The perfect custom Bowie - 12 inches - a Graill quest

Lorien said:
I do believe that this may be the grail you seek;

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Lin Rhea is a true master in the art, who produces a peerless tool. Form must follow function from Lin's point of view. You can count on the fact that that which you cannot see in the construction of the knife is done to the utmost in terms of attention to detail and careful design.

You might pay slightly upwards of $1500 for a knife like this, and wait for a year or so, but I feel extremely confident that it is money well spent. Your progeny will see this beautiful tool as a wonderful investment, and will hopefully pass this on as a family heirloom.

Lin has been a competitive cutter and has achieved success. Therefore his knowledge of what a knife IS REALLY CAPABLE OF is in the top few percentile of knifemakers who actually test the crap out of their large knives.

Last but not least, Lin is a truly wonderful human being. An ethical, thoughtful and considerate man who loves to build knives for the long haul.

www.rheaknives.com
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Wow another extremely beautiful blade! Very interesting visualy. Might be hard to choose the perfect blade. Hmm it seems it takes a year or so to build... might not be far fetch to pay that kind of money in 1 year. Damm temptations... ;)

JParanee said:
P.S. Welcome to the world of custom Bowie's it is an addiction and although I have what I consider to be some of the best Bowies in the world from makers like Bagwell, Fisk , Dean ,Knight , Foster and Lamey I am still always looking for the perfect Bowie
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Thanks, good to know I'm not the only addict :)!
 
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JParanee said:
I can't mention any more than have already been mentioned that are in your price range
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One not mentioned would be Charlie Edmondson. Charlie's work is a great value right now. He makes a nice bowie, and is a super person. Charlie would be great to work with, but I imagine he is developing a backlog.

Lots of good, positive recommendations on here. You can't go wrong with any maker mentioned. You will just need to decide what you want to spend and how patient you want to be for delivery. Best of luck!

- Joe
 
canineforge said:
One not mentioned would be Charlie Edmondson. Charlie's work is a great value right now. He makes a nice bowie, and is a super person. Charlie would be great to work with, but I imagine he is developing a backlog.

Lots of good, positive recommendations on here. You can't go wrong with any maker mentioned. You will just need to decide what you want to spend and how patient you want to be for delivery. Best of luck!

- Joe
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Thanks, just checked his website, seems the backlog is huge... he wont be taking orders until january 2011... wow!
 
DesRosiers said:
Mr. Maledictus;

in my humble opinion, Your search for the "Grail" is exactly that. The search for something that has not been found.

There only a few bladesmiths, and I don't know of any factory, who can actually pull off a 12 inch bowie that is not just a knife shaped hunk of cro-bar. It is not easy to make a knife that big and have it balance with anything like grace. Also, the "survival" testing you mentioned, and the pictures of knives you seem to like indicate to me that you really want a "chopper, or "camp knife" that is shaped like a bowie or a fighter.
I don't know what INFI is, but I believe you are struggling with the age old issue that we all have: Stainless vs. Carbon. Stainless doesn't rust, but doesn't perform like carbon. You may have to accept that you are going to have to make that tough choice, or as Roger said, maybe go with a laminate. However, in your price range laminate is probably out, but so are MOST customs, and MOST factory knives that would fit your "bill".
Matt Lamey is maybe the closest I can think of in your price range who can make a knife that will perform like you need it to. Tad Lynch would be another excellent choice.

I looked at Busse custom knives at one point. I haven't checked their prices lately, but at the time they were asking $800. or better for something close to what you are looking for, and they were coated.

Best of luck.

Adam-
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Agreed, but it can be done. Handle material can be a big factor in getting the balance. A wispy piece of figured walnut isn't going to give you the same feel as a dense piece of stag. I uses a HUGE piece of stag with almost no pith when I made my 12 3/4 inch Musso wannabe bowie last year and it worked pretty well. The balance point was right forward of the plunge cut. With that said, you are being modest, Adam. That list is a little bigger than you say and I think you are on it.;) if done right, even a REALLY big knife can me amazingly well balanced. That 16 inch (blade length!!!!!)chopper that Jason had a Blade a couple of years back just blew my mind. I would have never expected what was essentially a fancy machete to handle that well.
 
