Honest opinion about a Bowie

Rich S said:
Forget the fancy stuff and get a Marble's Bowie machete! Remove the paint with some paint remover and sharpen it to a razor edge. Now you have a great bowie.
Rich
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lollllllll. ??? the Smokey mountain knife works ??? Even If you removed the blade.... I would`nt buy one.... there is a lot of mora worthy knives for 15$ every Mora... there is.... even C... knives... Pakiesssss...... but.... This.....

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Seriously.... Don`t remove the coating it`s there to prevent loss.
 
justjed said:
Part of the problem is that no one can really agree on what makes a knife a BOWIE knife. It's been said the Sandbar Fight knife was just a 10" butcher knife with a sharpened clip. I'm partial to the Daniel Searles style knives, myself. If I was to purchase a new production Bowie strictly as a fighter, the Cold Steel Natchez Bowie would be the one. Kind of a modern take on the Joe Musso bowie, it's a classic shape. But if all I could afford was a 10" chef's knife from Wallyworld, and a sweet cardboard and duct-tape sheath, I wouldn't feel under-dressed if trouble came calling. For a working Bowie knife, there are so many good choices that it's practically mind-blowing. Not a fan-boy here, but if I had to recommend a working Bowie, again, Cold steel gets the nod. Either the Trail Master or the Recon Scout. Just because they're nearly indestructible, for the average user, and because carbon steel is easier to sharpen.
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From what I found Here.... A Bowie is...

Tough enough to serve as a pry bar.
Long enought to serve as a sword.
Sharp enough to shave you beard.
Heavy enough to make you sink right down a river.
 
SteelJunkee said:
lollllllll. ??? the Smokey mountain knife works ??? Even If you removed the blade.... I would`nt buy one.... there is a lot of mora worthy knives for 15$ every Mora... there is.... even C... knives... Pakiesssss...... but.... This.....

ma310410_2.jpg

Seriously.... Don`t remove the coating it`s there to prevent loss.
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It looks a lot like the Condor version that was an initial Condor offering when they first cranked up. Had a blue plastic handle. I didn't like the look then and I still don't even though they make a wood handled version now.

I thoroughly enjoy periodic visits to the store in Sevierville TN. A lot of my store bought versions came from there.... runs about 50/50 store to online.

How about the old SOG Tiger Shark? That is a beast of a knife.
 
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Here is a second TOPS War bowie that I stripped, sanded, vinegar etched and then buffed with 0000 steelwool. You can see that its actually differentially heat treated. One day I will make some fancy wooden or maybe burlap micarta handle scales for it

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Makael said:
Stand corrected , some pics of broken __ __ product. Guess nothing is unbreakable.

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Most any knife/tool can be broken if you find a Neanderthal to give it a try! ———-Can you pry with a Bowie style knife, yeah! To a point, then the point breaks!;)as far as a Bowie being heavy, any one handed weapon is never more than about 2lbs max .. Most Bowie’s, way under that!
 
JParanee said:
Bagwell wrote the book on the modern day combat Bowie but I get what your saying

If he wants a historic as in large camp knife type blade there a lot of options

When it comes to what I would consider a good production Bowie than I’d stick to what I said the CS stuff besides the cable tangs feel the closest to what I would consider a good Bowie
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Well yeah, the modern fighting Bowie has evolved a ways from what the original one was.

Lots to choose from now though, whether he wants the modern evolution, something more like the original, or anything in between. :)
No shortage of Bowie Knives out there. :D
 
Riz! said:
Here is a second TOPS War bowie that I stripped, sanded, vinegar etched and then buffed with 0000 steelwool. You can see that its actually differentially heat treated. One day I will make some fancy wooden or maybe burlap micarta handle scales for it

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That Prather War Bowie just looks mean. I have no real use for a blade like that, but I dig the looks, and I definitely dig your stripped down and fancied up version even more. Maybe I'll pick one up some time and try to emulate it.
 
Riz! said:
Here is a second TOPS War bowie that I stripped, sanded, vinegar etched and then buffed with 0000 steelwool. You can see that its actually differentially heat treated. One day I will make some fancy wooden or maybe burlap micarta handle scales for it

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Reminds me of a Shiva Ki piece that he made me many years ago

 
You should get what you want and not sweat it. They are not terribly practical, and they can be a pain to carry, but I love Bowie knives. I have my preferences, of course. The Buck 124 Frontiersman would be my prefence if I were going to get a big Buck. The early Spanish colonial Belduques are my absolute favorite, particularly the pattern known as the "Joe Place sword." Heimo Roselli's big honking leuku is one I love to carry on backcountry trips (not a Bowie, but the closest Finland comes to it). And I never feel under-knifed carrying my Dawson Sheffield Bowie: Completely useless but just so much knife.

There are a lot of styles out there, though, so see if you can't get your hands on some before pulling the trigger. It might be worth buying several, having them all in front of you to compare their feel, then return the ones you like less.

Let us know what you decide! And pics!

Zieg
 
For what it's worth, I bought a US-made Gerber bowie back in the day. It was a beaut. 1/4" thick blade stock, coffin handle. Quite hefty. I found it cool, but not at all useful.

I also had a Buck 619 for awhile, (rubber-handled 119) andit was even LESS useful, because it wasn't as good at chopping and had that tip that points backwards, so it's hard to wipe the blade without stabbing oneself.

So I guess I'd recommend to stand by and keep your new marriage in good shape.
 
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