New Cold Steel/GSM Natchez Bowie Quality and Tang

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kamtheman

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Does anyone have any experience with the newer versions of the Natchez Bowie put out by GSM (New Owner of Cold Steel)? There is a 4034 stainless version and a CPM-3V version. Specifically, how is the quality, and of course, the tang? How is it holding up? I know that they replaced the wire cable of the cable tang with a steel rod, although it connects and kind of hooks onto the tang instead of a straight rod going all the way through like a traditional stick tang or rat tail tang. Basically, from the most recent video I saw of deconstruction, it's still the cable tang principle but with a small rod connecting to the tang instead of an actual wire. Anyone have any failures with this knife? And am I the only one who just can't get behind this tang set up for a knife this big?

I really like the aesthetic of the knife but...
 
I didn’t know they made a new version, cool! I wouldn’t really worry about it since the old version had a terrible tang design too, so if it just continues to be crap then there is no real change 😂
99.9% of these giant bowies sold are just for looking at anyway. So it won’t matter. If all the knife will see is cutting up dinner or fondling and not fighting off Indian attacks on the prairie then either will serve just fine. It’s super cool either way!
 
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CVamberbonehead said:
I didn’t know they made a new version, cool! I wouldn’t really worry about it since the old version had a terrible tang design too, so if it just continues to be crap then there is no real change 😂
99.9% of these giant bowies sold are just for looking at anyway. So it won’t matter. If all the knife will see is cutting up dinner or fondling and not fighting off Indian attacks on the prairie then either will serve just fine. It’s super cool either way!
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Yeah, I hear ya. But if I buy a knife that big, and I can't even use it on a camping trip, it's kind of a waste. I guess I'll have to wait around to find one of the bark river shining mountain bowies. I love big bowies.
 
I understand. It doesn’t bother me, since when I’m camping I use my knives the same way I normally do. I just cut things, food or string or whittle sticks, whatever. I use a hatchet for splitting firewood, and if I didn’t have one I would carve a quick splitting wedge. But if you want to baton knives, then I guess you’d want something heavier. Good luck with your search!
 
I think it is worth pointing out that neither of Cold Steel's cable-tang Bowies (Laredo and Natchez) were designed for rough work in the woods, they were designed as dedicated fighting knives. Lynn confirmed the tangs were designed to ensure a specific balance point in the blade that would make the knives better for fighting, able to absorb shock to reduce discomfort in the hand, and remain sufficiently strong for the purpose. The cable-tangs were more complex, therefore more costly, to produce and not just a cheap cost-cutting measure.

Cold Steel Knives

Post in thread 'Cable Tang?? Whats up, and will my Natchez Bowie save my....'

Hi guys. Sorry I am late to the party here. We have been so busy with the Cold Steel Challenge, and we are now in the middle of filming our new Sword Proof video.

The cable tang in our Laredo and Natchez Bowie knives is used primarily as a shock distributor. The cable acts almost like a guitar string and sends shock out the end of the pommel, rather than into the handle and subsequintly the hand. This promotes longer life in the handle, and makes it less likely that the user will take shock directly into his hand, allowing him to maintain a more secure grip. Since these are primarily...
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I have an old Carbon V Laredo that I have used for clearing light brush and haven't had any issues with the tang or fittings working loose. I also have a new 3V Laredo that I have not yet used much as I have other dedicated choppers and don't do much dueling on sandbars these days. But, based on the high quality of my other post-GSM knives, I am not concerned about the construction. I know that there are videos and forum posts by people who have busted their Laredo/Natchez handles and cable-tangs, but I recall that those were limited in number and generally happened after folks abused the knives (intentionally or otherwise).

If you want a CS Bowie for work in the wood or elsewhere, a Trail Master is what you need.
 