I want to type a page of text but It comes down to what you want.

I just recently Gave up on aBusse Knives. I find them to be expensive crowbars... those destruction tests they mean nothing... My $100 L6 Steel Crowbar will out preform a Busse knife at all the Non knife tasks that Busse knives are 'made' to do and will keep an edge just as long. This thing is a toy!

But if you have a thing for aBusse, nothing else will fill that Gap untill you see it for yourself. I say go to The Busse forum and Ask those guys to try out a Battle mistress. they are really friendly and many will offer you a blade to try out. You will see what it's all about. Then decide... I tried Infi and it reminds me of a Story I read about Fikes... He had properly heat treated A2 and said it was a new Super steel. He beat the SH*T out of it and Everyone was so impressed...

Good luck I was in the same spot and I went for a Lamey! It's got Character, It's got a soul, Its beautiful! and It did not cost me TONS of dough. It was still a lot but this will most likely be my last BIG knife... My Machette is much better at the tasks.
 
Check out the Makers Forsale Area. Charlie Edmonson Has a bowie there that will fit your needs to a tee save for the Rust resistance.
 
If you want a working bowie I would order Jason Knight's Sooke Mountain Chopper in a heartbeat. ;)
 
petah said:
I want to type a page of text but It comes down to what you want.

I just recently Gave up on aBusse Knives. I find them to be expensive crowbars... those destruction tests they mean nothing... My $100 L6 Steel Crowbar will out preform a Busse knife at all the Non knife tasks that Busse knives are 'made' to do and will keep an edge just as long. This thing is a toy!

But if you have a thing for aBusse, nothing else will fill that Gap untill you see it for yourself. I say go to The Busse forum and Ask those guys to try out a Battle mistress. they are really friendly and many will offer you a blade to try out. You will see what it's all about. Then decide... I tried Infi and it reminds me of a Story I read about Fikes... He had properly heat treated A2 and said it was a new Super steel. He beat the SH*T out of it and Everyone was so impressed...

Good luck I was in the same spot and I went for a Lamey! It's got Character, It's got a soul, Its beautiful! and It did not cost me TONS of dough. It was still a lot but this will most likely be my last BIG knife... My Machette is much better at the tasks.
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Thanks for the feedback! I have a Steel Heart LE Busse and a Bushwhacker Mistress Le also, great strong knives. Was just looking for the perfect Bowie now :)!

Still making my decision, but I rounded up about 3 great blades mentioned on this thread. I will let you guys know on what I decide, thanks for the feedback! :)
 
jdm61 said:
Agreed, but it can be done. Handle material can be a big factor in getting the balance. A wispy piece of figured walnut isn't going to give you the same feel as a dense piece of stag. I uses a HUGE piece of stag with almost no pith when I made my 12 3/4 inch Musso wannabe bowie last year and it worked pretty well. The balance point was right forward of the plunge cut. With that said, you are being modest, Adam. That list is a little bigger than you say and I think you are on it.;) if done right, even a REALLY big knife can me amazingly well balanced. That 16 inch (blade length!!!!!)chopper that Jason had a Blade a couple of years back just blew my mind. I would have never expected what was essentially a fancy machete to handle that well.
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Joe, you are right about that. A heavy handle can counterbalance a big blade nicely. Proper distal taper is maybe the most crucial factor in balancing a big blade. No matter what, I have found that once you get over about 11.5 inches long, you just have to go a little thinner in overall blade thickness to keep the weight managable.

By the way Joe, that was an excellent cigar you gave us at Blade. We enjoyed it at a Father's day pick-nick on the beach in front of my Dad's place.

Thank you.
 
Here is another beautiful specimen by Jason Knight (shorter than I want but very nice none the less!):

Knight_B08_02-ww.jpg


It definitely wont be easy to choose one blade by one maker. But at least I'm a lot closer than when I started! You guys probably convinced me to go a bit shorter than the 12 inch I first envisioned. After all its all about functionality and this one will be a user first and an heirloom piece second!

Edit : Just wanted to add you guys have been great! I have emailed some of the prominent knife makers you guys mentioned and they all have been extremely patient and nice at answering all kinds of questions. Really guys thank you for all the help!
 
