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Does anybody carry a traditional bowie in the field?

If I were to pic a favorite "bowie" style knife it would hands down be the old carbon steel Western bowie. Modify the over sized guard and this classic is a winner.
Scott
 
i bowie knife doesn't have to be heavy to chop effectively. if they are designed correctly they can outperform a machete with ease. i think many of the modern knives are getting too heavy and still won't outperform a hatchet for chopping.

if you take a look at Ron Hood's fehrman hoodhunter you will see a knife that is light weight yet still chops well, so does the trail master. both of these knives weight in about 16 oz. the busse fusion battle mistress must weight twice that amount. while the busse is a great knife it is too heavy for my tastes so i stick with the fehrman. the scales are removable so you could get you some nice wood scales for it and have a "traditional" bowie;)

here is a picture of it next to my crossada fighting knife and busse mr. mofo.

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Yup, neat post that illustrates an example of what I would conceive of a Bowie knife to be rather well. It is principally a sidearm, but will do other stuff. When we get into survival Bowies and utility Bowies that have been bent way out of shape from anything sidearm I think the entire Bowie[ness] is lost. If it don't walk like a duck and talk like a duck... And then there's the marketing stuff that tries to sell locking knives as folding Bowies simply because they have a clip point. Arghhh.
 
I like the looks of Bowie knives, also, and think a good one would do what I want it to in most situations, but I think there are better choices for a big wilderness knife. I think of Bowie knives as fighting knives, having a clip point and being narrower from spine to edge than the big choppers so they can be maneuvered more quickly in a knife fight. Less weight and mass, especially near the tip, decreases chopping power.

I don't think Bowies usually have choils, so the blade can't be "choked up" on for finer chores. Also, I much prefer a cushioned handle (such as Resiprene C) for shock absorption when chopping, and Bowies usually come with hard handles. I know prying with a knife is a "no-no" but if I had to pry or dig in an emergency or survival situation I have much more confidence in a wider drop point tip than a thinner clip point.
 
I have been on the hunt for the same Marbles bowie..I think it would make a good basic tool, and it has that old time feel. Gene
 
Just to agree with what others said: the Bpwie design is a jack of all trades, and from most of the accounts of its creation I've read, it was always meant to be. It was Jim Bowie's answer to the question "If you could only carry one knife. . ."
IMO if you want a Bowie, then you have to want the jack of all trades. There are certainly better fighting blades, better choppers, better slicers, better . . . canoe paddles. . .but few can do ALL as well as a Bowie.

Mtn Hawk said:
I don't think Bowies usually have choils, so the blade can't be "choked up" on for finer chores.
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Like I mentioned earlier, that's why many Bowies have the very wide blades -- you hold onto the blade itself, you don't try to "choke up" over the guard. With the big guard most have (because fighting is indeed one of its design points), a choil would be next to useless anyway.
 
Mtn Hawk said:
Less weight and mass, especially near the tip, decreases chopping power.


i'm not a firm believer in this line of thought. one could look at some of the ABS competition cutters and see what i mean.
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My Father has packed a BOWIE for at least the last 35yrs ! His is made by Western, I think the model is W49:confused: This thing is a real brute ! It's made of a carbon steel & is very easy to resharpen (hair shaving) & holds a good edge ! This knife has done just about everything from camp chores to clearing brush to field dressing & skinning deer !
I LOVE IT, Wish You could still get'em :mad:
 
coaldigger said:
My Father has packed a BOWIE for at least the last 35yrs ! His is made by Western, I think the model is W49:confused: This thing is a real brute ! It's made of a carbon steel & is very easy to resharpen (hair shaving) & holds a good edge ! This knife has done just about everything from camp chores to clearing brush to field dressing & skinning deer !
I LOVE IT, Wish You could still get'em :mad:
Click to expand...

That's the one I'm talking about. The old Western Cutlery Co. Boulder Colorado.
Keep and eye on E-Bay. They come up for sale every once in awhile.
Scott
 
Gossman Knives said:
If I were to pic a favorite "bowie" style knife it would hands down be the old carbon steel Western bowie. Modify the over sized guard and this classic is a winner.
Scott
Click to expand...
I have two of the Western (Coleman era) carbon steel bowies, one modified, one stock.
Great knives!
But not as thick/heavy as some Bowies of similar size.
I have an Old Blackjack Anaconda II which i love but the ergonomics of the handle are truly awful.
 
coaldigger said:
Yep these are Very Tough Knives !
I'll keep my eye open ! Thanks
Click to expand...
Fairly regularly you will see the naked (no handle/pins/guard) W49 Western bowie blade blanks on ebay.
Sometimes they look a little rough but they should clean up good.
A great customizing project!
 
Gossman Knives said:
If I were to pic a favorite "bowie" style knife it would hands down be the old carbon steel Western bowie. Modify the over sized guard and this classic is a winner.
Scott
Click to expand...

I have read reports of people using one as a general purpose outdoors knife with favourable results.

Would this be considered a Bowie?
uploadthisone.jpg


Buck 124 Plainsman

Doc
 
Doc, that is one knife I always forget about. I have 3 of them in my Buck collection but never really put them to use. I'll have to get one out and put it to work.
Scott
 
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CS TrailMaster Carbon V
Great Balance, takes an edge and does well for a lot of camp uses .
 
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Becker Combat Bowie BK-9
same steel as Carbon V from my understanding.
Great chopper .
 
Gossman Knives said:
That's the one I'm talking about. The old Western Cutlery Co. Boulder Colorado.
Keep and eye on E-Bay. They come up for sale every once in awhile.
Scott
Click to expand...

I wonder where the old factory is...I live 5 miles from Boulder.

The coolest bowie I've ever held was this one I made a sheath for. It was made by a guy after returning home from Vietnam in 1968.

I'm not a bowie fan....but this one felt alive in the hand.

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