Looking for a good Bowie

Flayderman's Bowie Book is a must have.

Having a bowie made from the pages of it is priceless...


I have to say, and I'm not disparaging any one or their knives or what they call their knives, but since the internet, bowies have morphed yet again.
Before the net, the knife above would've been considered a bowie.

The Ben Browning knife I posted earlier

As well as the Western W46-8
would've been considered "fighters"

And knifes like the Esee's Beckers and this Browning Crowell Barker


would've been labelled "camp knives"

I just find it so interesting that the knife is still morphing and changing with the times just as it did from the day after the sand bar fight, up till the Alamo and all the decades after.
Fascinating stuff...

Get the Flayderman book. All of you fans...
 
GB940Rookie said:
Been researching the history of the Bowie the last couple days. Figured a knife this historically significant deserves some devoted study. Amazed at the sheer number of different designs.
Click to expand...

And also keep in mind, knives like this aren't completely bound to a certain time-frame/region.

Knives that resemble "Bowie" knives have been around for a long time in many cultures.

Just look at the Bauernwehr, for one example.
 
Jack88 said:
Love the info! How do you feel overall about the NL1? Mine is on the way. I do like the look of the Bark River 1909 bowies, I will probably be grabbing one at some point here. I'm now looking at a Randall next though, probably a model 1. I'm a huge history buff, and I love the modern history of that knife.

Thanks for the post!
Click to expand...

My feel about the NL 1, well there's a reason it has become the centerpiece of my collection.
It has classic proportions and the stacked leather is awesome to look at.
It works very well in use too!
In the beguinning it can feel slippery, but this changes after a few workpasses.

It's not my best chopper, but it bites very, very deep anyway.
With some practise it's also possible to do fine work with it.

As my NL 1 has got a Stag handle, it feels differrent from the original.
The handle is longer and the balance is at the guard, making finer work even easier.
Everyone of my knifefriends who has had the knife in their hand, has got a broad smile on their face.

IMGP5591.JPG

I don't take this big knife out camping and when it is used, it's around the house - for the fun of it.

BTW, I second the advice to history buff's: Get Norm Flayderman's The Bowie Knife book!
For Randall fans there's Sheldon Wickersham's Randall Knives - A Reference Book.
Great info and pic's in both!

Regards
Mikael
 
Jack88 said:
Well I doubt I'll get a Thorpe bowie any time soon now since I've decided on the Fallkniven, but those model 1 fighting knives seem pretty iconic. I'd love to get my hands on one of them, maybe it would even displace the Winkler on my survival kit.
Click to expand...

I've read (and I agree wit the theory) that the Randall Model 1 is the knife most "in the spirit" of the sandbar knife. I'd like to think ti would be Bowie's choice today. :)
 
GB940Rookie said:
I ordered a couple books to peruse through.
"Bowie Knife" by Norm Flayderman and "Confederate Bowie Knives" by Melton, Phillips and Sexton.
Click to expand...

Get your hands on Bernard Levine's Guide to Knives and their Values. (4th ed or earlier).

1) Every knife fan should own it.
2) He has a great, and very well researched history of Bowies in it, based on actual documentation.
 
Armadew said:
And also keep in mind, knives like this aren't completely bound to a certain time-frame/region.

Knives that resemble "Bowie" knives have been around for a long time in many cultures.

Just look at the Bauernwehr, for one example.
Click to expand...

Exactly...the sandbar knife didn't come out of nowhere. Check out French chefs knives, South American punales, and Mediterranean daggers from 17th and 18th centuries.
 
Mikael W said:
My feel about the NL 1, well there's a reason it has become the centerpiece of my collection.
It has classic proportions and the stacked leather is awesome to look at.
It works very well in use too!
In the beguinning it can feel slippery, but this changes after a few workpasses.

It's not my best chopper, but it bites very, very deep anyway.
With some practise it's also possible to do fine work with it.

As my NL 1 has got a Stag handle, it feels differrent from the original.
The handle is longer and the balance is at the guard, making finer work even easier.
Everyone of my knifefriends who has had the knife in their hand, has got a broad smile on their face.

View attachment 725794

I don't take this big knife out camping and when it is used, it's around the house - for the fun of it.

BTW, I second the advice to history buff's: Get Norm Flayderman's The Bowie Knife book!
For Randall fans there's Sheldon Wickersham's Randall Knives - A Reference Book.
Great info and pic's in both!

