My Knight Founders Bowie Came Home

JParanee

JParanee

Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
15,020
Well my knife got done hob knobbing around the country and I picked it up this morning. Again I cant thank everyone enough Jason,Paul and Jim.

Again I would like to stress how much I like this knife .

The knife weights in at 18 ounces and feels like it is well under a pound

I am going to explain a little about what to me makes a good Fighting Bowie compared to a good Fighter. For a fighter lets hypothetically use the one of the most famous fighters of all the Loveless Big Bear. Now before anyone gets all worked up I am not comparing this knife to a Loveless I just want to compare a good fighter with a good fighting bowie and the Loveless is a lovely visual for our hypothetical fighter.

The difference to me between our fighter and are fighting Bowie are not so much your stance or grip. You can assume saber grip and thrust with both you can snap cut and I guess even back cut with both. But the difference is the power. When you change direction quickly the Fighter would just dance in your hand it will change direction effortlessly. The Fighting Bowie and I mean a proper fighting Bowie will do the same but at the moment you change direction from say a thrust to a back cut or the most noticeable combo a jabbing snap cut to a back cut at the moment you change direction there is a slight lag.... old momentum which can be your best friend or your worse enemy slightly takes hold of your blade . If it wrenches your wrist your knife is to heavy or balanced badly but if and I mean just for a second it kinda makes your wrist load that is where the magic of the proper weighted and balanced piece becomes magic and you can fell the snap and power of the fighting Bowie.

What this means is the man who thrusts for the face with the fighter and the opponent side steps the one who thrusts finds his blade out in the air where the throat of his opponent used to be so he gracefully back cuts his opponents check leaveing a ever so beautiful slash on his foes check. If he was using a proper Fighting Bowie the back cut would of been like an eagles claw tearing the opponents check and maybe even knocking out a tooth or so. The point I am trying to make is power end things quickly and any defensive situation you want it to end quickly in your favor and the proper Fighting Bowie helps you in this task.

So in my opinion a Fighting Bowie is not what you would consider a typical fighter it is also not a big old South Western style Bowie it is basically a Combo of the 2

They hit like a freight train and load like a good fly rod and give that magical blend of speed and power

I hope everyone that got one of these sets up a few targets and does some work with them .. A real fun exercise is to hang a Kong ball from a string set the ball in motion with a little thrust then work clockwise and counter clock wise around the ball keeping it moving with little snap cuts and thrusts and the occasional back cut. At first you will cut the string a lot but after a while your targeting will improve and you will have the ball dancing around Every now and then load your wrist and snap cut hard or back cut hard and see the ball fly away like ya cracked a home run even though your hand just flicked the wrist... that is the power of a good fighting bowie.

My pics are so anemic compared to Coops but here are some pics in hand and One for Will of I hope the Angle he is looking for


Thanks for looking

Even the mighty Jack bows his head :D He thinks I am going to stick a Hog

Knight019.jpg


Knight017.jpg


Knight016.jpg


Knight020.jpg


Knight011.jpg


orig-1.jpg


Knightsheath.jpg
 
What a bunch of crap with the crickets singing and all!

Joseph....this was a GREAT post, and the number of views shows that people are looking ,but no one thus far has seen fit to thank you for your observations and nuggets of wisdom, won hard during the trials and victories that is your life.

I salute you, sir, and your great Jason Knight bowie and look forward to examining it, the brilliant Paul Long sheath, and my own damascus fighter based upon this fine design at the Blade Show in Atlanta....where all the real collectors and users go to drink together and celebrate bromance.:D:D
 
As usual as long as I have you buddy how needs anybody else :D Glad ya liked it and I cant hold back my enthusiasm when someone gets something right:thumbup:
 
Joe,

Really enjoyed you letting your thoughts run on the esoterics of a fighting bowie done right. You obviously have great feel and love of the action that is definitive of "done right" in this genre. Thanks also for the different photo perspectives on the blade itself. I get the feeling it's like the finest hand-crafted Italian sports cars--impossible to capture entirely in any one shot. And I reallly enjoyed seeing some views of your spectacular home and trophy displays, and finally, finally to see "the rest" of the mighty Jack after enjoying his inquisitive countenance closing out your posts for the past couple of years. :D
 
Kohai999 said:
What a bunch of crap with the crickets singing and all!

Joseph....this was a GREAT post, and the number of views shows that people are looking ,but no one thus far has seen fit to thank you for your observations and nuggets of wisdom, won hard during the trials and victories that is your life.

I salute you, sir, and your great Jason Knight bowie and look forward to examining it, the brilliant Paul Long sheath, and my own damascus fighter based upon this fine design at the Blade Show in Atlanta....where all the real collectors and users go to drink together and celebrate bromance.:D:D
Click to expand...

I have to thank Joe for the hands on training with this knife today. Even though I was doing it wrong at first, I'll get there!
 
I'm way to tired (and on ambien) to really take this in but will re-read tomorrow and put together the good info you posted. Thats a nice knife and I really like seeing knives with a purpose other then looking badass or pretty. Joe your room looks fun with all the trophys. Enjoy your new blade. I have to assume you will make this a carry knife, and possible user.Correct?
 
Hi Joe,

Great post! And thanks for showing us another of your enviable collection.

I especially also appreciate your pointing out that moment of inertia during changes of direction with a large blade.

Too often, I've heard folks use the Bowie's intertia as a critique of them as fighting knives. Let's ignore for the moment that many of these critics have not had the benefit of handling a proper fighting Bowie - as you allude to, most large Bowies are really just camping-knife choppers at best.

