DF Bowie changes? Part 1

[Tenbeers]

Today I received another DF Bowie and noticed some differences.
The first noted difference was the sheath tension when drawing the knife and resheathing it. Much tighter where the guard snaps in and out. It's not just the normal new stiffness.
I have 3 others to compare it to. What can I say,I'm a sucker for good deals.

The next thing I noticed was the different feel in hand.
A slightly different heft and a small difference in the balance point.
Further examination answered my questions:
1.The blade stock is less tapered going towards the tip.
2.The tip is noticeably thicker.
3.I think the blade is slightly thicker overall.
I don't have a caliper to get the exact measurements but in just
eyeballing it,some of the difference is pretty obvious.

A better indication of the difference in thickness was revealed when I
inserted it in the other three sheaths,it was a much tighter fit,especially
toward the tip of the blade. I had to push fairly hard to get it in the other sheaths.
Held side by side with the others,the blade thickness was noticeably
different,especially from the clip to the point.
I don't mind the thicker stock but it does change the balance and feel some.
This may be an anomaly or it may be a change in general or one based on
feedback.
Who knows?

I'm not whining,just observing.
I do wish they'd do it with a false edge grind but that's just wishlist
thinking.
I really like this model and I hope it sticks around,even if it's the
last Cold Steel model I buy.
YMMV

 

[Man with no name]

Great minds think alike. I have one DF Bowie 9.5" that I ordered a month ago and two additional waiting at the post office. They have been sitting there since Friday, but the Woman with no name was around and not safe to bring them in, like crossing a border with contraband! She's out today so I will be picking them up shortly. When I recieved the first one there was some difficulty getting it in and out of the sheath. But when I removed the belt loop attatchment that changed dramatically. All 3 were purchased from the same vendor. When the price dropped even lower I made my move and placed the order for the other two. I will report back if there's any differences.

 

[Tenbeers]

I took the belt loops off all four of mine.
2 of the four came from the same vendor,the others from different sellers.
Counting the one today,these were purchased from the initial release time period until now. There were several months between some of them with the longest gap being with the one received today.
I'm curious to see if anyone else with duplicates sees any differences.

I gotta say it's comforting to know others share my multiple purchase sickness.

 

[Man with no name]

There must be something to the thickness because of the two I picked up today one definitely is tighter in the sheath. The older one drops in and out of the new sheaths with ease. So I switched sheaths with those two. I haven't removed the belt loops yet. When I see these on sale again I might have to pick up another, but for now 3 is fine.

 

[Tenbeers]

The sheath that came with this latest one fits fine with a tighter snap in at the guard. It's when I insert it in the previous sheaths that it gets almost too tight.
When I insert the older ones in the new sheath there is slightly more tightness at the guard but inside the main body of the new sheath fits fine,pointing to the increased blade thickness.
I'm wondering if this latest blade thickness is the new normal.
I still want a false edge grind!

 

[Tenbeers]

See Part 2 of this thread.

 

[DocJD]

I still want a false edge grind!

DIY :

 

[Tenbeers]

Nice!
I don't trust my skill or lack of it enough for that.
What did you use to do it?
Great job!

 

[DocJD]

What did you use to do it?

Makita cordless angle grinder with about a 40grit zirconium slap disc .

Knife clamped in a Workmate . Grinder used freehand .

The grind is not very symmetrical , but it works . Just semi-sharp , but will cut cardboard .

My skills are minimal , but I've had lots of practice on mower blades and machetes etc .

 

[Tenbeers]

Makita cordless angle grinder with about a 40grit zirconium slap disc .

Knife clamped in a Workmate . Grinder used freehand .

The grind is not very symmetrical , but it works . Just semi-sharp , but will cut cardboard .

My skills are minimal , but I've had lots of practice on mower blades and machetes etc .

Looks good to me!
I've considered tapering it some with a file.

On another note,after seeing the silicone tape on yours,I gave it a try.
I'd been using renfrew grip tape and wanted to try something different.
It worked ok but still wasn't "grippy" enough for me so I tried a combo of the two. Both tapes can be wrapped thin so it doesn't get too bulky.
I'm really pleased with the results. The silicon being underneath the grip tape gives it a different but better feel to me.
The renfrew tape doesn't weather as well as I'd like it to but it's easy to replace and can be reused if you're careful in removing it.

If you do anymore mods on your DF Bowie,please keep sharing the results.