Szabowie!

S

Sundsvall

Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
1,559
I saw this beast of a knife on Laci Szabo's site. No steel or weight info.

Does anyone have one of these? Is it something that belongs in the realm of fantasy fighters?
 
THE FIELD GRADE SZABOWIE: What comes to your mind when you hear the name Bowie? Powerful, big ( very big actually ) , dangerous as the men who wear them, but most of all, American. Our Bowie is a body builder, a "muscle knife," basically the hulk of knives. Just look at the size of this thing and you'll realize what kind of animal you're dealing with: a beast roaming America's country side for the last 300 years. Made by Robert Newton.

Besides usual discount for military and law enforcement personel, we will give a great discount for James Keating's bowie knife instructors.

Specs
Steel: Choice
Overall Length: 17"
Blade Length: 12"
Blade Thickness: 1/4"
Weight: Heavy
Price: $800.00
 
Is it something that belongs in the realm of fantasy fighters?
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Laci's not real big on fantasy bro. I'd bet an appendage if Laci makes it It WILL work.

Having said my usual "Szabo Rules" piece I will say most of his work is done by Robert Newton these days and I'd also be willing to bet That bowie is a Newton piece. I'll vouch for Newtons work as well as Laci's designs, Last I heard they used a long line of steels your best bet would be to contact Newton directly. His email is on Laci's site somewhere. I don't have it handy.

Nah I don't have one, it's not in my price range nor is it within my carry range. If I was attending a ROS and wanted to appear "well dressed" I'd bring one of these.

Hope that helps.
Although looking back over this post I'm not sure I actually provided you with any real information. :p
 
I forgot to add, yes it was made by Newton and its extremely clean and razor sharp.There are only two in existence so far.
 
Its 5160 and it weighs 2 3/4lbs. I would also like to add Mr Szabo was a great guy to deal with. Hes one of the best.
 
Could someone post a link to this monster?

2 3/4 pounds?! Heilige Mutter Gottes!!! My 24 inch long Bowie knife is just the way I want it- fast and light for its size- and it only weighs 1 3/4 pounds! Now, this blade is nearly the same weight, and I'll wager a much better fighting implement than any Bowie knife... I'll take extra reach over extra weight any day.

Edit: Just found it by searching. I should mention I'm not a big guy. Maybe Arnold Schwartzeneggar would find it's heft comforting. If someone like me were to try using it in a duel, the other guy could just step out of the way before my swing came around. Then he could take another sip of his tea, and lop my head off with a Historically accurate Bowie before I had time to recover. :rolleyes:
 
I own one picked it up on a trade 5160 some sort of black finish. very nice knife fast for its size to bad i can't carry here in chicago. But it would be one hell of a EDC. its like a gaint razor super sharp. in sort i love it.
Any one want to trade for a battle sickle?
 
Originally posted by the possum
I'll wager a much better fighting implement than any Bowie knife... I'll take extra reach over extra weight any day.
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Reach is always a big plus, but if someone gets in too close a longer weapon can become a liability. Bowies in the 9"-12" range are great compromise weapons for use at different fighting distances. It all depends on which tradeoffs you want to make. Of course, if you're a knife nut, you just carry three or four different blades to cover all the possiblities. ;)

--Bob Q
 
Originally posted by bquinlan
Reach is always a big plus, but if someone gets in too close a longer weapon can become a liability. --Bob Q
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In some cases this might be true, but generally not. Knights of old knew this too, so they developed ways to use long swords effectively even while grappling. I take it you've never heard of "half-swording"? Or using the pommel as a mace? Or hooking your opponent with the guard, pommel, or blade? Or just punching with a crossguard (often sharpened to a spike on the terminals) ? Or a distracting elbow to the face to create some distance? If you check out this link of master Fiore, you can see how even at close range, a big weapon that can be utilized with the force and leverage of two hands would still work better than a 2 3/4 pound bowie.
 
We obviously disagree on this point. Let me try to explain my opinion.

Originally posted by the possum
Knights of old knew this too, so they developed ways to use long swords effectively even while grappling. I take it you've never heard of "half-swording"?
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Actually, I have studied medieval-style sword fighting, done quite a lot of sparring in that style, and read some of the European fighting manuals from that period. I am familiar with the techniques you mention, but unless I was wearing serious body armor I would much rather have a large bowie for close- to middle-range combat.

At close range a sword can still be a force multiplier, but it is much less of one than usual. Shorter, faster, and more maneuverable weapons are generally more effective in close. That's one reason why most knights and other long-blade fighters traditionally carried daggers or other close-combat weapons as a backup.

Swords require you to control the range of the encounter to be fully effective. Once an opponent with a smaller weapon gets "inside" they have the advantage until you can force them back again. I am not trying to say that a sword is a bad choice, just that it has limitations like any other option. Weak infighting capability is one of them.

It's also worth noting that medieval European swords were primarily designed to penetrate an opponent's armor. In a modern situation, where armor is unlikely to be worn, I would prefer one of the lighter Renaissance-era swords. Besides, rapiers are fun too. :)

And just to clarify... I was talking about the conventional large bowie and not the Szabowie. I suspect it is also quite effective, but I think it falls into a different category of weapons.

--Bob Q
 
OK, Bob. Now I see where you're coming from. Agreed.

I've always had a passing interest in rapiers myself, but if I were to choose a Rennaissance-era weapon to learn, I'd personally go with a cinquedia. (sp?) I think thats the term? Those short swords with the really wide blades and multi fullers. But that's just me. :)

"And just to clarify... I was talking about the conventional large bowie and not the Szabowie. I suspect it is also quite effective, but I think it falls into a different category of weapons."

