The BK9 and other knives too large for hiking?

[Lawrence Helm]

Thanks to the assistance of several people I've learned a bit more about my photo-site and how to embed photos from it into these messages. I did some checking of other programs I have to see if there was something simpler or easier, but apparently there isn't. The photos must be on a public site like Smugmug before they can be embedded. So I created a new folder there called Gear. If I take photos of knives that are not hiking related I'll upload them to that folder.

Since I just got my BK9 yesterday I'll start with some photos of the 9 alongside some other knives I have that are comparable in size. I would have laid them out like this whether I took photos of them or not -- just to see.








Lawrence

 

[tradewater]

Outstanding. You don't not have a nine now too. :thumbup:

 

[Chameleonbear]

Beautiful! What is that one next to the 9 the damascus one?

 

[Lawrence Helm]

Beautiful! What is that one next to the 9 the damascus one?

Hmm. I moved away from this note one time too many apparently and it disappeared -- unless it appears half finished on the forum. The knife you ask about has an interesting shape. The finger hole needs to be smoothed if I was going to use it or carry it (which I'm not). I don't know what the rear chillon on the pommel is for. I can imagine banging into that with my hand on a hike. The one next to that is much better made. I can find no flaws in it, but the sheath is inferior. This is a knife that looks too good to ever use.



The knife next to that is some Pakistani's idea of a bowie. It was given some name like "Plainsman." It is very well made. I couldn't find any flaws in it, but unlike the others I found several knives like this being sold by several sellers; which implies some sort of shop where several knife-makers are turning these things out.

If I was going to use any of these knives, other than the BK9, for hiking it would be the one on the far right. The blade itself may be flawless but it has a bit of glue adhering to it at one spot I haven't tried to remove it. The handle is comfortable enough, but the brass divider overlaps the bone in the pommel position as you can perhaps see in the photo. The sheath is nicely made and comfortable enough on my belt. The knife weighs 15 ounces to the BK9's 16 1/2 + ounces. The Damascus knife (on the far right) with sheath weighs 20 ounces. I don't know what the BK9 plus Skystorm sheath will weigh yet. I'll get that early in October.

But to be fair this knife, the one on the far right is closer in size to the BK7 which weighs 14 ounces. The blade itself is longer than the bK7s but the edge is just about the same. I'll get the Skystorm sheath for the BK7 in about 20 days.

Lawrence

 

[daizee]

The knives in those pix with grinds that I would expect to have any real cutting performance are the Kabar, BK9, and maybe the damascus recurve with the round wooden handle.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The knives in those pix with grinds that I would expect to have any real cutting performance are the Kabar, BK9, and maybe the damascus recurve with the round wooden handle.

Since it has nearly the same blade profile, 1095 chrovan steel and a 58/59 Rc and probably at least a hind brain influence on the design of the Kabar Heavy Bowie, why do you think that the Western W49 (the one on the far left) wouldn't be effective? I have several of them and (to me at least) they chop/cut just as well as a BK7/BK9. Not dissing you, just what to know your reasoning, for comparing your thinking with mine.

Lawrence - Which W49 is that one? Are the stamps on the guard or on the left side of the knife? If on the left side, is it 2 lines or 3 lines and what is it? Is the sheath a dangler style with the dangler turned under or a non-dangler sheath?

 

[Lawrence Helm]

Since it has nearly the same blade profile, 1095 chrovan steel and a 58/59 Rc and probably at least a hind brain influence on the design of the Kabar Heavy Bowie, why do you think that the Western W49 (the one on the far left) wouldn't be effective? I have several of them and (to me at least) they chop/cut just as well as a BK7/BK9. Not dissing you, just what to know your reasoning, for comparing your thinking with mine.

Lawrence - Which W49 is that one? Are the stamps on the guard or on the left side of the knife? If on the left side, is it 2 lines or 3 lines and what is it? Is the sheath a dangler style with the dangler turned under or a non-dangler sheath?

Central Rural Texas,

The stamps are on the left side of the knife, 3 lines, the last line being "H". The sheath is a dangler.

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence Helm]

The knives in those pix with grinds that I would expect to have any real cutting performance are the Kabar, BK9, and maybe the damascus recurve with the round wooden handle.

Daizee,

I got them all out again to try and see what you meant. In regard to the Damascus blades I see what you mean. While I didn't "cut" anything of substance other than paper, the recurve does feel as though it is the best. The worst is the one with the finger hole, but I don't think that was intended to be a cutter. It seems somewhat dagger-like in my hand. I don't respect the Pakistani Bowie very much. It is well enough built, but it didn't come with a very good edge and it has seemed it would take a lot of work to give it one -- something I doubt I'll attempt.

As to the one I said would be the only one of the group other than the BK9 I would consider taking on a hike, the one with the 3 bone handle, it came with a good edge and seems to hold it, but it isn't built to chop as well as the recurve, the BK9 or the Ka-Bar. It feels good in the hand -- has the feel of a good defensive weapon. The fact that it isn't the "thing of beauty" I want to keep unmarked is a plus in terms of taking it hiking. I believe the blade would hold up well enough. My only doubt would be the handle. I can imagine that coming apart on me.

I considered Rural Central Texas's view of the W49 Western. It seems well enough designed for chopping but I've always been suspicious of the steel quality. The early ones were high-carbon but later on the switched to stainless. Mine is W49H. I'll spend some time and see if I can track it down.

