Info on Ed Fowler knives?

ThomasH · Dec 23, 1998

I think this is the right place to post this...

One of my Xmas gifts arrived, and since it was mailed directly from the supplier, it was unwrapped, and I saw on the packing slip something about "Ed Fowler knife"??

I have an older brother who is also a "Knife Knut", and from what little I've been able to research, Ed Fowler is a custom knife maker. I think he also used to write a column in Blade magazine, but stopped just before I subscribed (I keep seeing people talk about him in the past in the mag). And he has published a book about making knives.

But what kind of knife will I find within?? I am a knife _user_, not a collector, and my brother has a habit of buying me "useless" collectors knives, rather than the sharpened pry bars that I prefer.

What will I find in my box? Can anyone direct me to a page that describes the kind of knives Ed Fowler makes? Will I find a big fixed blade bowie or tanto, like I hope, or a ivory and turquoise inlaid fantasy knife with a gold plated blade?

I know I'll appreciate the thought, cause he's a good brother, but will I like the knife!?!

Thomas

Derek · Dec 23, 1998

Thomas,

I will not spoil the surprise for you but rest assures that you will get a "real" knife NOT a Gil Hibben fantasy piece.

I want to know how you got a brother that would send such a great present

.

Derek

ThomasH · Dec 22, 1998

Thanks Derek,

> "I will not spoil the surprise...but...you will get a "real" knife..."
>
Well, that's encouraging!!

> "I want to know how you got a brother that would send such a great present..."
>
You'd probably have to ask our parents! ;-) He wasn't and isn't always so good, I got a plastic (piece of absolute sh*t) "007 Aston Martin" from the f*cking "Danbury Mint" last year!?!?! I have no idea why. I'm not a Bond fan, or a collector of worthless, broken, plastic cr*p from the _Danbury_ "Mint". I don't know what he paid for it, but it's worth about 59 cents. But I try to train him by example, sending him a Cold Steel Mini-Tanto when they first came out, Benchmade 970 and 975's, a Benchmade Tsunami, Gargoyles, Sure-Fires, Norton stones, Photons, etc.

Sometimes he figures it out, and sometimes... well he is my older briother, what do you expect!!?!

Thomas

Ah, the year I got a beautiful old 6" S&W Model 19 from that bum!! :-0

Joe Talmadge · Dec 22, 1998

My family is barred from buying me knives from presents. If they want to buy me a knife, I have them all chip in for a custom, and co-ordinate the purchase. That's how I got my Krait!

Anyway, Fowler's knives are neither Franklin Mint types, nor sharpened prybars. They are typically using knives with an emphasis on cutting performance. If you're used to the crappy performance from the sharpened prybar ilk, you should experience quite a revelation! "holy crap, this knife actually cuts through stuff!"

Definitely let us know how it goes, and how it compares cutting-wise and edge-holding-wise to your sharpened prybars. The steel is probably 52100 if you're lucky!

No more information for you! You gotta have some surprise.

Joe
jat@cup.hp.com

RMLamey · Dec 22, 1998

Wow, wish i could get so lucky. My Christmas gifts are limited to products made by Fruit-o-the loom, Haynes and occasionaly BVD.

A freind of mine has a Ed Fowler knife. It is very comfortable, sharp, well built, good steel (52100) etc...

For a user these knives are as good as any on the planet. They are made to be used;
Mr Fowler uses his knives daily on his ranch.

He has a very good video on the making of his knives. There is much work in forging a 3" ball bearing into a knife!!!!!!!!!

gregj62 · Dec 22, 1998

The only steel he uses any more is 52100 so if it was bought new that is what it is,makes one hell of a knife. the book he wrote is "knife talk" it is all his old stuff from blade mag. it is good reading. Go to Amazon.com and check it out.

ThomasH · Dec 22, 1998

Oh boy, oh boy! This sounds great! I'll wait quietly now.

I'm going to a friend's house to "open presents" this year, and he's fairly knife tolerant (he's an old friend of my brother!) but I know his recent wife is still getting used to his friends!

Thanks you guys, I don't have a Web page, so I can't link a picture of it to here, but I'll try to describe it after the holidays. (Maybe if I spin the box, and measure it's center of gravity, etc., I can make some hypotheses about what size and shape it is, hmmmmm....

