I got interested in HI products last summer and have been studying the choices endlessly. It started with a CAK on black Friday but no that wasnt enough! I kept dreaming of an AK Bowie. So recently I made up my mind to get one with a wood handle and ended up sort of stealth sharking this one:
Overall length 14 7/8
Weight 30 ounces
Satisal wood handle
Made by Bhakta Kami
I dont usually do much in the way of reviews because thats not my thing but the AK Bowie is simply inspiring. Did you ever unpack a new knife and just know that it was exactly right for you? The first thing that I noticed was the awesome fit and finish. The wood handle feels just right and fits my hand perfectly. The finish and look of the wood handle were exactly what I was looking for. Yes the handle is large both in length and thickness but the handle slabs are angled and rounded off along the edges just right for the size. Unlike my other HI knives that seem dry and crying out for finishing this ones handle seems stained and sealed and feels nice and smooth with just the right amount of warmth and grip to it. When I first started looking at the AK Bowie I was a little leery of the handle shape. All of those concerns evaporated once I pulled the knife out and held it for the first time. The curves of the handle just melt into my hand. Then I started admiring the blade. The mirror level polishing is just stunning. The blade size and shape are just right. For a 30 ounce knife it feels amazingly light, The balance point is about 3/8 forward of the cho. I have numerous production knives but none of them give the look and feel of this handmade beauty. The AK Bowie is pure artistry. I think that what I like most about the AK Bowie is how it blends the bowie design with Nepalese style. I find that uniqueness of design most appealing. I have never seen anything else in the marketplace that has the same appearance. I think about the kamis shaping and finishing these massive blades by hand and I am simply awed.
I was also surprised at how sharp the AK Bowie arrived. With HI, as with any other brand, I have received a fair amount of variation in blade sharpness. We all have different levels of expectation on factory sharpness and the variability in what is shipped seems to be universal. I am not too scientific about my blade sharpness. I sort of grade my sharpness like this:
1) Cuts paper with bit of tearing sound
2) Cuts paper smooth and quiet
3) Easily cuts a smooth S shape in paper
4) Easily shaves hair (arm, leg, whatever, I am not putting this AKB anywhere near my face!)
This AK Bowie arrived at about 2.5 on the above scale. It might actually be a 3 but with the thickness of the blade (13/32) turning the S in the paper tends toward tearing if I dont get it perfectly positioned on the way through. Overall I wonder if that is sharper than a blade of this design and intended use needs to be. Sharpness at level 1 or 2 would still be pretty nasty with 30 ounces behind it.
So how does the AK Bowie fit in hand? See for yourself. Maybe now Yangdu will understand my endless questions regarding handle sizes. I also bought a Kumar Karda because I simply love that carved handle but it is a tad short in the handle for me. I may have to pursue one of those with another inch of handle on it.
My biggest dilemma when shopping for this knife was trying to judge how it would fit relative to other knives that I either own or have held. Pictures are great but comparisons are so difficult with single blade shots. I thought that I would offer up a size comparison shot between the AK Bowie, an ESEE Junglas, and a Bass pro Shops Redhead bowie. No snickering as I am certain that many of us have those cheap knives that we just had to have for one reason or another over time. These were the only two other knives in my collection that are anywhere in the immediate size neighborhood of the AK Bowie. The Junglas is another one that feels real good in my hand as one might guess from the above pictures. It is sort of funny how the AK Bowie is shorter than the Junglas yet it doesnt seem all that much smaller!
I cant wait to get out and use this bad boy. I will probably also make a nice display case for when I am not using the AK Bowie just so that I can sit back and enjoy looking at it! HI did great coming up with the AK Bowie. Thank you Yangdu for patiently putting up with my stream of questions.
Overall length 14 7/8
Weight 30 ounces
Satisal wood handle
Made by Bhakta Kami
I dont usually do much in the way of reviews because thats not my thing but the AK Bowie is simply inspiring. Did you ever unpack a new knife and just know that it was exactly right for you? The first thing that I noticed was the awesome fit and finish. The wood handle feels just right and fits my hand perfectly. The finish and look of the wood handle were exactly what I was looking for. Yes the handle is large both in length and thickness but the handle slabs are angled and rounded off along the edges just right for the size. Unlike my other HI knives that seem dry and crying out for finishing this ones handle seems stained and sealed and feels nice and smooth with just the right amount of warmth and grip to it. When I first started looking at the AK Bowie I was a little leery of the handle shape. All of those concerns evaporated once I pulled the knife out and held it for the first time. The curves of the handle just melt into my hand. Then I started admiring the blade. The mirror level polishing is just stunning. The blade size and shape are just right. For a 30 ounce knife it feels amazingly light, The balance point is about 3/8 forward of the cho. I have numerous production knives but none of them give the look and feel of this handmade beauty. The AK Bowie is pure artistry. I think that what I like most about the AK Bowie is how it blends the bowie design with Nepalese style. I find that uniqueness of design most appealing. I have never seen anything else in the marketplace that has the same appearance. I think about the kamis shaping and finishing these massive blades by hand and I am simply awed.
I was also surprised at how sharp the AK Bowie arrived. With HI, as with any other brand, I have received a fair amount of variation in blade sharpness. We all have different levels of expectation on factory sharpness and the variability in what is shipped seems to be universal. I am not too scientific about my blade sharpness. I sort of grade my sharpness like this:
1) Cuts paper with bit of tearing sound
2) Cuts paper smooth and quiet
3) Easily cuts a smooth S shape in paper
4) Easily shaves hair (arm, leg, whatever, I am not putting this AKB anywhere near my face!)
This AK Bowie arrived at about 2.5 on the above scale. It might actually be a 3 but with the thickness of the blade (13/32) turning the S in the paper tends toward tearing if I dont get it perfectly positioned on the way through. Overall I wonder if that is sharper than a blade of this design and intended use needs to be. Sharpness at level 1 or 2 would still be pretty nasty with 30 ounces behind it.
So how does the AK Bowie fit in hand? See for yourself. Maybe now Yangdu will understand my endless questions regarding handle sizes. I also bought a Kumar Karda because I simply love that carved handle but it is a tad short in the handle for me. I may have to pursue one of those with another inch of handle on it.
My biggest dilemma when shopping for this knife was trying to judge how it would fit relative to other knives that I either own or have held. Pictures are great but comparisons are so difficult with single blade shots. I thought that I would offer up a size comparison shot between the AK Bowie, an ESEE Junglas, and a Bass pro Shops Redhead bowie. No snickering as I am certain that many of us have those cheap knives that we just had to have for one reason or another over time. These were the only two other knives in my collection that are anywhere in the immediate size neighborhood of the AK Bowie. The Junglas is another one that feels real good in my hand as one might guess from the above pictures. It is sort of funny how the AK Bowie is shorter than the Junglas yet it doesnt seem all that much smaller!
I cant wait to get out and use this bad boy. I will probably also make a nice display case for when I am not using the AK Bowie just so that I can sit back and enjoy looking at it! HI did great coming up with the AK Bowie. Thank you Yangdu for patiently putting up with my stream of questions.