These are really, none of them, the size of knife I prefer to take hiking. I'll probably post some photos of those later on. I resisted buying the BK9 for a while because I never thought I'd take it hiking; then in a moment of insanity . . .

Thanks for your comment -- very thought-provoking and interesting.

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence Helm]

Central Rural Texas,

The stamps are on the left side of the knife, 3 lines, the last line being "H". The sheath is a dangler.

Lawrence

I did a bit of research on the internet. Western started with A in 1977. Since my knife is H that would mean it was made in about 1984 which is in the ballpark of my vague recollection of when I bought it. It looks like it has a stainless steel blade, but I found a comment on another forum where someone with a W49K said that his was "for sure, not stainless."

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence Helm]

I did a bit of research on the internet. Western started with A in 1977. Since my knife is H that would mean it was made in about 1984 which is in the ballpark of my vague recollection of when I bought it. It looks like it has a stainless steel blade, but I found a comment on another forum where someone with a W49K said that his was "for sure, not stainless."

Lawrence

There is a story that goes along with this knife. My wife is a soft-hearted lady who has taken in the occasional stray over the years and back in 1984 (according to the "H" on my W49) she took in (of course she would say "we took in') a young man who had been traveling from church to church looking for one who would help him get a start. He needed a place to stay and help getting a job. After he'd moved in with us, sitting around our table drinking coffee one night he told us his story: At the age of 17 he killed his abusive father and served several years in jail. Since he was a felon he couldn't own a gun so he carried "this" for protection: What he produced and showed us was a W49. That was the first time I had ever seen one and at the time it was awe-inspiring.

At some point he told me he respected me quite a lot. In fact he had started thinking of me as a father figure. I'm sure he meant that in a kind way and not in the way that occurred to me at the time, but after I saw his knife I decided I just had to get me one as well.

Lawrence

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Most W49s made by Western were 1095 steel. For a brief time, 1968 - 1972, Western also put out the S-649, a stainless steel 49 with Delrin stag handles. After Camillus bought the Western name in 1991, they changed the steel to stainless, not sure of the year of changeover.

 

[Charlie_K]

That's a fine collection of bowie knives.

 

[22-rimfire]

There is a story that goes along with this knife. My wife is a soft-hearted lady who has taken in the occasional stray over the years and back in 1984 (according to the "H" on my W49) she took in (of course she would say "we took in') a young man who had been traveling from church to church looking for one who would help him get a start. He needed a place to stay and help getting a job. After he'd moved in with us, sitting around our table drinking coffee one night he told us his story: At the age of 17 he killed his abusive father and served several years in jail. Since he was a felon he couldn't own a gun so he carried "this" for protection: What he produced and showed us was a W49. That was the first time I had ever seen one and at the time it was awe-inspiring.

At some point he told me he respected me quite a lot. In fact he had started thinking of me as a father figure. I'm sure he meant that in a kind way and not in the way that occurred to me at the time, but after I saw his knife I decided I just had to get me one as well.

Lawrence

That is a story that would make me nervous. I hope it worked out okay and it probably did since you didn't relate any horror stories.

I may have missed it, but wasn't part of the purpose of the thread knives that are "too large" for hiking?

When the Western bowies started showing up is about when I was buying Randalls.

 

[Lawrence Helm]

That is a story that would make me nervous. I hope it worked out okay and it probably did since you didn't relate any horror stories.

I may have missed it, but wasn't part of the purpose of the thread knives that are "too large" for hiking?

When the Western bowies started showing up is about when I was buying Randalls.

22-rimfire,

It made me nervous at the time. I was a free diver back in those days and my only "weapons" were my spear guns and diving knives, but had nothing to match his W49. As to how things worked out. He sat around saying he was waiting for the Lord to find a job for him. I got him some want adds and ordered him to check out any job he might be qualified for. He thought about that for awhile and decided the Lord could find him a job if he was out looking just as well as if he stayed in my apartment. He got two jobs, some sort of photoshop things I don't see any longer, met a photoshop girl he liked, married her and a couple of years later told us the Lord told him to leave this woman and marry someone else. I don't want to hurt anyone's Charismatic feelings, but I was so hard on him over that our relationship dwindled to nothing. Susan whose idea it was to take him in in the first place didn't have any problem with his knife, and she was probably right about that. After serving his time in prison and being told by the guards on his way out that he'd be back, he resolved never to get into trouble again. The knife was for protection when he was living in his car. I can say all that now, but I wasn't sure what was going on when he told us his story about killing his dad and then produced his W49.

As to this thread being about knives too large for hiking, I would say "sort of." After being urged to attach photos to my notes I was trying different things out. Since I'd just received the BK9 and was interested in how it compared to the other large knives I had I laid them out and then decided to photograph them as being vaguely "on topic." But yes I thought the others too large for hiking and while I fully intend to try out the BK9 once I get a Skystorm sheath, I'm not sure I'll keep taking the 9 out. As you suggest in another point I'll probably go back to hiking with smaller knives once my imagination goes back into its box.

I've never owned a Randall but my impression is that they are premier fighting knives, or at least were at one time -- don't know why I never thought of buying one -- maybe because I had a really formidable spear gun.

Lawrence