Modern Bowie design, flow and beauty

[Bruce Bump]

Great elimination process. I went with the DH II as well for much the same reason

Those five are great pieces and I'll be the very happy camper indeed if I were named as the custodian of any of it :thumbup:
Anyhow in choosing the knife as per requested I work it through elimination process.
IMVHO Burt's Bowie should not be compared with the others because it is the only one with an S guard.
The same goes with Jason's Bowie because it's the only one made from damascus plus it's the only one with a recurve edge.
Among the last three Andrews Bowie is having a flat guard and IMVHO a flat guard somehow is not that comfy for a push forward grip.
In choosing between Don's and Nick's I'm bias to Don's because of my personal liking to a large knife and I'm an admirer of a wild hamon!
So that's how things work my way!

mohd

 

[mike577]

All beautiful knives that I'd be proud to own, but notice that all five have clips that are quite long, 1/2 or so blade length, which looks quite elegant and can lend for a quick feeling in the hand. I'm partial to a blade heavy knife with a clip equal to to about 1/3 or so of blade length.

 

[jdm61]

I thought that the Wheeler was his Peck Award knife. Just to show you how good all of these guys are, that knife, which is rumored to have won over another one of Nick's submissions because of the insane OCD finish on the blade, wasn't even my favorite of his JS knives. i liked the big blackwood bowie even better.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is it entirely subjective?

I have always admired Coop's "FAN" images and thought it might be interesting to pick out five Bowies that particularly please my eyes for a group shot. Below is the result. I would like to hear, your unvarnished opinions about the design and flow of these knives.

Which elements do you like, and which you don't? I have a hide worthy of a rhino, so you are of course welcome to say any or all of them stink, if that is your honest opinion. Just please be polite for the maker's sake.

Hopefully, this discussion will prove useful to makers as they decide on which elements to use in their designs.

Great thread! This is just the type of thread this custom’s forum has been missing over the last year or so.

1) Foster: Like- blade and handle ~ Dislike- guard, brakes up the flow between the two.
2) Knight: Like- overall profile and flow ~ Dislike- the stag and has slightly too much recurve for me.
3) Hanson: Nice Hanson. Don has created so many magnificent bowies and fighters that I must admit there’s others I like more.
4) Andrews: Like- the blade profile and long well executed clip ~ Dislike – the handle shape.
5) Wheeler: Like- everything, especially that beautiful handle that makes you want to grab it.

 

[Grapevine]

I'll follow Kevin's format of quickly listing likes/dislikes. These are of course just my personal preferences.

1. Foster. Like: The tooling on the spacer and butt cap to match the stag texture. Dislike: The big guard which I think is out of proportion for the knife.

2. Knight. Like: The guard and spacer treatment. Dislike: I'm not a fan of damascus nor recurves (told you these were my personal preferences). Also don't like the wide blade.

3. Hanson. Like: Overal shape; the angular meeting point at the ricasso/blade drop/plunge that looks like a very conscious and interesting take on that area. Dislike: Again, damascus. Also not a fan of that style clip grind when it cuts in without transition. I can see it reflects the angular nature of the drop/plunge, but I don't know, it's sort of jarring.

4. Andrews. Like: Spacer, long clip (my favorite clip of the bunch), carved butt cap. Dislike: Flat oval guard.

5. Wheeler. Like: Handle shape, though I think it's a bit unfair (lack of a better word) for the others since they're limited in shaping their handles due to the materials while Nick is able to really show off his handle shape design; overall shape of the knife; the hamon... I prefer Nick's more natural Japanese sword looking hamon to Don's wilder hamon, I don't know how to explain my thoughts on that other than it looks like the hamon on Nick's just is (though I know he worked hard to get it right) while Don's looks more man made (again for lack of a better word). Dislike: The ricasso which I think Roger explained perfectly making the stamp look cramped in the space.

I chose Nick's.

