Dear Mr. Glesser,
How about designing a Spyderco dedicated fighting Bowie?
I'd love to see you compete with Ontario Knife Co.'s Hell's Belle with its 11 inch blade. It has good steel, blade catcher guards, spanish notch, sharpened clip point, coffin handle, and more. BTW, the coffin handle expands towards the butt so that the knife doesn't slide out easily during combat. Especially should it become wet and well lubed. Or Keating's Crossada with its quillions in addition to Hell's Belle's features. Both are great knives.
The magic of a good, fast fighting Bowie is in the total weight, distribution, and balance. It is a FAST knife, despite its size.
The historians say the original Bowie knife was a fighting knife, NOT a camp knife.
It was the era's BACKCUT SPECIALIST.
I've seen James A. Keating's video on the Bowie and he likes to hold it in a forward hammer grip with the smaller fingers loose. This permits the knife to pivot at the thumb and index finger. When bringing the blade forward, he snaps his wrist forward and the knife pivots at the thumb and forefinger and the blade races the last few inches to destination at lightning speed. It strikes with a POP! It is like cracking a whip, in that the snapping of the wrist seems to automatically begin withdrawing the arm from its extention. So the entire movement is fast. The hand comes in fast, the blade hits hard with a POP, and the arm retreats fast. And everything is in position to backcut the opponent's hand should he be countering to the hand or forearm.
Those two striking techniques, the foward wrist snap and the backcut, combined with offensive and defensive features, made the Bowie the last evolution of fighting knife of old before the pistol finally evolved into something reliable and accurate enough to replace it.
I am a big fan of my Delica Wave, Endura Wave, and Chinook III. Which is why I come to you for the request.
I also like the Ontario Hell's Belle. I find the grip a bit slippery, though, but that may be just because it is brand new. It is so unique that I have no competitor for comparision. Best of all, it an affordable "custom".
The single biggest problem with Bowies, and this goes for expensive customs as well as cheap knockoffs, is that almost all of them are, in reality, glorified camp knives and not fighting knives at all, despite their claims to the contrary. Most guards are done for estetics and looks without any consideration to the fighting aspect. And unfortunately, when the Bowie's unique looks are exaggeratd, it just gets more handsome, yet, looses speed and manueverability as it gets heavier and heavier and more and more becomes just another big ol' chromed up machete like camp knife with a thousand dollar stag handle. :barf:
The second biggest problem with some modern Bowies is the handle is too weak to sustain a hard blow to the spine.
I'd LOVE for Spyderco to put their (your?) spin on a fast FIGHTING Bowie. A real deal! One weighted and balanced to perfection. Pure fighting utility w/ the proven features of old, and maybe some new ones that will take us by surprise and make us smile when we put it to the test? Looks be damned! And then mass produced at a Spyderco friendly price.
Whatcha think?
How about designing a Spyderco dedicated fighting Bowie?
I'd love to see you compete with Ontario Knife Co.'s Hell's Belle with its 11 inch blade. It has good steel, blade catcher guards, spanish notch, sharpened clip point, coffin handle, and more. BTW, the coffin handle expands towards the butt so that the knife doesn't slide out easily during combat. Especially should it become wet and well lubed. Or Keating's Crossada with its quillions in addition to Hell's Belle's features. Both are great knives.
The magic of a good, fast fighting Bowie is in the total weight, distribution, and balance. It is a FAST knife, despite its size.
The historians say the original Bowie knife was a fighting knife, NOT a camp knife.
It was the era's BACKCUT SPECIALIST.
I've seen James A. Keating's video on the Bowie and he likes to hold it in a forward hammer grip with the smaller fingers loose. This permits the knife to pivot at the thumb and index finger. When bringing the blade forward, he snaps his wrist forward and the knife pivots at the thumb and forefinger and the blade races the last few inches to destination at lightning speed. It strikes with a POP! It is like cracking a whip, in that the snapping of the wrist seems to automatically begin withdrawing the arm from its extention. So the entire movement is fast. The hand comes in fast, the blade hits hard with a POP, and the arm retreats fast. And everything is in position to backcut the opponent's hand should he be countering to the hand or forearm.
Those two striking techniques, the foward wrist snap and the backcut, combined with offensive and defensive features, made the Bowie the last evolution of fighting knife of old before the pistol finally evolved into something reliable and accurate enough to replace it.
I am a big fan of my Delica Wave, Endura Wave, and Chinook III. Which is why I come to you for the request.
I also like the Ontario Hell's Belle. I find the grip a bit slippery, though, but that may be just because it is brand new. It is so unique that I have no competitor for comparision. Best of all, it an affordable "custom".
The single biggest problem with Bowies, and this goes for expensive customs as well as cheap knockoffs, is that almost all of them are, in reality, glorified camp knives and not fighting knives at all, despite their claims to the contrary. Most guards are done for estetics and looks without any consideration to the fighting aspect. And unfortunately, when the Bowie's unique looks are exaggeratd, it just gets more handsome, yet, looses speed and manueverability as it gets heavier and heavier and more and more becomes just another big ol' chromed up machete like camp knife with a thousand dollar stag handle. :barf:
The second biggest problem with some modern Bowies is the handle is too weak to sustain a hard blow to the spine.
I'd LOVE for Spyderco to put their (your?) spin on a fast FIGHTING Bowie. A real deal! One weighted and balanced to perfection. Pure fighting utility w/ the proven features of old, and maybe some new ones that will take us by surprise and make us smile when we put it to the test? Looks be damned! And then mass produced at a Spyderco friendly price.
Whatcha think?
