Need to get a Bagwell Helle Belle

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kevtan

Joined
May 28, 2000
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After reading what bowies are good for, I have this craving for a bowie. Not any bowie but a Bagwell bowie. Anyone have his contact info? I was thinking of getting the Helle Belle collaboration with Ontario as a feeler. Any opinion?
 
I don't have a real Bagwell Hells Bell. I do have one of the Ontario versions. I think it is a great place to start and get a feel for the Bagwell design. I love mine and it it a really nice knife. The only thing I did to improve it and make it more like pictures of a real Bagwell were pulling out the studs and nameplate in the handle, then using the shoe shine method I radiused the coffin handles corners down to a nicer smoother shape. It still has the general coffin shape but not all hard cornered and rough. Then I brought the handles polished luster back up then super glued the studs and nameplates nails back into the handle. Good as new only a little more refined.
Someday I will get to own a real Bagwell, I hope but till then this is a nice stepping stone along the way!:D ;)
 
A LOT of people mention don't worry about the price, order now,
My guess is that Bill probably has a year + wait, which should be plenty of time to save up, right?
 
I believe Bill is about 2 years on the list for a Belle. I waited 2 years for the first one, two years 3 months for the second one.

Well worth the wait. Say 1200.00 divided by 24 months. You need to save about $12.50 a week after the order is placed till he calls to ship the money as the knife is being started

Brownie
 
If you want a great fighting Bowie and you don't want to wait two years for a Bagwell, you might want to consider a knife from Jimmie Buckner. He learned from Bill and makes an outstanding fighter.

Jimmie Buckner, (229)436-4182. Jimmie has been an ABS Mastersmith since 1994.
 
Howdy,

There are a couple of custom Bagwell's on Ebay now, also, I think Bladeart gets them in sometimes.

:).
 
Wowza!! Never thought that Bagwells bowies are in such big demand and so costly. I searched the forum and here is what I found out.

1. you have to send him a print of your palm and shirt sleeve length and pants length for him to make a personalised bowie.

2. you should get training for the bowie to get the full value.

In light of these facts, what about the Ontario Helle's Belle in QS13? Anyone with these can chime in and post their opinion?
 
What about Black Cloud knives?
They are also well known for long fighting bowies.
Does anyone have any info on them?
 
Originally posted by kevtan
Wowza!! Never thought that Bagwells bowies are in such big demand and so costly. I searched the forum and here is what I found out.

1. you have to send him a print of your palm and shirt sleeve length and pants length for him to make a personalised bowie.

2. you should get training for the bowie to get the full value.

In light of these facts, what about the Ontario Helle's Belle in QS13? Anyone with these can chime in and post their opinion?
Click to expand...

Bill can take these measurements from you over the phone. He can be hard to get in touch with, but is a very good guy to talk with. He will answer all your questions and ask plenty of his own to make sure the knife you get will suit you.
 
Originally posted by Walking Man
What about Black Cloud knives?
They are also well known for long fighting bowies.
Does anyone have any info on them?
Click to expand...

Ernie Mayer has health problems that, apaprently, keep him from being able to make knives most of the time, so he has dropped out of the scene almost completely. Very sad.
 
Originally posted by kevtan
In light of these facts, what about the Ontario Helle's Belle in QS13? Anyone with these can chime in and post their opinion?
Click to expand...

Rumor has it Bill himself has stated that QS13 is actually VERY similar to the steel he's using in his own Belles.

Which I find to be somewhat befuddling, since I just read "Bowies Big Knives And The Best of BattleBlades" where it seems that Mr. Bagwell just about detests stainless steels as a whole. Had some very unflattering perceptions regarding 154CM and 440C.

Maybe it's just his style of writing. The way he describes the AK-47 Bayonet and the Kabar it just about sounds like you'd be better armed with a teaspoon.

"HAHA!! I SEE YOU BROUGHT A MEASLY KABAR TO THIS CONFLICT!! YOU SHALL SOON SEE THE FALLACY OF YOUR WAYS AS THE KABAR IS POORLY BALANCED, TOO LIGHT, WITH AN INEFFICIENT CUTTING EDGE AND A FULLER THAT HAS WEAKENED THE BLADE WHILE OFFERING NO GAIN IN PERFORMANCE!! I SHALL NOW DISARM THIS SILLY TOY FROM YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS AND INSERT IT INTO AN UNCOMFORTABLE PLACE!!" (He offers similar insights on daggers, AK-74 Bayonets, and Tomahawks)

Altogether a darn good read though....
 
Glad to see I'm not only one finds that finds Mr. Bagwell's writings some what mind boggling.

Some of it was great, some of it was good, and well, some of it was self-aggrandizing fish wrap.


:).
 
Bill makes a long knife thats balanced, strong and pretty much unequaled for fighting [ the Belle ].

As much as I like the original RVN issued kabar I still have, it doesn't come close to a Belle for a fighting knife [ which both are designed for ].

As to the QS13, I would take it as rumor unless I heard it from Bill himself. He is not enamored with SS anything, he forges his blades of 5160. He may have stated it was good for the knockoffs from Onrtario but my guess is that you won't see him making SS knives anytime soon.

Of course he has opinions like everyone, his opinions are based in facts, testing, and forging knives over many years. There are a few who have worked steel as long as he has and have the knowledge he possesses relative steel properties under the forge.

If I only knew what the man has forgotten I'd be 500% smarter about steel.

Brownie
 
I would say that for a sample of the real thing plus for mass consumption the Ontario compromise is as good as it gets. Lets face it, how many of us who buys one of these bowies are really trained to use it effectively? Plus, the blade made by Bagwell himself is differenttially hardened, with a hard edge and soft back, of spring steel. The Busses and the Swamp Rat knives are the only production knives with the same tempering as far as I know. If I was a big name maker with a factory collaboration, I would lock the factory to producing something that is similar but entirely different. If you like the factory and want it with something different, than by all means call me and we'll work something out. Look at all the other factory collaborations. Look at the famous discontinued Benchmade hard use model. You want an EDC with 3.5" blade?, you know who to call.
 
Rumor has it Bill himself has stated that QS13 is actually VERY similar to the steel he's using in his own Belles.
Click to expand...

Rumor also has it that it is nothing more than 440-C heat treated for extra toughness.
 
Anthony is right....probably close to 400 series....but it did have a funky orange peel finish to it when polished. I have only seen that with D2.

For awhile I was tearing the factory handles off the Ontarios and rehandling them. Once, I dropped a blade by accident point first onto the concrete floor of my shop with no appreciable damage.....not a bad blade.
 
Good Lord...Glad I mentioned that it was a RUMOR in that post. No idea personally about QS13, but from what I'd read I just can't imagine him personally using anything even REMOTELY similar to the 440 series...
 
Xrayed, I have read your post where you stated that the tip gouged the floor out without damage. But from other posts, I get the impression that the blade is grounded to a very thin bevel and is not suited to camping tasks other than self-defence.

Wayne Goddard also states the same orange peel when D2 is polished.
 
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