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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Help me choose a bowie knife
- Thread starter Runs With Scissors
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2000
- Messages
- 3,002
Hard for me to imagine that brass piece exactly adding strength or integrity, although I could easily imagine seeing it as being able to absorb and spread out shock pretty well. Purely speculative of course, obviously I've been wrong before. I do very much like the explanation with the knifemakers name though. Makes a helluva lot more sense than the bladecatching explanation.
Kinda cool thing with Bowies, all the legend, myth, and lore involved with 'em.
Kinda cool thing with Bowies, all the legend, myth, and lore involved with 'em.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,913
The spanish notch:
Not sure of the origin or it's initial intended purpose.
Bagwell puts them on the Belle per JAK's design. JAK instructs in the use of the notch as a blade catcher when in combat with anothers knife.
Have practiced on the cheap knives with the notch as shown by Jim and it works pretty damned well. It's not so much to just catch the others blade edge but once the opponents blade has been trapped in the notch, you twist quickly on your blade and the opponents blade will almost fly from his hands [ disarmed ].
One will need hours of practice in disarming the opponents knife using the spanish notch. Once able to reliably catch and disarm, it then becomes something you can rely on, even if you only catch the blade and disarm them. It can give one another defensive edge with against an opponent with battle blades.
To watch the disarming with the notch by one who knows the way is awesome. I've seen blades ripped from hands easily. Some went as far as 10 feet in the air when disarmed using the notch/blade catcher.
My own take on having the notch on a battle blade is I won't attempt to use it, but in battle, if the opponents blade catches on the notch [ you'll know it when it does ]you have the knowledge of twisting yours immediately and stand a good chance of disarming the opponent.
Just another trick to have in the bag of knowledge.
Brownie
Not sure of the origin or it's initial intended purpose.
Bagwell puts them on the Belle per JAK's design. JAK instructs in the use of the notch as a blade catcher when in combat with anothers knife.
Have practiced on the cheap knives with the notch as shown by Jim and it works pretty damned well. It's not so much to just catch the others blade edge but once the opponents blade has been trapped in the notch, you twist quickly on your blade and the opponents blade will almost fly from his hands [ disarmed ].
One will need hours of practice in disarming the opponents knife using the spanish notch. Once able to reliably catch and disarm, it then becomes something you can rely on, even if you only catch the blade and disarm them. It can give one another defensive edge with against an opponent with battle blades.
To watch the disarming with the notch by one who knows the way is awesome. I've seen blades ripped from hands easily. Some went as far as 10 feet in the air when disarmed using the notch/blade catcher.
My own take on having the notch on a battle blade is I won't attempt to use it, but in battle, if the opponents blade catches on the notch [ you'll know it when it does ]you have the knowledge of twisting yours immediately and stand a good chance of disarming the opponent.
Just another trick to have in the bag of knowledge.
Brownie
I've handled the Case Bowie quite a bit, it's a nice knife, any knife that branched off of the Collins No# 18 Bowie(probably the last Mil. issued big Bowie) is bound to be pretty good.
The only things that might be a bit of concern is:
1) The grip is a bit on the chunky side(I've got pretty big paws, too).
2) The grip is hard polished plastic, I wonder if it would be slipperer in a wet hand.
3) It's ground a bit on the wedgey side.
If you like it, try to find the older Davey Crockett one. It has a tasteful little engraving on the side, and a brass back. The sheath really shines, it has brass reenforcements at the stress points, and at the tip. The big Bowie's rip through the tips of sheath's often.
.- Joined
- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 2,954
Regarding brass backs-
I once heard an explanation somewhere that seemed a lot more probable than "catching" blades. Many Bowies of the era were fully hardened and left rather brittle. I believe this because I have personally seen over a dozen antique Bowies that had large chips out of their edges, and I haven't really seen all that many origional Bowies. Even Ed Fowler once wrote about an antique Bowie that suffered badly chipped edges during normal use because it was left so hard and brittle.
I am told that many schools of fence in the Antibellum South taught students to parry with the spine of the blade whenever possible, to preserve the edge. (but not every master advocated this) Two adrenalized guys crashing their blades together doubtless broke several of these hard blades in half. Thus the soft brass was put on the spine to act as a shock absorber, and hopefully prevent the blade from breaking, while still allowing it to be very hard.
I also have a theory (though I have not seen any origionals) that if these schools used blunt training blades, the steel would become fatigued over time and break from all the stress, and thus the brass back was a natural solution to prolong the life of the waster blades. So, maybe the advantages of the brass back were actually discovered on training blades, and later added as "insurance" on the real thing, (even though the real Bowies would never see as much action as a training blade) rather than appearing on real knives first.
What say ye?
I once heard an explanation somewhere that seemed a lot more probable than "catching" blades. Many Bowies of the era were fully hardened and left rather brittle. I believe this because I have personally seen over a dozen antique Bowies that had large chips out of their edges, and I haven't really seen all that many origional Bowies. Even Ed Fowler once wrote about an antique Bowie that suffered badly chipped edges during normal use because it was left so hard and brittle.
