NEW -to me- BOWIES

dmcintyrelee

dmcintyrelee

Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
236
I have been fortunate enough to make friends with another forum member who is a great collector and who gave me the -awesome- opportunity to acquire a couple of just great pieces for my growing H.I. collection.
It's tough to try to run with some of the veteran big dog Bowie dudes here on the forum but heck if I am not going to try to grow some legs and climb up into the ranks of the H.I. Bowie fanatics club.

First off is a beautiful Chitlangi Bowie by Lachhu, coming in at 16" long with a 10" blade and just under a 1/4" spine. Horn handle and brass bolster and butt cap fittings.
For it's size it is much lighter and live in hand then expected. Having this really makes me wish I could check out Ndogs gigundous pair of death-langis... pure sweetness.

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Next up is the show stopper,,, a blade I wouldn't have thought I could have got my dirty noobie hands on... and I need to understate that being a traditional Bowie lover was just the cherry on top of this sweet Himalayan cake. I dropped a sneak peek yesterday because I could not resist finally being able to cross two H.I. blades that were mine and kinda matched and take pics... and feel the power,,, --blah blah blah it's a dang AK Bowie by BURA. Umm, how do you spell Mojo in Devangari??
Coming in at 16" with a 10" blade, full 1/2" spine and a nice smoothly rounded horn handle.

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CUL: compared to my newer Bhakkta Bowie this one is heavier and the fullers are slightly different. As stated by the previous owner, it has a definite character that represents the era in which it was made which was 2003 or so. I am not sure what is considered vintage HI here but this is my oldest piece so far.
I did stumble on this and thought new Bowie enthusiast would dig the history:

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My collection to date with my H.I. date of birth being June 2014. (but please visually add a Keshar KLVUK that will be here tomorrow :cool: )

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Run with the big dogs, I think you lifted your leg on the big dogs and run off as leader of the pack. There's a couple grails in there that are right up there with chicken lips to try and find.

You got some real friends to hook you up with those. I thought the first one was a show stopper and then you double down with the Bura follow up. I feel like I been slicing onions. I'm kind of tearing up with joy for ya.
 
Nice "friend", sold you some real keepers there. That Bura Bowie is awesome, it looks great just sitting there, as if it knows that it's "special".
 
Arrr arrrr arrrrh! Im running with my tail tucked in! Can we call ya paw paw dmc now? That Bura is the bomb! Check out that deep fuller and the pointy tip! The horn even matches that Chit Bowie! Great find man and awesome collection!
 
Your group photo shows how the AK bowie design has evolved. The older one, by Bura, has a rounded butt and a single short, deep fuller on each side. Maybe a hint of a second fuller under that, but barely visible. The newer version, mostly made by Bhakta, has two well-defined fullers on each side, an angled butt, and a slightly different shape to the handle.

I prefer the look of the newer ones, but looks or no looks, a Bura blade is a Bura blade.

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Here's another of the older AK bowies, also by Bura:

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This one is 15" OAL and 24 oz.
 
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I will have you all know that dmc helped to finance the exotic woods shipment to HI :D-- we traded even birdknife for chitlangi bowie, then selling the bura to help pay for the exotic woods -- which is going very well by the way and we got some really interesting stuff including actual ebony,kingswood, purple heart and red heart, also a small piece of desert ironwood, good enough for one or two knives.

I felt comfortable letting dmc get my pre ub bura only because of the special set of bhaktas in the collection, the man is trying to pry my swords out of my cold dead hands though:D the chitlangi bowie felt right because the bird knife is so special, i felt it deserved a special knife in trade. I am always kinda remiss to give up anything, but I have never traded or sold a knife and regretted it strangely, as it has all been to fellow forum members and it always feels right.

hopefully these show up around crimmas as a special DOTD(exotic grip knives not mine and dmc's trade :D)
 
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Glad to see you spreading the wealth Gehazi, you can't own every grail piece... Or can you...
 
UH OH,,, cover blown!.....Gehazi, you rule dude.
New people, recognize this!

