Honest opinion about a Bowie

Charlie Mike said:
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Got plans for this one... Some REK magick
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Dang! I guess I should have kept the one I got right after they were released. I think I sold it at a show for around a hundred bills or a little more. Who would have thought, but that's my luck with stuff guns, knives. Oh well I didn't purchase them to make money on anyway. I can't wait to see the outcome.
 
Smaug said:
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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This^^. I know there are different definitions of "Bowie", but I have to agreee with the "Big enough.../Sharp enough.../Hard enough..." statement. I can't in all personal honesty call the 119 a bowie. Having grown up in SW Colorado in the 80s, the 119 is a basic hunting knife. The 124 Frontiersman is, to me, the only thing they make that might qualify, but the aluminum pommel is a detriment.

Economical, tough, and as big as you could reasonably want: the CS Frontier Bowie. LOOOOVE mine. It needs some work on a diamond plate to put a reasonable edge on it, but it will do all essential camping/trail heavy work with ease. You can generally find them cruising right around $100, sometimes down to $80, with discounts or sales, and because of the full exposed tang, scales attached with screws, you can easily modify your own handle.

I have a Laredo, and it's a beautiful specimen, but more directly in the fighter category because of the fine tip and cable tang. not bad, in any way, but you get more bang for your buck with the Frontier Bowie, and you won't cry if you drop it point-down.

Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works (MMHW) makes some fine specimens, but a step up in price.
 
I was looking at that beast of a bowie also and for a bill or less it's not bad. You could certainly beat the snot out of it and not feel too bad about it. How thick is the tip on that one as most bowies like you mentioned have a fine pointy tip. My buddy a got a Mineral mountain big bowie years ago and that monster was thick and heavy. I think he finally whittled it down and made a smaller knife from it. That 5160 is tough stuff.
 
d762nato said:
I was looking at that beast of a bowie also and for a bill or less it's not bad. You could certainly beat the snot out of it and not feel too bad about it. How thick is the tip on that one as most bowies like you mentioned have a fine pointy tip. My buddy a got a Mineral mountain big bowie years ago and that monster was thick and heavy. I think he finally whittled it down and made a smaller knife from it. That 5160 is tough stuff.
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It is a really pointy tip. I'll measure it tonight, but IIRC, it's a well-shafted 1/16" or so. E.g., the grinds converge in a fairly shallow angle from the blade and a steep grind off the clip, so it's not like the usual wafer-thin point, more like a sharpened round. No doubt, you can break or chip it, but you'd have to really try.
 
Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works? Hell yeah!! If all you need is a big piece of very tough steel with a decent handle attached, Mineral mountain does it right. I met these guys almost 30 years ago, talked to them a couple of times a year. Ted Frizzell and his brother Barry, a couple of very outspoken characters, quit going to the gun shows in Tulsa, after they were asked to be a little more politically correct, and not as loud about it, than either of them were really willing to be. In addition to putting on a good show, they make some serious tools. I've had one of their custom crash-axes for 25 years, 3/8" 5160, and as it's about as near indestructible as any tool I have seen.
 
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Goodness, you guys are really a wealth of information.
I'm one of those that researches anything for a long time before I pull the trigger. Now I have so much more to think about!
 
The thing about the Bowie knife is that it has become a separate entity, by virtue of having no real defining characteristics, and almost any big knife, or knife with a clip point, or tactical chef's knife is a Bowie. This takes away from the man.

I'm a fan of the school of thought that says you're not fighting the knife, but rather the man holding the knife. James Bowie was an exceedingly tough and determined SOB to even live through that fight, much less to be able to say he won. He'd have probably won just as well, and done just as much damage, had he been using a known pattern like a Hudson's Bay style knife.

Luck will see a man through as surely as skill, but luck is not to be counted upon.
 
Go custom. You need a Bowie. And so do I.:D

PS Check out Ivan Campos, a Brazilian cutliero who makes amazing knives you could use to cut down a rainforest... I (currently) have two:thumbsup:.
 
That 119 with the full flat grind is neat. I've got the standard version, but I like the FFG a lot better. I'll add that one some time.

I carry a Camillus/Fisk OVB Bowie now and then. It carries superbly and man does it cut. You can find one every now and again, but over the price range you are mulling.

I also love the ol' tried and true KaBar MKII for a beat-on-it Bowie.

I don't own either, but I like the look of the Boker Arbolito Esculta and El Gigante.
 
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Definitely get a Bowie.
A hunting knife with a clip point does not a Bowie make.
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Nothing wrong with a 119 or a 124. Both are great knives, the fricken 119 just had it's 75th birthday. Talk about staying power. A zillion handle and blade steel options. I do wish the 124 would become available in 1095.

Barrel Nut 119. 440, Iron wood and cow bone handle with leather spacers.


Buffalo horn 124, bone spacers.


70s buck custom shop Bowie.
 
SteelJunkee said:
^^ Like the man Said ^^

If it is your first one and are not sure if you are going to like to use Bowies, Ontario has a couples models that are inexpensive and really tough.

My favorite is the SP5 it`s a darn fine knife, and for the price, you wont be afraid to use it. It`s not a sexy knife but with the blade coating removed and a nice patina covering...
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+1 on the SP5. I got one expecting it to be my intro to large bowies and it completely scratched the itch. It does everything well without being the best at any one thing. It batons and chops well. it is super light and fast in the hand for extended yard-work. For the money, it's a great deal.
Here's mine after it helped build a backyard fire last fall.
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For the OP's budget, Western W49.
There was one in the exchange a couple weeks ago IIRC it didn't sell although priced fairly.
Look up the Bagwell mods for it, get a hacksaw, a mill bastard file and some sandpaper and make it yours.
I've got a bunch, but this is one I won't part with.
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Maybe something like a bk7 or 9 would actually get used . Nothing fancy, just carbon steel survival knives with good handles and full tang but still classy if you strip the blade
 
d762nato said:
Dang Makael this one is sweet, I just love that old stag. Do you have any more pics of it?

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I love it as well. It came from the Buck archives. Here it is with a Ruana Bowie.



Buckmaster custom Bowie with a sheath I made up to match the inserts in the handle,


Buck custom Bowie.


2 buck Mountain Man 905 Bowies
 
Beautiful group of Bowies, I have never really looked into the buck knives and didn't know they made all the different bowies. You have a nice collection Congrats.
 
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