Pics of a neglected WESTERN Bowie

iahunter3

iahunter3

Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
515
Thought I'd post a couple of pics of an older Western Bowie. I inherited this from my Dad a long time ago. I'm not positive, but I think he brought it back from Vietnam. I believe it is a late 60's, early 70's Model Western Bowie.
When I first got it from my uncle (I was bout 14) I didn't have a clue what uses for a knife this big would be. It's been stored away and neglected for a long time. I'm not sure how much I want to clean it up, but I feel bad leaving it in this condition... too much to think about on a Friday night :D

It is marked on the blade only (No Letters to determine year):
WESTERN
BOWIE
U.S.A
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A Picture with the BK2 for size comparison
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I apologize for the pic quality.. blame it all on the guy running the camera!
 
Im sure the Knife is from that era- ( note the smaller rivets ), dont do much to the knife at all other than use grade 0000 steel wool ( not any coarser )...forget using fine wet and drys etc...as they will polish, use the grade0000 steel wool in conjuntion with Mineral oil...and after that just keep it in a film of Mineral oil, and dont store the knife in the sheath of course...Ive seen a lot worse, and these are great knives.
 
I like the shape also and it feels good (and sturdy) in the hand.

Thanks a ton for the info Campbellclanman... I really appreciate it.
 
I like it. I remember my dad carrying a knife like this back in the 70's.
 
iahunter3 said:
I like the shape also and it feels good (and sturdy) in the hand.

Thanks a ton for the info Campbellclanman... I really appreciate it.
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Hey no problem, there are guys in this forum who know a ton of information, I have owned several of these knives, and they are great icons ( I think ) of the American knife maker scene, you realise that that big blade is Carbon Steel, so it would pay to keep it in a nice film of Mineral oil, what I do is use the cooking paper..you know the sort that is lined in cake tins etc...its a wax type of paper-so I oil the knife, and wrap the blade in that wax paper-so its contained..that is if you are storing, and not displaying.
Cool knife.. If you go in to any of our forum sectors...such as Traditional, or Bernard Levines, and top right-there is a search column...type in Western Bowie , or Western W49 Bowie etc...and see what comes up-you are bound to find out lots lots more.
The Rivest in your handle are the smaller type, and they were only used in the Vietnam era etc...but Im not too sure of when that ended and the bigger ones started.
Good luck, thanks for the photo
 
Sorry to arrive so late to the party. I've documented a couple of these W49's ( yes I refer to all of them as W49 whether they are stamped with BOWIE or W49), with the markings you have on the name side of the blade as being purchased new in 1967. I haven't been able to find defining documentation of the exact dates the different markings show up prior to the 1977-1991 date coded knives but there appear to be at least six variations on how the knives were marked and the type of handle/rivets used from 1964 ( the year Western states in their 1986 catalog that they started making the knife), and 1977 when they began date coding the knife.

IMHO your knife would be an example of the second version of this knife. The first version being the W49 that was blade marked with (WESTERN/BOULDER,COLO. U.S.A.) on the name side and (BOWIE) on the pile side of the blade.

Besides the documents pointing to 1967 as the year two examples of knives like yours were purchased I think, MHO agian, your knife falls into a time frame of 1966-1968.

Along with the other sub forums mentioned earlier. I can recommend the "Collectors Forum", "Camillus" here. Camillus obtained the brand rights to Western in 1991 and there are a lot of former employees of Camillus who have been able to help me from time to time. Also some of these forum members have set up another web site called "Collectors of Camillus". In a sub section of this site is a catalog section which many may find interesting. Besides old Camillus catalogs there is a section with old Western catalogs from the days before Camillus got the rights to Western.
 
sac troop said:
Sorry to arrive so late to the party. I've documented a couple of these W49's ( yes I refer to all of them as W49 whether they are stamped with BOWIE or W49), with the markings you have on the name side of the blade as being purchased new in 1967. I haven't been able to find defining documentation of the exact dates the different markings show up prior to the 1977-1991 date coded knives but there appear to be at least six variations on how the knives were marked and the type of handle/rivets used from 1964 ( the year Western states in their 1986 catalog that they started making the knife), and 1977 when they began date coding the knife.

IMHO your knife would be an example of the second version of this knife. The first version being the W49 that was blade marked with (WESTERN/BOULDER,COLO. U.S.A.) on the name side and (BOWIE) on the pile side of the blade.

Besides the documents pointing to 1967 as the year two examples of knives like yours were purchased I think, MHO agian, your knife falls into a time frame of 1966-1968.

Along with the other sub forums mentioned earlier. I can recommend the "Collectors Forum", "Camillus" here. Camillus obtained the brand rights to Western in 1991 and there are a lot of former employees of Camillus who have been able to help me from time to time. Also some of these forum members have set up another web site called "Collectors of Camillus". In a sub section of this site is a catalog section which many may find interesting. Besides old Camillus catalogs there is a section with old Western catalogs from the days before Camillus got the rights to Western.
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Wow! Thanks sac troop. That was some great info. I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks again for all the info!
 
Ethan has one of these too and speaks highly of it. The one pictured below, however, is mine.

P1020958.jpg
 
My dad had one of these for as long as I can remember. He modded it by cutting the guards down and reshaping the blade a bit. I remember it was amazing watching him process wood with it. I wish I knew what he did with it.

Regard,
Joe Grimace
 
When I think of a Bowie knife that is exactly what I see.....I like em!!....................DAMN IT now i want one..........F!
 