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

What a great group of Bowies... this is how I rated them:

1. Wheeler: Nick's knife just has a nice flow to it that I appreciate.
2. Andrews: Again... another knife with a nice flow to the profile.
3. Hanson: Don's knife would have been tops for me if it weren't for the abrupt termination of the clip grind. I just wish he had carried it back for a smoother transition to the spine. Just personal preference here. I absolutely love the handle.
4. Knight: I really like the guard on this knife -- beautifully shaped -- and the handle is nice too... but, while I usually really like recurves, this one feels slightly fat (visually) toward the plunge.
5. Foster: I am a huge fan of Burt's work (he's been one of my favorite makers of awhile)... but this one doesn't quite do it for me. I am just not very fond of that guard and can't seem to see past it.

Again... these are all awesome knives from incredible makers... but that's my order of preference for these specific knives (based on this specific photo).

Erin

Wow! A LOT of the same thoughts that I have - especally on the Knight and Foster knives. The only real difference I have is that I like the Andrews knife better than the Wheeler because the ricasso on the Wheeler just looks too short to me. Actually the ricasso on the Andrews knife looks too long to me, but I still like it better than the ricasso on the Wheeler. I think Don Hanson nailed the ricasso.

No offense, but I have seen several Bowies from Hanson, Knight and Wheeler that I liked better than these. So I want to be clear that my comments only apply to these particular knives and not to the makers in general.

 

[mtangent]

I voted for the Wheeler. The winning factor was handle shape.
The Knight looks to have a very heavy blade, which I wouldn't like.
All are visually stunning.

I'm not a knife fighter, but I had to imagine myself fighting with these knives. I definately want a better grip than a conical.

 

[2knife]

Nice job on the photo! Its gives a good perspective seeing them all together..

 

[ptgdvc]

STeven called and asked me which one I was voting for, which is close to asking a parent which is your favorite child.

I told him that I actually had not reached a conclusion and we discussed each knife's merits. I do have the advantages of being able to hold them in my hand, and view them from every angle. The highest levels of craftsmanship are a given on all five, so we are really deciding which piece of art touches us the most. The most important design factor (to me), is that each maker's work is instantly recognizable from across the room. Here are my thoughts.

1. Burt Foster, MS
This knife is the outlier because of the S guard. You either like it, or you don't. In the flesh, it works and is in balance with the design. It does disrupt the overall visual flow of the knife. That said, the flow of the blade and the handle is superb. Burt owned the stag carver and wanted it to be part of a special knife. The handle is one of the very best I have seen and the balance is superb.

2. Jason Knight, MS
If you are into recurved blades, this knife demands your vote, and tells you to be quick about it. Jason tells me that he has only made 3 stag handled knives. Thankfully he allowed me to twist his arm, and he agreed to build a great knife for my Sambar stag carver. The real gem on this piece is the guard, an absolute work of the highest art. Best Bowie 2012 Blade Show, sums it up.

3. Don Hanson III, MS
I saw this one as a raw Damascus blade on Don's table, at the Blade Show several years ago. Remember seeing and hearing your first dream car? Love at first sight, in action. It took a year or two for me to find/select the perfect piece of walrus from Don's sensational collection. We discussed adding a Damascus butt cap or insert, but in the final analysis Don twisted my arm and we left it just the way a Hanson should be. The rest is history. Did I mention the blade is the highlight of this knife? In person, the Damascus is subtle and stunning.

4. E. Russ Andrews II, MS
When I close my eyes and imagine a Bowie knife, this is exactly what I see in my mind's eye. Every element flows so perfectly with such subtlety that this knife can almost get overlooked. In terms of women, this is the special one you want to marry.

5. Nick Wheeler, JS?
Some days, I honestly think G*d put Nick on earth to torment me. I grant that perfection cannot be the product of a human hand, BUT...
... this knife must come VERY close, because I can't find ANY imperfection. I am nearsighted and have looked very hard. I have failed.
The balance is the best I have ever felt. It is an extension of your hand.

I think the voting reflects my thinking. The Knight, Hanson and Wheeler are my top three.

I am going to sleep on it, and see if I can cast a vote for one of them.