The other problem is that most people have not learnt how to do the various drills that take you from guard to guard, snap cut to snap cut, thrust to thrust, slash to slash, and back cut to back cut - and how to mix up all of these into seamless flows of offence, defense, misdirection, shortening the arc, redoubling, setting up logic chains, and so on. These are highly-specific skills, often not taught outside of dedicated Bowie fighting contexts, and are what really make a properly-designed fighting Bowie move as quickly - and, counterintuitively, sometimes even quicker (for example, the back cut) - than a smaller, less effective fighting knife, no matter how well it might be designed. This is arcane knowledge, not just learnt by reading old military handbooks, or trying to extrapolate from knife approaches drawing on the standard eastern and FMA sources, as the way of the Bowie is not necessarily found there.

In this context, I think we're incredibly lucky and privileged for all the years of research - both historical research, as well as the blood, sweat, and tears of experimentation - that Master-at-Arms James Keating, and blade master Bill Bagwell have put into rediscovering, reviving, and extending upon the historical fighting Bowie, culminating in the Comtech approach to Bowie work, and the Helle's Belle. This work has shown us what the crucial ingredients are for a dedicated fighting Bowie, as you point out, as well as its proper use. It's great to see other makers learning from this - as well as folks like yourself thinking through what this means for the Bowie in use.

Stay safe, bro,
backcutter
 
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Glad to hear that the knife meets - and exceeds - you very informed expectations.

Also glad to see that your dog is smart enough to stay out of range when you are waving around sharp steel.

Roger
 
backcutter said:
Hi Joe,

Great post! And thanks for showing us another of your enviable collection.

I especially also appreciate your pointing the that moment of inertia during changes of direction with a large blade.

Too often, I've heard folks use the Bowie's intertia as a critique of them as fighting knives. Let's ignore for the moment that many of these critics have had the benefit of handling a proper fighting Bowie - as you allude to, most large Bowies are really just camping-knife choppers at best.

The other problem is that most people have not learnt how to do the various drills that take you from guard to guard, snap cut to snap cut, thrust to thrust, slash to slash, and back cut to back cut - and how to mix up all of these into seamless flows of offence, defense, misdirection, shortening the arc, redoubling, setting up logic chains, and so on. These are highly-specific skills, often not taught outside of dedicated Bowie fighting contexts, and are what really make a properly-designed fighting Bowie move as quickly - and, counterintuitively, sometimes even quicker (for example, the back cut) - than a smaller, less effective fighting knife, no matter how well it might be designed. This is arcane knowledge, not just learnt by reading old military handbooks, or trying to extrapolate from knife approaches drawing on the standard eastern and FMA sources, as the way of the Bowie is not necessarily found there.

In this context, I think we're incredibly lucky and privileged for all the years of research - both historical research, as well as the blood, sweat, and tears of experimentation - that Master-at-Arms James Keating, and blade master Bill Bagwell have put into rediscovering, reviving, and extending upon the historical fighting Bowie, culminating in the Comtech approach to Bowie work, and the Helle's Belle. This work has shown us what are the crucial ingredients for a dedicated fighting Bowie, as you point out, as well as its proper use. It's great to see other makers learning from this - as well as folks like yourself thinking through what this means for the Bowie in use.

Stay safe, bro,
backcutter
Click to expand...

Backcutter really well written great post and I have to agree Bill Bagwell and James Keatiing are at the forefront in understanding what makes a proper Fighting Bowie and are huge indispensible sources of information and are the gentlemen that interested me in Fighting Bowies.

Until you work out with a big knife all this stuff seem like nonsense but when applied directly to sparring with large trainers this is the stuff that wins the day and is just incredible to see in motion

Thanks everyone for putting up with my enthusiasm.
 
Great post. Fantastic Dogo. Awe-inspiring blade and sheath!
Thanks for the insight and education about the bowie.
 
Well the knife is frick'n awesome because it's a Knight---- But, um, holy crap, did you get a look at those forearms?!?!?!? I think my buddy Joe could squish somebody's head like a grape!!!! :eek: ;) :D (seriously though)

Awesome piece Joe and Jason!!! :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:
 
Thanks guys really apreciate all the commments :thumbup:

Nick my friend you must be thinking of your arms :D

Peter as always your comments are so apreciated. :)

Its a good week for Bowies around here Billy just sent me some great pics of an HB that is a bad ass blade that is on its way to Afganistan

I will try and post it up tonight if I dont go drinking after work :D
 
Joe, you hit another one out of the park :D
Nick, shaking hands with Joe is like shaking hands with a rock!
 
Very nice post Mr. Paranee! I gave Mr. Bagwell a call. It did not take him long to figure out that I am a rank amateur! I was not clear about what I wanted prior to calling him. To be honest I was not sure what types of knives that he was making or what type of backlog he has. I should have researched things better prior to calling him. Anyway, he told me that he is focusing on the HB Bowie. He told me that from talking to me that he did not think that I was ready. Well, I think that I am now and will give him another call next week. Thanks for your and Patrick's help. BTW, your place looks great and that is one heck of a nice looking knife.
 
I have a question for you I am in the process of purchasing a Busse Ruck a short Japanese style sword. What do you think of this type of edge weapon? BTW, I will mainly be shaking it at politicians on my TV screen.
 
WOW!!! :eek:

Sexy dog

Sexy knife

CRAZY Sexy House!!! Were those shots taken in the smithsonian??? LOL!!! Dude, you know how to do it. I wanna be like you when I grow up!! :D VERY impressive for sure!!!
 
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