There Can be Only One- Bladeforums Best Bowie 2014 Death Match :)

[canineforge]

I was really happy to see Ben's bowie make this final group. He has come a long way in a short period of time.

Plus, if you are a duck, you don't want to cross his path.

- Joe

 

[Kevin Jones]

I was really happy to see Ben's bowie make this final group. He has come a long way in a short period of time.
Plus, if you are a duck, you don't want to cross his path.
- Joe

Yes, glad to see Ben here as well.
I remember meeting Ben at Blade Show several years ago, and examining one of his Bowies and it was So Clean even at that early point in his career. I remember thinking he was going to be a great one.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Lorien: As I write there are 223 participants who voted. How does this compare to prior years?

Just a statistical curiosity.

Thanks.

Coop

 

[Lorien]

if someone were keen to do some research, most of the stats should be available in the Best Bowies threads, year to year. That would be some valuable information, Coop, I'm glad you mentioned it.

Anyone interested in researching and compiling data? There's a pat on the back in it for ya!

Lorien: As I write there are 223 participants who voted. How does this compare to prior years?

Just a statistical curiosity.

Thanks.

Coop

 

[JParanee]

Last year there were 285 votes

I don't need a pat

 

[sheathmaker]

Search only goes back to 2011 for me.

2011 224 votes Weiland won it with 64 votes 28.5%
2012 264 votes Ruth Jr. won it with 71 votes 26.8%
2013 285 votes Bump won it with 59 votes 20.7%

Paul

 

[RogerP]

2010 - 265 votes cast
2009 - 163
2008 - 163
2007 - 145 (first year of contest)

 

[Bruce Bump]

I sure feel left out this year. I made several bowies to fill orders but never sent one out for Pro pictures. My wrists are arthritic too so I made about 300 file guides and 4 vertical forges for income. Next year guys, "I'll Be Back"
Who am I kidding, did you guys see the competition this year? Man O Man!!

 

[JParanee]

I sure feel left out this year. I made several bowies to fill orders but never sent one out for Pro pictures. My wrists are arthritic too so I made about 300 file guides and 4 vertical forges for income. Next year guys, "I'll Be Back"
Who am I kidding, did you guys see the competition this year? Man O Man!!

Bruce

I think it was very gentlemanly of you to give the others a chance

Seriously always look forward to seeing your work

 

[Stephen F]

Six deserved finalists. I like them all, with the exception of the Tsavo, which for my tastes is overly stylized, a caricature almost of the current trends. The Royer, White, and Rhea are simply wonderful and for me stand out as the top three. The designs are different but execution, balance, and outstanding finish are common attributes. I was hard pressed to choose between these three. In the end my love of the D guard won out, the flow of Southland makes it on of the best executions of a D guard I have seen.

 

[parfums95]

I just spent my night watching all these wonders again .lovely big battle, glory to the fighters, even if I have the "eyes of Chimene" for SAM 'S TSAVO
No it there that extraordinary knives .
miles thank you all

allain

 

[manix J]

While I will be the first to mention my bias as I am the happy owner of a Tsavo (my vote)..... I would be proud to own all of these knives.

I like Joe P. envisoned all the knives as a drawing and based on lines flow ect....went with Tsavo.

I will have to say that taking the Tsavo(due to my personal bias owning one) out and the 5 remaining the nod would be to John White, the execution, fit & finish, handle material and Damascus just superb.

Also..Lin's Fantastic D Guard getting (much deserved) drool worthy stares from me the last couple days.... Bravo Lin!

Excellent work from all!

Regards Jeff

 

[Willie71]

I sure feel left out this year. I made several bowies to fill orders but never sent one out for Pro pictures. My wrists are arthritic too so I made about 300 file guides and 4 vertical forges for income. Next year guys, "I'll Be Back"
Who am I kidding, did you guys see the competition this year? Man O Man!!

Bruce, I was surprised you didn't have a submission this year. You're not kidding anyone with your modesty, you are one of the most accomplished makers. A true gentleman, too. I enjoyed meeting you at the alberta hammer in, and love your file guide. I'm looking forward to what you make in 2015. :thumbup:

 

[Lorien]

I guess it wasn't entirely a bad thing to let this poll roll for 3 days, since votes keep coming in.
You got another 12 hours or so to cast your vote, so if you haven't done it yet, do it today!

 

[RogerP]

I guess it wasn't entirely a bad thing to let this poll roll for 3 days, since votes keep coming in.
You got another 12 hours or so to cast your vote, so if you haven't done it yet, do it today!