 

[RogerP]

Glad you added in your thoughts Peter - and I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for your chat with STeven. It was down to the Hanson and Andrews for me and I voted for the former.
Roger

 

[Big Mike]

All savage Bowies, no doubt.


I voted for the Wheeler, as it tripped all the right buttons for me.

The Knight was a close second, that savage blade just calls to me.


That said, I'd be proud to own any of those fine knives.





Big Mike

 

[billf]

Well, I've been real busy, and only just today really sat down, looked at the knives, and read thru everyones comments, so here is my take:

First.....Peter, you are a lucky dog

These are ALL special knives, and you don't even HAVE to choose between them

Second.....My own thoughts (which I see reflected in some ways by the rest of y'all) are that the knives are stylistically just different enough so that one's "favorite" will depend on whether you tend to favor "big Bowies" vs "sleek fighter Bowies", whether you favor Damascus over "plain" carbon steel (hamon or not) and whether you favor Stag/Ivory - where the handle shape is mostly determined by the piece - or whether you favor "contouring"

So, since I am generally a "Sleek fighter with carbon steel contoured handle guy"....My personal vote was for the Wheeler, in a .01 second photo finish over the fast closing Hanson

I love Burt's knives, and have quite a few and even though I've never held this one I am sure the balance is great (hey Peter, bring it to Ashokan !)
The guard is so different from the others I agree it is the "make or break"

Jason's big recurve is as good an example of this type of knife as I've ever seen - again, wish I could hold it...since I love my Knights

I have a number of Don's knives, from little gents folders to big bowie to a subhilt, and I've never regretted buying any of them for a minute...and I still have them all
They are all unmistakably "Hanson"

Sadly, I do not have a Russ Andrews knife yet, although I am looking to remedy that Again, the execution looks flawless to me, and I'd very much like to hold it

Nick's knives have awesome balance and speed, and he does as close to a perfect job on contouring a handle as I think is possible. The Hamon on this one is the icing on the cake:thumbup:

Basically, this is an All Star, Dream Team line-up as far as i am concerned.....so there are no losers here at all (Kumbaya, Coop...although I am sure STeven is laughing right about now.....)

Bill Flynn

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

Wow, that's a great bunch of knives. The Wheeler is in a little different category then the rest because of the wood handle, and nobody does a handle like Nick. The only thing with the Wheeler, I would like to see it with a more pronounced clip. The Knight is cool, but a little heavy for me. I would have to vote Hanson, and Andrews a close second.

 

[Jon Brand]

Had no idea the Hanson was damascus. Would you be willing to crop out a zoom in on the HI-res file to show?

 

[Lorien]

wrt Foster's knife, it's not so much that the guard is the shape that it is, or that it's there.
I think it would have a bigger impact on me if the guard and fittings weren't so busy with the pattern welded steel. For me, there's just too much going on already, and if the fittings and guard were either blued or polished monosteel I'd like it a whole lot better. Proportion and shape-wise, it's a very successful knife.

 

[2knife]

I like this style, posted here recently. (Branson)

Of the knives listed, i like the "forward" style of Knight. It is the only one to my eyes that stretches the status quo, in design. Though, my eyes want to do this to it:

David

 

[SharpByCoop]

Had no idea the Hanson was damascus. Would you be willing to crop out a zoom in on the HI-res file to show?

Yeah:

Coop

 

[Jon Brand]

Thanks Coop!

 

[GrinderMcgee]

From a functional standpoint, I had to vote Wheeler for ergos. I can only imagine how natural the balance must make that knife handle. The Hanson a very close second. I have seen a few from Russ that were more aesthetically pleasing to my eye, but the one pictured just does not trip my trigger like the aforementioned.

 

[radhulbh]

Thats all very beautifull and fine knifes !!!!

I vodet Jason, simply he makes a Bowie that looks so strong and wild and traditionell, but its have a spezial bladeform.
So I find, it is a good kombination from a modern traditionell Knife.
And -- it looks mighty

Please sorry for my bad english, Iam from the old continent .

R.