Regards
Mikael
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! Excellent information and glad to hear it, makes me happy with my purchase. Should be getting it some time this weekend.. of course ill be out of town in 'Nawlins.

Thanks for the info on the book, over $100 on Amazon yikes.
 
Ebbtide said:
Flayderman's Bowie Book is a must have.

Having a bowie made from the pages of it is priceless...


I have to say, and I'm not disparaging any one or their knives or what they call their knives, but since the internet, bowies have morphed yet again.
Before the net, the knife above would've been considered a bowie.

The Ben Browning knife I posted earlier

As well as the Western W46-8
would've been considered "fighters"

And knifes like the Esee's Beckers and this Browning Crowell Barker


would've been labelled "camp knives"

I just find it so interesting that the knife is still morphing and changing with the times just as it did from the day after the sand bar fight, up till the Alamo and all the decades after.
Fascinating stuff...

Get the Flayderman book. All of you fans...
Click to expand...

First off let me say, if that is your replica Bowie in the pic, congratulations. Beautiful.

As far as trying to define what physical characteristics make a Bowie a Bowie, let me say this.

For me, design intent ultimately over rules physical characteristics but, certain physicalitys (did I spell that right?) do repeat themselves in many "American style" Bowie designs.
I.e. coffin handles, clip points, blades longer than needed for most uses other than self defense, etc.

I believe that Bowie knives are ultimately designed for the intent of self defense. Their are many "Bowie" knives from the early and mid 1800's that do not incorporate large hilts (if any) or clip point blades. I've seen some famously regarded "Bowies" that resemble short swords or even daggers. Some that look like over built chef's knives. But they almost all had one thing in common, a design intended for self defense or "fighting".

Almost all Bowies have a longer blade than useful for anything other than self defense or chef's duties, and lets face it, the Bowie wasn't meant for the kitchen. They were designed primarily as a self defense weapon. Resin Bowie and his makers weren't designing steak knives. And yes you could skin a squirrel or a bear with a 9" Bowie knife (I have done that, the squirrel I mean) but their are way better options. This romantic idea about the frontiersman with nothing but a horse, a gun and a giant Bowie knife living in the wilderness for a decade just didn't happen. They carried supplies or were fairly close to an area with some supplies. They had multiple knives of different sizes and other cutting tools such as hatchets and axes. Most had pack animals of some sort. Miners carried picks and shovels. They carried a Bowie knife, for the most part, to engage in self defense if the need arose.

Whew, now with all that said, I do believe the Americanized Bowies do have some basically similar characteristics such as long clip point blades and and rather large hilts. But general historical facts (maybe some opinions:)) seems to suggest that you could call all three of those knives Bowies.
 
marcinek said:
Get your hands on Bernard Levine's Guide to Knives and their Values. (4th ed or earlier).

1) Every knife fan should own it.
2) He has a great, and very well researched history of Bowies in it, based on actual documentation.
Click to expand...

Thank you, good info
 
marcinek said:
I've read (and I agree wit the theory) that the Randall Model 1 is the knife most "in the spirit" of the sandbar knife. I'd like to think ti would be Bowie's choice today. :)
Click to expand...
That is an interesting theory. Hard to disagree. And damn they do look the part don't they.
 
Ya, my carbon V TM is my go chopper, thing will never die. Can't explain it, but I can't stand seeing Taiwan on the blade(s), but actually a fan of Japanese knives. Go figure.
I feel the better built Spydies come out of Taiwan, but can't get past orgin of manufacturer. Weird.
 
I have had the opportunity to handle this Bowie, with museum gloves, and was surprised art how well-made and well-balanced it is. Thick steel at the handle, maybe 5/16, with a distal taper that makes for superb balance.

http://www.antiquebowies.com/antiqueBowies/historic/perkinsShively/perkins-shively.htm

And I have read that the heyday of Bowie knives was 1820's up to the time when ole Sam Colt produced a revolver...the threory being that during those times, pistols were single shot so if a feller missed he pulled his Bowie. After ole Sam gave him six shots, edc knives along the rough frontier dropped to a more practical blade length.

If any of you enjoy a good historical fiction read, one of the best Bowie stories I have ever read is in Louie LaMour's excellent book, Sitka.
 
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