I don't have the flight miles logged here yet to consider myself a pack leader, but if you guys wanted to call me paw paw dmc I would consider that my Jr. Deputies badge!!
Bawanna I gotta say I am flattered to get such a nod, i feel verified. Ndog I still consider you Bowie king though,,, I mean an 18"+ AK and the deathlangis (as I call em)
im on your heels brother!

David, you are right and it is cool to see that evolution. I do favor the butt ends of the newer models being flat but since I have had the Bura (1.5 days) I am surprised at how nice the rounded handle feels compared to the Bhakkta's. Both great to handle, just different.
I'm so new and green still that I did not even know Bura made an AK... that's where I will be eternally grateful to Gehazi for allowing me to buy it.
 
Its cool because it all just feels like one giant collection we all own :D since we can post pictures and pass the blades around through the mail

need to for pugs and david to reveal their knife closets. they are too embarrassed at how awesome they are to show us. and great collection dmc did not realize how well the bura would fit with your nice bowie set.
 
He He! Your there dmc! We both bleed salt water! Ill keep my eyes and ears open for one of them deathlangis and if I come across another it yours! Like Gehazi said its like we all got the same collection. I bought the second GCB only to keep it with the brothers. Pugs has it now. Normally when you sell something ITS GONE! Period! Not here.
Its interesting that the drawing requested to harden the end of the tang for "hammer" use but the older ones are rounded tangs. The recent Bhakta Bowies are flattend tang. I dont know if they are hardened now but cool idea. Both have their beauty. Here's that choless AKB custom from Vim Kami at 18 1/2" Im not sure how old it is?

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you can easily see how those two items blasted my collection to the next level.
Great perspective on deal too, can't wait to see and sickly try to own one of these fine new creations coming soon.
 
That's a sweet Vim.. insanely huge and IMHO possibly the king. The combination of pre U.B. and Bura though leave me with this highlander feeling,, like a destiny awaits kind of scariness. It's awesome.
I really have enjoyed the camaraderie here as well the knowledge everyone has shared with me.

मोजो

What BOOKIE said!!
 
Gehazi said:
Its cool because it all just feels like one giant collection we all own :D since we can post pictures and pass the blades around through the mail

need to for pugs and david to reveal their knife closets. they are too embarrassed at how awesome they are to show us. and great collection dmc did not realize how well the bura would fit with your nice bowie set.
Click to expand...

Very true, I like knowing that when I sell to a member here the blades that I cared for will be enjoyed and properly looked after.
 
Beautiful collection dmc, and as was mentioned great camera work as well, your pictures do great justice to the blades. Uncle Bill's notes to the kamis about the Bowies is an awesome extra. The bura I love the translucense of the slabs and the exagerated rounded shaping compared to the newer ones but it looks like areas of the grip might be sort of thin for a western hand? How does it fit in the hand?
 
Hi Shavru, thanks for the compliments :)
The handle on the Bura bowie has a bit of a smaller circumference then the Bhakkta made Bowies. I have large hands and gripping the Bura is comfortable and solid but only because of the fatter section in the middle. It's nice and thick there and is the center of my grab.
I like that it is rounded, very smooth. The squarness of the newer handles I like too, they have a nice flat top and allow for better use of your thumb while handling. I do like the flattened butt ends on the newer ones,, makes for a better aesthetic and seems more functional
then the big ol pull tab style of the originals. I have to say that I do like the blade of the Bura better,, it is heavier and I like the fuller style A LOT. I like that the script is up in the middle of the blade too and that there is only markings on one side.

I guess I am just feeling lucky and blessed that I was able to get something with some HI historical value. It's my first grail piece!

You guys are all the best~!
 
HI makes some very nice looking bowies, and it looks to me like you got two gems there. Also, I find it is interesting that the notes about the bowie said that it was going to have a screwed together handle, and include a karda and chakmak.
 
Yes I had wondered if there were ever any made with a karda and chakma. Haven't seen any yet and as they would make great complimentary items for an AK Bowie, I am glad they aren't included. The AK Bowie stands alone!

Also, although somewhat mutilated, the original sheath is much thicker and solid then the ones currently made, the current ones are definitely dressed better but I do like the solid build on the Bura sheath.
 
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