Master Smith Bowie...

V

Vince-Corto

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Hi !
I'm a little new in the custom world... But i'm looking for a nice ABS Master Smith Bowie/Camp knife (between 7'' and 10")... Really hard to choose between some knife maker as i do not know anyone...
From the blade I've seen in http://www.knifeart.com/, there are too much nice knives...
Personnally, i like the ones from Jim Walker, Harvey Dean, Jerry Lairson, P.J. Tomes, John Fitch, Reggie Barker and Daniel Winkler...
It's really hard to decide : I'd like to have one with marvelous fit and finish (not seen in industrial...) and incredible sharpness and toughness... what are your advices ?
Thanks in advance !
 
oh boy are you in trouble. Do you really think that one will suffice?

But I guess that you have to start somewhere.

If you have the time and ability, I would go to a knife show (Blade comes to mind :) ) and see what the makers' knives feel like in your hand. The ABS has a special area, so you won't have too much trouble. Nothing like picking up a whole bunch of beautiful knives.
 
Wow that is tough for two reasons. One, because that type of knife is a staple among ABS makers, and two, because there are so many excellent makers that could fit the bill. And the makers you have named are all excellent.

Let's see if we can narrow it down a bit.

1) I assume it is a master smith blade you are looking for (ie. excluding apprentice and journeyman smiths as well as bladesmiths outside of the ABS?)

2) What's your time frame? Are you prepared to order the knife and wait? If so, for how long? Or are you searching the secondary market and dealer's sites for instant gratification?

3) What sort of materials are you looking for - carbon steel and premium wood - or mosaic damscus and mammoth ivory?

4) An obvious upshot of the previous question - are you seeking a blade to use, or one to keep pristine?

Let us know.

Roger
 
If you would consider travelling, the ABS show in Reno at the end of the week will have the largest concentration of ABS MS Bowies you can imagine.

The only constant in this hobby is that your tastes will change, so consider resale value / ease when making your purchase. Try to get something you're comfortable you can resell at a minimum loss.

For similar reasons, you may want to pick up something from the Classifieds here. You'll have to watch the list closely and be flexible, but you're likely not to overpay.
 
You will get what you are looking for from any of the makers you listed, along with dozens more. From the ABS Mastersmiths that I have dealt with, I can highly recommend Bailey Bradshaw, John Fitch, Ron Newton and Roger Massey. The ones that I think highly enough of to have knives on order are: Jerry Fisk and Michael Connor I am also thinking of ordering from Larry Fuegen, but haven't taken the plunge yet.
 
Vince,
All good replies from these guys.I would add Jerome Anders to the list and his father David.
If you could get a Harvey Dean or a John Fitch as a first custom you would be breathing some rarified air.Whatever you do,do some research and take a look and if possible handle examples.There are many fine makers out there.In the for sale by individuals forum here,right now there's a Rodrigo Sfreddo Damascus Bowie that is a truly unbelievable buy.I'm chompin' at the bit on this one myself.
Wishing you all the best,please let us know what you decide,if you have any questions,do not hesitate to ask.Everyone is most helpful.
Doug
Rodrigo may not be an ABS MS but his work is right up there,as well as several others,who,IMO,there Bowies should be looked at as well.Just thought this might be worth mentioning.
 
Thanks to all of you !
I guess i will have to go to a big Knife Show in order to have an idea of the different knifemaker and ABS Mastersmith... What is the best show of USA (Biggest...) and when/where is it organise every year ? I guess if it's possible, maybe in some years i will go there (a trip from France to USA, plus hotel and of course, 2-3 ABS Smiths bowies (from Journeyman or Master...) will need a lot of Funds because i won't go there just for watching... :D )
 
Vince-Corto said:
Thanks to all of you !
I guess i will have to go to a big Knife Show in order to have an idea of the different knifemaker and ABS Mastersmith... What is the best show of USA (Biggest...) and when/where is it organise every year ? I guess if it's possible, maybe in some years i will go there (a trip from France to USA, plus hotel and of course, 2-3 ABS Smiths bowies (from Journeyman or Master...) will need a lot of Funds because i won't go there just for watching... :D )
Click to expand...

That would be the Blade Show in Atlanta :) Some day ...
There are many tallented bladesmiths that can make a very good bowie. I like a lot Don Hason's work, I bought a bowie from him and it's amazing. There is Shawn McIntyre (SP) from Australia, saw one of his bowies and the quality is hard to beat for the money. Terry Primos makes great ones also. Just go at Blade Show and buy some. :D
 
flava said:
There are many tallented bladesmiths that can make a very good bowie. I like a lot Don Hason's work, I bought a bowie from him and it's amazing. There is Shawn McIntyre (SP) from Australia, saw one of his bowies and the quality is hard to beat for the money. Terry Primos makes great ones also. Just go at Blade Show and buy some. :D
Click to expand...
Unless I'm mistaken, none of them are ABS Mastersmiths, but that's actually an important point. Some of the best bladesmithing these days is done by people who've not yet taken their MS test, or even their JS test, so don't limit your list to MS - you'd be missing a huge lot.

Unless I'm mistaken, quite a few US makers make it to the SICAC in Paris, generally. That might be an easy first step (it doesn't compare to Atlanta though).

Atlanta is HUGE. I went there once and I found it totally overwhelming. You really have to do a lot of walking to see the top quality. If you're into US ABS makers, the Reno show is much more concentrated.
 
The show in Theirs France is an excellent show. I am not sure of the spelling of the town. pronounced Teirs. There are generally two ABS mastersmiths there sometimes three. The French makers are doing some excellent work. They have a hammer connected to the show each year as I understand it.
fisk
 
Yes the town name is Thiers... It's not far away from Lyon, the 2nd or 3rd biggest town of France...
 
You will not go wrong buying a Tomes knife. I have a complete collection of kitchen knives that get used daily and are only sharpened once a year. I also have the knife he received his MS with and that has never been resharpened.

In my opinion, you will not find a better, more informative show than the Reno show. One of the makers that have been recommended to you is Bailey Bradshaw...this is one of PJ Tomes' former apprentices.

I also happen to be PJ Tomes' daughter so if I can answer any additional questions or provide you with any more information, please let me know.
 
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