I am told that many schools of fence in the Antibellum South taught students to parry with the spine of the blade whenever possible, to preserve the edge. (but not every master advocated this) Two adrenalized guys crashing their blades together doubtless broke several of these hard blades in half. Thus the soft brass was put on the spine to act as a shock absorber, and hopefully prevent the blade from breaking, while still allowing it to be very hard.
I also have a theory (though I have not seen any origionals) that if these schools used blunt training blades, the steel would become fatigued over time and break from all the stress, and thus the brass back was a natural solution to prolong the life of the waster blades. So, maybe the advantages of the brass back were actually discovered on training blades, and later added as "insurance" on the real thing, (even though the real Bowies would never see as much action as a training blade) rather than appearing on real knives first.
What say ye?
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2000
- Messages
- 1,048
Howdy Mr. Beck,
This message doesn't really belong here, but you don't have an email account, nor is the PM option available. Please drop me an email. I'm wondering about your Kyedex sheath. Why don't you send it in to get it fixed? You've made many comments in lots of threads about the quality of MMHW sheaths and I want to get this "right" before you bad-mouth Ted out of business!
About a year ago I had a person contact me because he had lost a MMHW 10 years ago, and wanted the knife replaced because he said it slipped out of the Kydex. I told him he was a liar and to piss off (not really- I just thought it!). Who waits 10 years to ask for a refund/replacement? Anyway, I've seen and owned MANY MMHW knives, and never have I seen a sheath that wasn't far too tight for my taste (I loosen mine up with a hair dryer). I guess some people like their sheaths tighter than others; I like mine to come out fast and easy. Still, they always are so tight you can shake them HARD upside down and they won't budge. And Kydex shouldn't loosen up unless it gets very hot. That said, I think you have a bum sheath and I'd like to replace or fix it (or have Ted do it). We'll make that sucker so tight, you'll need a crowbar to get it out.
I think you made reference to it being "cheap Kydex" in another thread. In my mind .6mm Kydex(TM) is .6mm Kydex(TM). It's the same stuff everyone uses. Ted does have a unique way of making them though. And FWIW, personally, I agree with you from the standpoint of the sheaths being not as good as the knives. But hey, they should be adequate to your needs! Drop me an email and we'll get it fixed/replaced for you.
<Okay, sorry for the interuption. Carry on!>
This message doesn't really belong here, but you don't have an email account, nor is the PM option available. Please drop me an email. I'm wondering about your Kyedex sheath. Why don't you send it in to get it fixed? You've made many comments in lots of threads about the quality of MMHW sheaths and I want to get this "right" before you bad-mouth Ted out of business!
About a year ago I had a person contact me because he had lost a MMHW 10 years ago, and wanted the knife replaced because he said it slipped out of the Kydex. I told him he was a liar and to piss off (not really- I just thought it!). Who waits 10 years to ask for a refund/replacement? Anyway, I've seen and owned MANY MMHW knives, and never have I seen a sheath that wasn't far too tight for my taste (I loosen mine up with a hair dryer). I guess some people like their sheaths tighter than others; I like mine to come out fast and easy. Still, they always are so tight you can shake them HARD upside down and they won't budge. And Kydex shouldn't loosen up unless it gets very hot. That said, I think you have a bum sheath and I'd like to replace or fix it (or have Ted do it
). We'll make that sucker so tight, you'll need a crowbar to get it out. I think you made reference to it being "cheap Kydex" in another thread. In my mind .6mm Kydex(TM) is .6mm Kydex(TM). It's the same stuff everyone uses. Ted does have a unique way of making them though. And FWIW, personally, I agree with you from the standpoint of the sheaths being not as good as the knives. But hey, they should be adequate to your needs! Drop me an email and we'll get it fixed/replaced for you.
<Okay, sorry for the interuption. Carry on!>
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2000
- Messages
- 3,002
This one's a done deal- wound up with the stag handled Carbon V Trail Master. Liked the weight, the sturdiness, and the slight curve in the handle. Also liked the sturdier tip. Was a good deal on a pre-owned knife that I was able to throw some trading fodder into. Got it yesterday. 9-11 just seemed like a fitting day to purchase an American Icon in blade craft, that honestly would make one helluva brutal instrument.
I'm already planning for the next one around dividend time-leaning towards a custom for that one, maybe even a Crossada if I can find one, all depending on the dividend and how much OT I can work.
I thank you all for the input and advice!
I'm already planning for the next one around dividend time-leaning towards a custom for that one, maybe even a Crossada if I can find one, all depending on the dividend and how much OT I can work.
I thank you all for the input and advice!
- Joined
- May 6, 2003
- Messages
- 94
Actually, the "catching" the opposing blade in the copper or brass spine strip is thought to be a myth. What is more likely is that is was (1) Decorative, or (2) Shock absorbing, especially when used in the the primary edge held upward, the so-called "mountain man" grip.
see http://alliancemartialarts.com/bowieknife2.htm for further elaboration
