Custom Bowie Pricing

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SilentJohn

Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
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this is a knife i designed inspired by the man with no name from ennio morricone's Dollars trilogy more specifically the good the bad and the ugly

the handle is brass (guard-pommel), silver (spacers), and mahogany. the knife has the the silver snake Clint had on his handle etched on the blade . the sheath has the same stitching as his gun belt and has "THE GOOD" etched on it in cursive lettering like the end of the movie maybe the buckle too

i dont want to sound like an a**hole but if you can't make the knife or can make most of it but cant do certain things i want done don't bother posting. this is the knife me and my father want no if, ands, or butts

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I would say hollow what ever is easier to sharpen and time isn't a problem as long as it's not ten or twelve months but I understand quality takes time also I will not pay the full price up front that's something I learned to be very important since joining bladeforums

I just have a feeling in the end this will be a great knife
 
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Just about anyone here can make that knife and sheath. I suspect many of us can do the engraving as well so you have a lot of makers to choose from. I'm not crazy about the silver and brass but if that's an exact replica based on images you have I would consider making this.
 
It's an original design and in the end it's not what the maker likes it's what the buyer wants. If you ordered a cheeseburger with bacon and the cook gives you a plain buger because he doesn't like bacon what would you do

the brass and silver are aspects taken from clint's gun which has brass and silver on it I am going for the knife equivalent of his revolver

Again I don't want to sound like a bastard but I attempted to have a knife made before and I had replys to make it but the makers wanted to change stuff so I scrapped my design and then I recently came up with this design while gun browsing
 
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SilentJohn said:
It's an original design and in the end it's not what the maker likes it's what the buyer wants. If you ordered a cheeseburger with bacon and the cook gives you a plain buger because he doesn't like bacon what would you do
Again I don't want to sound like a bastard
Click to expand...

Your note is pretty rude. I didn't suggest changes I was determining if I would make such a knife based on qualities in the knife design or whether it was an exact replica.

Obviously I wouldn't ever work with you now but I don't think you'll find that most custom makers would feel fond of your analogy of ordering a cheeseburger.
All qualified makers have spent the time acquiring skill and knowledge and during that period also pick up a sense of aesthetics that they likely won't compromise- just for the money.

I hope you do find a maker that you deserve.

I don't watch the show on TV but I have heard the quote quite a bit so I'll ask...Is this just a Jersey thing?
 
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I'm sorry if I insulted you but I couldn't come up with a better analogy it's just I want to have the knife made the way me and my father want that's all

A better analogy would be if a painter does a portrait of me and paints me without my beard because he thinks it doesn't look right

And as far as I am concerned I laid it all out in my first post "if you can't make the knife or can make most of it but cant do certain things i want done don't bother posting."
 
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If you are going for a classic western look, wouldn't you want a carbon steel that will patina to match the other design elements, rather than a polished stainless ?
 
I was pricing 440 stainless or d2 I am willing to use pretty much any metal as long as it's not 420 . The metal isn't the problem because all metal is grey it won't change the look of the knife drastically

If you have a metal you preffer I will listen
 
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The cost of the steel is not going to be a major factor in the price of the knife unless you do a damascus blade. I was just wondering why you chose D2. I would make the knife except for the fact that I have a 2 year back-log. As a maker I would suggest that you look at makers web sites. Choose a maker who's work you like. Then contact that maker. Talk with him. I hope to not come off as a smart a#@. I see nothing wrong with the design, choice of steel had me concerned. For a knife this size I would recomend 1080, 1095, or 5160. Working with your maker will help you to get the best knife you can for the money. Just as an example I am not crazy about brass on a knife but I have made many with brass fixtures. I often make suggestions but in the end you have to give the customer what he wants. And on a 10" Bowie when a customer is spending around $600 to $1000 or more. What he wants is important. Good luck in your quest.
 
Thank you for understanding

You get what I'm going for with the knife right?
 
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I take it you really like the movie. You have the holster and the gun and just need the knife to complete the set. I have as far back as I can remember, loved Japanese swords.( I never plan on useing it, but have been working on a Katana for the last 3 years.) Still haven't finished the blade. You will find the right maker. When you do the result will be better than you hoped for.
 
I don't own the holster and gun and yes I do like the movie alot , the idea of a three way dule in a graveyard it's brilliant and to top off you have that incredible soundtrack blasting away. g, b,& u is my third favorite movie and I can't base a knife off of back to the future or ghostbusters ( born 1984 so I watched those 1000s of times )

Maybe in the end it would be cheaper to buy a knife and have it customized CS trailmaster would work
 
I just wanted to recommend you give second thought to the grind you drew in... With a big, wide blade like this, a shallow hollow grind will leave it very very heavy.

A full, flat grind with slight convexity would look very nice and also drastically lighten the blade making it much more lively in the hand. :)

Good luck on your search.

FWIW- To find a maker with the skills to match something you come up with EXACTLY, you will have a fairly narrow search as most guys that advanced won't make something if it doesn't fit into their style of not only aesthetics, but the way they work in their shop.

I would expect you'll be looking at a minimum of $400 if you can find a hungry, newer maker, but more likely several hundred dollars.


Another FWIW- I understand your analogies, but they just don't fit in the real world. If the photographer takes a picture of you with a beard and you look stupid with a beard.... it just looks like he took a picture of a guy with a stupid beard... no bad reflection on him. If a maker builds a stupid looking knife, then stamps/etches his name on it.... then HIS SIGNED work... part of his legacy, is stupid. People will see the knife and think, "Boy, he sure makes stupid looking knives!" The photographer won't have people think he takes stupid portraits, just portraits of stupid looking people.

I'm not saying your drawing is stupid (or your beard, LOL! ;) ) I'm just trying to explain how most makers approach this type of thing. In a perfect world, you could order whatever your heart desires and a maker will cater to YOUR wants no matter what long term affect it may have on him. But then again, in a perfect world, the customer really would always be right. ;)
 
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Just wondering, the silver in the handle, do you want it to be real silver or silver coloured metal?
 
Nick,

You bring up some good points. A big thick solid blade with a short hollow grind feels like a big heavy turd. A knife of that construction is going to require a skilled maker for it to turn out well. And I don't know any skilled makers who would want to sign up for that. You might be stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to give the customer exactly what they ask for but still have something you'd sign your name to.

I would argue that is not a bowie knife. I think that would be a good example of a KSO.

This is a bowie knife :http://www.bobticeknives.com/7-5-fisk_camillus.jpg

Interesting predicament...

I do job shop work and make plenty of questionable designs to specification. But I'm not putting my name on it anywhere.

I wonder if the OP would have better success getting it made exactly how he wants it at a model shop or somewhere that fabricates stage props. Might be more their thing.
 
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