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DarkoMaledictus said:
Saw some killer blades like this one:

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I just had to comment.

Everytime I see this knife I start scrounging the web for a suitable sub-hilt......but none are ever as beautifull as this.

David if you're reading this. You should know that this picture almost makes me drool at the monitor for half an hour everytime I see it.

One day you'll get an order from me......(probably won't be soon...and by that time your list might be so long that you'll retire before you get to making the knife for me.....but hey, a fella can dream can't he?
 
LX_Emergency said:
I just had to comment.

Everytime I see this knife I start scrounging the web for a suitable sub-hilt......but none are ever as beautifull as this.

David if you're reading this. You should know that this picture almost makes me drool at the monitor for half an hour everytime I see it.

One day you'll get an order from me......(probably won't be soon...and by that time your list might be so long that you'll retire before you get to making the knife for me.....but hey, a fella can dream can't he?
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Just out of curiosity, do you know how much this beauty is? 2000$ + I'm guessing? Still seems more of a heirloom piece, would hate myself for bringing it in the jungle with me lol ;)!
 
DarkoMaledictus said:
Just out of curiosity, do you know how much this beauty is? 2000$ + I'm guessing? Still seems more of a heirloom piece, would hate myself for bringing it in the jungle with me lol ;)!
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Knowing both makers, it is probably north of $2,000....probably closer to $3,000+.

Burt Foster's laminate is very durable and relatively easy to keep looking good. Unless you beat holy hell out of the handles, this knife might very well perform admirably for you in the jungle.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Here is another beautiful piece from Jason knight :

Knight_04B-ww.jpg


Still waiting on a few emails from some makers, but I do really like the Jason knight designs! Very functional lines! A cross between the Esquire Fighter (handle material) and the Fantasmagora Bowie (blade length) might be what I'm looking for. Hopefully that doesn't break the bank! :confused:

Edit : Btw anyone knows if the swedge on this knife is sharpened?
 
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for hard use i liek cpm3v but hey thats jsut me
this blade is 10 inc and 1/4 thick at the spine (its my camp knife) i will be making a new replacement knife a bit longer and a bit thinner as it will fit the pack better and i will not need a pak ax im going a bit thinner in the spine to offset the added length (right now the blade balance point on this blade is right where the edge starts)
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I don't know where you reside, however I would suggust going to a knife show nearest you. Major and most regional shows will have an abundance of good looking, fuctional user Bowies.
Handling and selecting the best "fit/feel" for you is very important for a knife you will put to work. Knife photos can only reveal certain things about a Bowie.

Good luck in your quest.
 
butcher_block said:
for hard use i liek cpm3v but hey thats jsut me
this blade is 10 inc and 1/4 thick at the spine (its my camp knife) i will be making a new replacement knife a bit longer and a bit thinner as it will fit the pack better and i will not need a pak ax im going a bit thinner in the spine to offset the added length (right now the blade balance point on this blade is right where the edge starts)
dsc06862.jpg
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Nice knife! I have very similar one from Busse, the Bushwacker Mistress LE. Was more looking for a traditional Bowie, but thanks for showing me this beauty!
 
Kevin Jones said:
I don't know where you reside, however I would suggust going to a knife show nearest you. Major and most regional shows will have an abundance of good looking, fuctional user Bowies.
Handling and selecting the best "fit/feel" for you is very important for a knife you will put to work. Knife photos can only reveal certain things about a Bowie.

Good luck in your quest.
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Very true! Sadly I'm stuck in Canada so that might be difficult :(. Not many knife shows around here :(!
 
The Purely destructive tests you make reference to on INFI are impressive. In the tests i witnessed on youtube show that the edge holds up to extreme mediums without much deformation and/or chipping. That goes beyond a simple "sharpened pry-bar" description, if the edge proves to have superior strength and resilience.

On the other side of the coin you have cutting contests, usually blades are ground with a thin edge to maximize efficiency. These blades routinely fail by chipping out. It is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

I would bet that very few people, custom makers included have any idea how their forged knives compare to INFI, in durability and edge holding.

With that said, i have no experience with it either.. :). But dont discount the ideas you started with. No one has proved custom = better. Quite the contrary, in some respects.
 
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