Hey Iahunter and all.....

Thanks for posting the pics of one of my all time favorite honest to God, all time best, really useful AMERICAN blades......I have quibbles about some fine details and their utility (the top guard comes instantly to mind) but for a lot of years (hell decades) this was THE big factory user that gotter done......1095 carbon steel, great balance, reasonably comfy handle....decently priced.......

One of the best of Bill Bagwell's columns for SOF Magazine was how to mod the Western to make it a more useful, relatively inexpensive, field blade for a soldier on a budget.......I have a Cammillus blade in my office that I have been intending to Bagwellize for years.....Your post may be the inspiration I needed.......

What a great legacy knife from your father and how great that you are gonna fix the old girl up and make her proud again.....

Thanks for sharing the old girl with us.....I hope you will post some pics after plastic sugery.....

Thanks again.....

All Best.......

ethan
 
For those curious as to what those modifications are, here they are re-listed by someone on BF in 2006:

Bors said:
This was copied from Bill Bagwells book “Bowies, Big Knives, and the best of Battle Blades”.
I edited it down to just the technical stuff. There was a lot of extra fluff that made it two pages long and what can I say I’m a lazy typist LOL.

The Guard,

Cut the ends of the guard off at the point where top and bottom bend to make the “S” curve. Finish the ends off by filing, sanding, polishing.

The Blade,

Starting about 3/8 of an inch forward of the guard, the blade should be narrowed in progressive taper until it’s 1 7/8 inches wide at the point where the clip starts across the widest part of the cutting edge. You can use a file or a grinder but be careful not to overheat the blade.

The Point,

The point is carried to high and needs to be dropped. Using a File or bench grinder lower the point ½ inch. Do not overheat the blade if you use a grinder. The unaltered blade measured ~9.5 inches from the front of the guard to the point. The modified version should be ~9 inches long.

The clip,
The original W49 clip point is not sharp so using a file rough the profile and finish with you favorite sharpener.

The Handle,

Use a file to thin and round the sides and ridges of the handle until they feel comfortable to you. Spend some time here there is plenty of material to work with. Do not remove the handle hook.

He suggests performing the modifications in the above order.


I modified (Bagwellized) my carbon steel W49 following his directions and using only a file. It’s not difficult just takes a few hours. By the time, I got the handle scales thin enough to fit my fathers hands I had filed the head off the rivets. I picked up replacements and the counter boring drill here.
http://www.texasknife.com/TKS_Mainframe.htm


Good luck!
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And here is a picture of the bowie that he modified:

Bors said:
I know sometimes Im a bit slow LOL. Actually I was looking for something else not sure if anybody has posted pics so here you go. This is the W49 I did its a carbon steel version.



IMAG0064.jpg
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I think there isn't a red-blooded American man that doesn't appreciate a good bowie knife.

EDIT: Here is another picture I found.

TK0004.jpg


And during a search for bowie's modified in that regard, look what I came across:

bk9aai4.jpg
 
I haven't spent time over in this part of the forum before. So first I'd like to take this opportunity to personally thank you Mr. Becker for your contributions to our world community of knives.:thumbup:

I’ll have to confess that after spending the time that I have trying to research the history of the Western W49 knife. I couldn’t bring myself to customize one of them. They just aren’t made anymore and what is out there is all that there ever will be. But I know that this is a personal choice.:confused:

If it were me I’d start out with an Ontario Spec-Plus Raider Bowie, SP-10. Generally these can be gotten as blemished examples cheaper than the typical Western W49 and IMHO is already a pretty good tool. It’s missing the esthetic value of the wooden handle to start with but that could be another opportunity for the customizer to express themselves.;)

DCP_1387.jpg
 
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...I want one. That's a real bowie. Cowboy-style. Too bad they aren't made anymore, because I'd definately be buying one.
 
OpKey said:
...I want one. That's a real bowie. Cowboy-style. Too bad they aren't made anymore, because I'd definately be buying one.
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Take heart! They are still very common and often available at reasonable prices. A good reason to visit flea markets, gun & knife shows, etc.:)
 
Hey Sac Troop.....

Thanks for the kindly words......You make an excellent point about that is all there is on the W49s, but you also point out that there are a whole big bunch of 'em around....I have a hanger and also one to mod....

An interesting note....Our very own Tooj designed the Spec Plus line during his indentured servitude at Ontario......Gotta brag on him every chance I get !!!!!!BTW is the point on the Ontario slightly lower or am I hallucinating ?............

Very nice posts and many thanks for dropping by......

All Best.....

ethan
 
That Bagwellized W49 looks quite a bit like a 9" version of a BK7. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for one of these knives, looks like a great cowboy knife.
 
Hey Derek.....

This is too funny.....I THOUGHT I was inspired to do the NINE by an entirely DIFFERENT blade.....Oh well, it gets awful foggy in there sometimes........I have a modified Raider Bowie that has been on the drawing table forever but it is a bit longer rather than shorter..........I also drew up one a bit fatter and shorter....Balanced for chopping......BTW the Blade I THOUGHT I was inspired by is the Bowie that Bill Moran designed and built for Ken Warner before he went to Vietnam as a correspondent for NRA publications (i.e. The American Rifleman)......I guess one of the definitions of a Bowie is a large camp knife designed for the American market.....I heard that somewhere, I think but, I cannot remember where.....

All Best....

ethan
 
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