I picked up a 3V Natchez recently from amazon.ca they sent me a obvious return on their first try and the grind quality was poor along with a small visible gap at the guard on one side.
The second one that they shipped showed well i went as far as inspecting with a 3X magnifier and all looked good.
As far as with the tang from the looks of it there are far less issues reported after they switched from wood to G10 for the handle as the wood was prone to splitting and causing the tang to fail.
I have no concerns of tang failure as i have no plans to baton through logs or otherwise use the knife in ways that its designer did not intend for it to be used.
I have other tools for those tasks.
If anyone is interested in the video that the OP is referring to it is likely on YT posted up by Wallace Knifeworks & Homestead.
Its a few clips of him deconstructing a late model Natchez tang and rebuilding it.

​

 
oldmanwilly said:
I think it is worth pointing out that neither of Cold Steel's cable-tang Bowies (Laredo and Natchez) were designed for rough work in the woods, they were designed as dedicated fighting knives. Lynn confirmed the tangs were designed to ensure a specific balance point in the blade that would make the knives better for fighting, able to absorb shock to reduce discomfort in the hand, and remain sufficiently strong for the purpose. The cable-tangs were more complex, therefore more costly, to produce and not just a cheap cost-cutting measure.

Cold Steel Knives

Post in thread 'Cable Tang?? Whats up, and will my Natchez Bowie save my....'

Hi guys. Sorry I am late to the party here. We have been so busy with the Cold Steel Challenge, and we are now in the middle of filming our new Sword Proof video.

The cable tang in our Laredo and Natchez Bowie knives is used primarily as a shock distributor. The cable acts almost like a guitar string and sends shock out the end of the pommel, rather than into the handle and subsequintly the hand. This promotes longer life in the handle, and makes it less likely that the user will take shock directly into his hand, allowing him to maintain a more secure grip. Since these are primarily...
  • Like
  • Love

I have an old Carbon V Laredo that I have used for clearing light brush and haven't had any issues with the tang or fittings working loose. I also have a new 3V Laredo that I have not yet used much as I have other dedicated choppers and don't do much dueling on sandbars these days. But, based on the high quality of my other post-GSM knives, I am not concerned about the construction. I know that there are videos and forum posts by people who have busted their Laredo/Natchez handles and cable-tangs, but I recall that those were limited in number and generally happened after folks abused the knives (intentionally or otherwise).

If you want a CS Bowie for work in the wood or elsewhere, a Trail Master is what you need.
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Thanks. I understand all this, and I’ve seen that thread. I also don’t plan on batoning with it—or any other knife for that matter. But I’ve been using big knives all my life, and I just can’t get behind this design. I also don’t buy the fact that cold steel is spending more money to deliver us a better knife. The knife is just to big to not have a through tang, whether full or stick or even rat tail.

I also can’t find any other example of a large production Bowie using a cable tang. Not even one example.
 
Then again, maybe there’s hope. Here’s an email reply I got from. GSM

I understand your concern regarding the Cold Steel Natchez Bowie. I am here to assist you with it.

The tang is a long stick tang that extends through the entire handle, secured at the pommel. It is a long, thick "stick" or "hidden" tang that is pinned or bolted at the pommel.
We thank you for reaching out to GSM Outdoors Customer Service. Feel free to contact us again if you need additional assistance. We are available Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM CST.

Regards,
Lavanya
Customer Service Support
Customerservice@gsmorg.com
 
I have to ad that i am very happy with the knife, it feels very good in hand with nice balance, has a lively feel.
The slight swell in the handle adds control with fast wrist movements for martial type of drills.
If you are on the fence about buying one try to get some hands on time with one I'm sure that you will be impressed with it.
 
Just an observation -I added an excellent antique Bowie to my small Bowie collection a year or so ago. It has a full tang thicker than the base of the blade. Very agile for a big knife and balanced at the guard. Unique in my experience.
 
They only really had trouble in the Dymondwood models, the micarta ones took decent bit more abuse with much less cracking. And to be fair, the type of cracking that was happening on the Natchez and Laredo isn't unknown on hard use of regular stick tangs either. I've seen it happen with the Ontario Bagwells, etc.....
 
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