Thomas

KnifeArt · Dec 23, 1998

I think that you will have a good Christmas.

Master Smith Ed Fowler makes a solid and rugged knife. His styling is very consistant- he uses sheep horn for the handle and 52100 steel for the blade. If you read his book, "Knife Talk" he expains the reasons why he prefers these materials. All of the sheep horn is domestic, processed and aged for a minimum of four years. His knives incorperate some kind of engraving on the guard.

At the Blade Show West I had the chance to spend some time with him and his wife. He is a wonderful man and takes great pride in his knives.

A Fowler knife will perform with the best of them- they are field tested on his Wyoming ranch.

Have a Knife Christmas,

Larry Connelley

------------------
KnifeArt.com

gregj62 · Dec 23, 1998

Thomas,
Ed still write for "Blade" in the february 1998 he wrote "How To Sharpen A knife Anywhere, Anytime" page56 :0

ThomasH · Dec 25, 1998

Hey gregj62, you're right! I read that article and never noticed! Doh!

He sounds like a good man, I've also surprised people with what I will use as an abrasive "in the wild" (usually a city street). Various textures of concrete and brick give you a wide variety of available honing sites!

It's a little easier to carry a folder than a fixed blade, here in darn California, but maybe I'll be able to carry this sometimes.

I'll keep you all posted!

ThomasH · Dec 26, 1998

Okay, the Ed Fowler knife is fantastic. It is one of his "Pronghorn" models,
my brother tells me Ed made it for some gun Co. bigwig who didn't like the
fit. My brother asked Ed to send me "something special" and Mr. Fowler sent
me this. Not too shabby, eh?

It has almost a 4 1/2" blade, of a large clip point style, with a Moran style edge
(not hollow ground or chisel cut, it is a smooth curved thinning of the
blade to an edge, a simple analogy might be, "it's like the Star Trek
symbol"

) He made it by forging a 3" ball bearing. It has neat lines
along it from the differential hardening.

Then comes big brass single guard. Fairly wide, with a big curved finger
guard. You'd be safe with gloves on or with numb fingers, according to Mr.
Fowler. Engraved with his ("standard?) eight petaled guard embellishment.

Then comes two pieces of what look like some kind of smoky quartz. The grain
of the two pieces matches, so I don't know why it was cut into two pieces.
The colors go with the horn nicely.

Then comes a big ol' piece of sheep horn. It's curved (along with the brass
guard and the quartz) so that the knife has a sort of "pistol" grip. The
horn gets larger toward the rear, and has a cross section that approximates
a letter "D" with the curve toward my (right) palm, and my fingers finding
places to sit on the "flat" side (which isn't flat, but has a series of
bumps on it).

Hard to imagine I'm sure.

I've taken some "studio" pictures, and after I
get them developed, I'll try to figure out a way to post them here
somewhere. I know I'll be able to email them to other's if they are
interested, just let me know!

The sheath is very simple and rugged. It is one of his (standard?) pouch
style made of very think hide, that holds the knife securely, but allows it
to simply pulled out.

I've had it on my belt since I opened the box. It's very "noticeable"
compared to my usual carry folder, but it is so beautiful and functional in
appearance, with none of the "scare" factor of so many of my knives, that I
think carrying it will improve the image of a "knife holder" around here!

Santa has been _very_ _very_ good to me!

Thomas

[This message has been edited by ThomasH (edited 26 December 1998).]

Edward R Schott · Dec 28, 1998

This statment was made on knifelist by Wayne Goddard.
"The bottom line is that everything Ed does is based on trial and error type testing and his blades are superior to any I've tested".
And,All anyone has to do to get Ed to change his methods is to put in his hand a knife that will beat his and he'll be doing whatever it takes to get his up to the new "standard"

I compleatly agree with Mr Goddard Eds blades are the best at cutting and edge holding on the planet.
Ed Schott

ThomasH · Jan 2, 1999

Edward Schott.....Edward Schott....I think I used to know someone whose mother called him that!

I sent the film off to be scanned onto PhotoCD, but with the holidays it will probably be another week before the pictures are available. Sigh.

I like wearing it around. People often start skeptical, "Uh, can I see your ..ah.. knife!?" But after they take it, they relax, and smile, and say something like, "Hey, this is cool."

It's cool.

Thomas