Yep. It's not like I'm ever anxious for this thread to come to an end.

Up to 243 votes cast now. Good showing.

 

[Mike157]

I've been looking at these knives (as well as all of the entries) for days pretty much agonizing over how I'd choose one as the "Best Bowie" and provide any kind of real justification for it. In my my mind, they are all perfect and all best in class. I'd be honored to be the owner of any one of them. It would be easier not to vote, but I think it would be a let down on my part not to try to participate in this great demonstration of our artists and craftsmen.

So, like with many of my decisions, it comes down to what grabs me and draws me in. In this case that would be Sam's Tsavo .... clean and relatively simple (not to be confused with easy), bold and well proportioned, with great materials and contrast - and that beautiful hamon. Looks like it would melt into an extension of my hand. It just speaks to me. Ben's Checker affects me in very much the same way and I really like the knife's name sake - the checkering. It adds a lot of character to the knife.

If I were tasked with choosing a knife or knives to put on display (yet is/are fully functional), to showcase to the world what artistry and craftsmanship can look like in the knife world, it would be the next four knives listed after the Tsavo. The use of materials, shapes, colors, finishes and contrasts in John White's Brown Takedown is, in my eyes, sheer perfection. It just flows together and looks like it could have grown that way. Lin Rhea's Southland is pure artistry and elegance as is Kyle Royer's Shell Guard Hanger. So much could be and has been said about them and with more insight and completeness than I could manage. Russ Andrews and Friend's Tembo Collaboration is gorgeous for its design, collaboration, and purpose, not to mention, I personally enjoy such fine scrimshaw.

So that's my feeble attempt at participating here. Thanks all for such a great thread/event. Mike

 

[RogerP]

^^^ Very thoughtful and the precise opposite of feeble. More significant than the total votes cast had been the quality of the discussion and analysis by the voting participants, IMO.

 

[RogerP]

Thanks again, everyone for your participation. Thanks in particular to Lorien for his help again this year.

I've acknowledged the makers for their contribution - and the forum members for their participation - let me conclude with a big shout out to the photographers whose work helps us all to enjoy and experience a vast array of knives each year that would otherwise go unseen save for a comparative handful.

Congrats again to all the nominees and to the outstanding group of finalists.

BIG congratulations to the winner of the 2014 Bladeforums Best Bowie Award: The John White Brown Takedown Bowie!

This knife was the leading vote-getter in the nomination round, and carried that momentum into an early lead in the finalist voting.

The Lurquin Tsavo maintained a dogged pursuit but could never close the gap on the winner.

I remember standing with John at his table at Blade when the awards were announced and he took Best Bowie. Recalling the big smile and compact fist pump makes me smile right now. I'd like to think he's doing the same.

At the very outset of the contest this year a fellow forumite suggested to me that we re-name this annual contest in John's honour going forward. That would be most fitting, in my view, in light of his contributions to the knife world in general, to the bowie genre in particular, and to the content of this forum.

I hope you will all join me at theend of the year for he inaugural John White Memorial Best Bowie thread!

 

[JParanee]

I just wish John were here to see this ......... He deserves so much more

This contest could not have went better

Great knives and a fitting well deserved tribute to John White

He would always greet you with a hand shake and a warm smile, he had a way of making everyone feel special

He was just a fine man in every sense of the way

Congrats to his family and friends

A special congratulations to my dearest friend Paul Long

I think besides Johns family, Paul is the most to stricken by the tragedy of Johns Passing

To see those two together , well all I can say is for those that did you know what I mean

I'm sorry Paul. I do love you my friend and I know what John meant and means to you

John was a teacher and an artisan of unequaled excellence

Congradulations John you are missed

I am also thrilled for my friend Sam Lurquin

There are only a few knife makers in the world that could make a carbon and Micarta bowie that could have a chance at this level

I have long been an advocate of the high performance unadorned Bowie and this proves I'm not alone

Sam I am sure is very pleased that John has won, he is a man or the highest moral character

As for the rest of all the finalist and entries. Thank you for all of your great work

Thank you Roger and Lorien and Happy New Year to everyone

 

[Lorien]

I hope you will all join me at theend of the year for he inaugural John White Memorial Best Bowie thread!

that actually lumped my throat up a bit. What a beautiful idea!


I'd like to thank Roger for making this festival rock on, from year to year! Hats off to the man with the plan!