Ahh... I totally misunderstood you there. Yeah, I guess maybe it would seem pretty light and fast to a guy who's used to swinging one of them 4 pound ( :eek: )kukris from HI. :D
 
Despite going in for some very large weapons I've always liked them to be light and quick. Even my Khukuri is a Kumar Kobra that weighs in at only 14 oz. :)

I've never used a cinqueda, but I do like short swords in general. If you don't know what you'll be facing, or where, a mid-size weapon can adapt to a wider range of conditions than those on either end of the spectrum. Even if longer swords do seem to get all the good press. :rolleyes:

Sorry I wasn't clear in my earlier post. I think we are pretty much in agreement. And it's always fun to run into someone else with an interest in larger edged-weapons!

--Bob Q
 
Bowies that may be used to defend your honor and life should be fast in the hand.

I designed and had made the "Brown Bowie" which is 12 1/2" blade and 5 1/2 inch of handle. It is made of d-2, 3/8" thick, flat ground to a moran convex edge. It has a 316 stainless double guard and nickel silver spacers in the black micarta handle.

It weighs in excess of 3 pounds. It will lop 3 inch limbs of trees with little effort, would take an arm up to the elbow clean off with a very little effort and could literally take a leg off with a good swing.

This knife is not something you want to be weilding in a life and death encounter. It looks very large and scary but would be extremely inefficient where personal defense is concerned due to the weight. It does not redirect well in drills, and basically can't get out of it's own way.

A fighting bowie like the Hells Belle made by Bill Bagwell would be about the ultimate fighter in that type of platform. It is light, has a long reach to it, can be redirected without effort [ necessary in any dynamic situation ]and is strong and will withstand much punishment if necessary.

Light, long, well balanced bowies are the ultimate for serious combat. You do not want something that can not be brought to bear on the opponent as he is moving and redirecting attacks toward you.

Brownie
 
Sounds interesting, Brownie. Care to relate the story behind your Brown Bowie? What did you design it for then? Clearing brush and such, or just so you'd have a "very large and scary" knife? :D (a perfectly legitimate reason.) What kind of limbs were you talking about? I've no doubt it can handle 3" hardwoods; how much farther will it go in softer woods like willow, box elder, or pine? Gotta love that Moran edge, right? I was lucky enough to buy one of Mr. Moran's hunting knives back when I still had money. I often look at the edge and grinds on his knife for inspiration, and recently used it on a stout medium sized Bowie I finished.

My big 24" Bowie weighs 1 3/4 pounds (28 ounces). It gets its power from an extra 6" of speed-generating length (and efficient grinds & edge geometry) rather than pure weight. The tapers, and tricks I used to achieve the "dynamic balance" I was after, resulted in a blade that feels very light and quick for its size. Even Joe Walters was quite impressed by its handling characteristics when I sent it to him for heat treatment, and that was even without the subtle counterweights that I hid under the butt of the walnut handle. This weekend, I used it to help butcher our deer. The blade didn't even seem to slow down when I lopped the heads off the carcasses, even though it went thru double layers of skin. (my swing was off on a few of them, & I struck the neck where the hide was hanging down over the head) After seeing this on something the size of a deer neck, I'm confident this blade could also negotiate a leg, especially with adrenaline.
 
Hi Possum:

I have read your exploits with a big knife with much interest, a lot of experience in using the big knife on animals. Real world and through some of your narratives I've learned much. I appreciate the effort of relating them, very enlightening.

The "Brown Bowie" idea came about sitting in a doughnut shop at 3am with a good friend of mine.

The next day I designed what I thought would be a big knife by anyones standards. I ordered the special blend of D-2 from Jessop, Pa. at 18"x2.5"x3/8". Scribed the blade shape onto the steel, took it to a cnc machinest I knew and had him cut the profile for me.

Had to look around for abit as no one wanted to flat grind all that steel away, it would eat belts.

Finally got turned onto Joe Malloy in Pa., as it turns out, and sent him the blank.

I wanted flat ground to a Moran edge, false clip but left where it could be sharpened easily, black micarta with nickel silver spacers, 316 stainless double guards, and 316 stainless butt.

When he was finished in about 8 months he took it to the NY Custom knife show and had it photographed which made it's way into a national blade mag. a year later.

If I were to design another, it would start out about the same size but with 1/4 or 3/16" stock to take a little more weight off the knife.

It's something Arnold might carry and be able to swing it effectively. As it stands now, it's an oversized bowie which that mag called it in the caption.

You are not going to break this knife. The force and weight of a regular swing will imbed the blade easily.

Brownie
 
Thanks for the compliments, Brownie. It means a lot coming from someone of your skill and background. My path in this regard recently skewed off into darkness, (as I'm sure you saw in my posts about the coyote on Self-defense forums. What the hell was I thinking? :rolleyes: ) but I believe I'm back on the clear path now. I realize there are of course many differences between my hunting and using a blade in self- defense, but if you were able to glean something useful from my stories, hey, I'm happy. Thanks.


"The "Brown Bowie" idea came about sitting in a doughnut shop at 3am with a good friend of mine."


:D Ahh, yes. Sleep deprivation + caffiene = Great ideas in my experience as well! Though once I've returned to a condition that promotes rational thought, I thankfully don't carry through with most of those ideas. :)

Either way, it still sounds like your knife has plenty of "cool factor".
 
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