What we have here is a failure to communicate ...

ndoghouse said:
You guys just dont get it do ya? ;) Its a Kitchen fighting knife! How many times have you heard your wife say "Get out of the dang kitchen now or you aint gettin dinner!"? ...
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A good mood knife for the spouse. In ... you'd better keep your distance if she's not in a good mood.

Hawgsnawt said:
... I'd try and get a set of wood slabs to match it and have someone make you a 4 inch drop point bushcraft knife to pair it with maybe in a piggyback buckskin sheath with some beadwork ...
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You could almost match the handles with some old salvaged oak. The wood HI used is quite amazing. It looks like aged, very solid, spalted oak. Very hard wood, with a nice finish that still retains the feel of the wood. One of those honest finishes you feel like you could do a lot of work with and it wouldn't change much. The woodgrain really stands out. There are a couple of very small voids in the wood. Makes me wonder if they salvaged an old aged hardwood timber out of a barn somewhere.
 
So I just had a look around and saw some pictures of originals, and saw more info on dimensions and such. I'm liking this one more and more. Think they could be convinced to make some of these from scratch, both with and without a guard?
 
Scara said:
So I just had a look around and saw some pictures of originals, and saw more info on dimensions and such. I'm liking this one more and more. Think they could be convinced to make some of these from scratch, both with and without a guard?
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Do you have a micro mini bowie, or Ang Kohla Bowie, or Kumar Karda? This is similar, right in the middle. A blend.

I will bet all the money in my wife's purse they will
 
Umi said:
Do you have a micro mini bowie, or Ang Kohla Bowie, or Kumar Karda? This is similar, right in the middle. A blend.

I will bet all the money in my wife's purse they will
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I have two IBBBs/MMBs, one I purchased and one I received as a gift. I like them, but I've been wanting a Bowie of about these dimensions with a guard for a while now.
 
I believe the knife looks great, Howard. I'd call it an all-around camp knife like many used in these parts. The kamis did well on it and I expect it'll out live us all.
 
I do think that this is the first W-49 that I've ever liked the looks of. :D
The kamis did a fine job.
 
That came out great. I am really looking forward to seeing what they do with the bigger blade.
 
Looks fantastic:)
I'd be up for one. Most of my kitchen knives are HI knives of some sort. My Pala karda, HISK, and YCS Karda have done almost as much work as my chef knife.
 
Here is a Bladeforums post with a bit of the history of the w-49.

In 1977 the W49 began being marked with the letter system, with (W49 A) being 1977 and incremented annually.

By my reckoning that puts a K as manufactured in 1987. I had to wait until I was in the shower to complete this calculation, but I counted twice so I believe it is correct.
 
Hawgsnawt said:
reminds me a lot of handmade knives I see a lot at black powder events and mountain man gatherings..... it just needs a buckskin sheath with a lot of fringe and beads.....

field use, EDC back in the day, enough belly to skin and field dress...camp cook knife.... yea man, I dig the snot outta that!

Hybrid Hudson Bay/Bowie?..... I'd use it man.....in fact I'd try and get a set of wood slabs to match it and have someone make you a 4 inch drop point bushcraft knife to pair it with maybe in a piggyback buckskin sheath with some beadwork ...... ALA....

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I'll give ya half a dozen blankets and some tobacco for that tomahawk????
 
I never could count or do math good, maybe that counting and cyphering in the shower is the ticket.
Would that be considered multi tasking?

If Auntie offers up more of those the sharks are gonna be vicious. And I'll be right in there with them. I keep coming back to look and like it more and more every time I see it.
 
I've never likes Bowie style knives in my whole life. Now I EDC my MMB/IBBB, have a 15" AKB, and find myself lusting after this knife. I'm starting to think it's those big guards that are what really turn me off of most bowies.

Here's hoping it's a little while before Auntie posts any more of these. Gotta let my teeth grow back
 
On the steel, from the post I referenced above -

The WESTERN W-49 was chrome vanadium, it was closest to the steel known as 0170-6c, from Camillus, I have THE EXACT CHEMICAL RUNDOWN of a Western W-49, in my book KNIFE TALK 1 and KNIFE TALK 2 by Ed Fowler, he had some knives tested, including a W-49, Cold Steel (Trailmaster I think)"CARBON V steel", and the CARBON V is VERY close to 0170-6c, hence also close to the steel in the W-49. The famed CARBON V is a dead ringer for the 0170-6cA
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I got a note from Yangdu that she is already getting e-mails and calls about these, so if you want one you may call. Don't know if they will all get snapped up before any get posted. I'm not sure what she's asking, but be aware these blanks were purchased in the US at US prices, and handcarried to Nepal before the finishing process ever even began, so that may influence the asking price.
 
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Howard what wood is on the one you have? And what offerings do you think there may be as far as wood/horn?
 
Great post, Thank you for the help Howard
Pala
Yangdu
 
LaRueOBR556 said:
Howard what wood is on the one you have? And what offerings do you think there may be as far as wood/horn?
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Looks like oak to me. I'm no expert on woods though.

Yangdu has a thread up with some offerings, and may have some more in her back pocket if you want to call. As to what they are, your guess is as good as mine.
 
Howard Wallace said:
Looks like oak to me. I'm no expert on woods though.

Yangdu has a thread up with some offerings, and may have some more in her back pocket if you want to call. As to what they are, your guess is as good as mine.
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The one Howard has is Sadan Wood, there is another available with horn. I don't know what the balance, if any, will have. I love both the Sadan Wood and horn. However, this wood does not come up often so, I grab it when I can. It doesn't hurt it matches the one held by the one whom originated this project. They very well may become a standard production item, maybe not. However, I don't think many will have the backstory of being reformed by the HI Kamis from Western W49 blades. This makes them most appealing to me. Thank you Howard for your time and efforts on this project . It certainly is a home run in my book.
 
Bigbore577 said:
The one Howard has is Sadan Wood, there is another available with horn. I don't know what the balance, if any, will have. I love both the Sadan Wood and horn. However, this wood does not come up often so, I grab it when I can. It doesn't hurt it matches the one held by the one whom originated this project. They very well may become a standard production item, maybe not. However, I don't think many will have the backstory of being reformed by the HI Kamis from Western W49 blades. This makes them most appealing to me. Thank you Howard for your time and efforts on this project . It certainly is a home run in my book.
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Please let us know what you think when you have the knife in hand.

Thanks for the correction on the wood. Indeed, the one Yangdu posted as sadan wood looks very much like mine. I wonder if sadan is a kind of oak, or they just look similar. In any case, it looks like a great wood for knife handles.

Urban redneck said:
Wow really beautiful knife! :thumbup::thumbup:
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It seems the kami's interpretation is well appreciated. They are skilled craftsmen whose judgement is often very insightful.

As I was researching the w-49 I ran across several references to soldiers carrying them in Vietnam. Many were apparently left there with friends staying behind when the soldiers returned. One of these kinder gentler incarnations of an old companion might be appreciated by a Vietnam vet who carried a w-49 back in the day. Another possible group of customers who might be interested.
 
Howard Wallace said:
...I wonder if sadan is a kind of oak, or they just look similar. In any case, it looks like a great wood for knife handles.
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After searching for info on sadan, I'm thinking that it's the same as "sandan", a tree from the India/Nepal region. According to an agroforestry listing for sandan, "the heartwood is light golden brown, hard, strong, heavy..."

Another similarity with oak: Sandan wood was found to be excellent wood for making beer barrels for breweries in India, according to a book from 1896.
 
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