just received mine yesterday. This is new 1085 steel. First impressions were good. The leather shealth is well made and fits great. Blade shape with the curved S guard is very beautiful Nice blued finish. Grind lines are clean,the shape of the swedge and tip are well formed. It has some remaining burrs on the edge but otherwise well sharpened. I removed the burrs on my lanky medium stone and after 5 minutes, it was slicing paper. The only thing that I didn't like so much is the edge near the choil has a tiny bit of recurve which will make it harder to sharpen.

Now some quick comparison to the Natchez bowie. Both knives are quite similar in size with the 1917 frontiers blade just slightly longer. Looks wise both knives are beautiful in their own way. The 1917 is attractive in the classic rugged cowboy style. The Natchez with with its continuous curved blade and wicked tip is attractive in a sinister kind of way. Weight on the Natchez is 22 oz. the 1917 is 3 oz heavier at 25 oz and more forward balanced. This means that the 1917 will be more chopping oriented. The 1917 also has a full length full thickness tang compared to the stub + cable tang of the Natchez. This is one the major reason why most have written off the Natchez in favor of the 1917. It is just not suitable for batoning or other tasks that puts stress on the handle though the recent change to micarta have resolved most of the issues. That said the handle on the Natchez is more comfortable and secure even on hard swings. The Natchez also feels a lot lighter and faster when wielding. Probably due to the balnce. In terms of the cutting geometry, the 1917 bowie has a more obtuse primary grind and is overall thicker behind behind the edge epecially after the belly toward the tip. The Natchez with its full flat grind and distal taper has a thinner cutting edge and a finer tip which make better for finesse cuts and thrusts. The 1917 will be the more more durable blade when cutting hard targets like bone or when you need to punch holes in car hoods (for whatever reason). The Natchez is a great chopper in my tests. Sinking itself deep into wood with every cut. I have not tested with the 1917 yet but I expect it to do well. For now the 1917 will be more of a nice display piece for me.
 
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Nice pic! Did the 1085 version come with the British proof test certificate? (just curious)

As far as batonning, if the Natchez didn't have such a huge second edge on top, it would have been great for such abuse. I don't think the handle and cable tang design is what should stop you from using it hard. It's the clip point. Heavy batonning will damage that second edge (and destroy your baton quickly too). Quite a lot of people dislike the cable tang Cold Steel uses, but it will hold up very well to any chopping or hard use. Just don't hammer on the pommel end, don't use the pommel to pound anything. Because only the handle material itself is supporting the cable tang from force coming up through the pommel end.
 
Thanks. No it did not come with any proof certificate. Yes the Natchez will hold up to hard chopping but batoning on the blade nearest to the handle will put stress on the handle and may potentially crack the wood on the older versions. I don't think batoning on the false edge is an issue other than destroying the baton.
 
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