Looking for a classic Bowie, any suggestions?

After I carefully assess that’s it’s not a Gun Fight,
I can show up with my Loveless Pattern Dixon Fighter.

I would go with a Randall.

I am pretty happy with mine.

If I were going to buy one I'd probably go with the sandbar style just because I like the way it looks better then the latter ones.
Here's the closest I have to a bowie which is one I made almost 30 years ago.

I collect bowie knives, and my two favorite are the Trailmaster Bowie. and the Texas Ranger Commemorative bowie. Only 600 were made of the latter. The former is made of carbon steel and must be kept oiled, but they do make it in better steels.

Tom Kent said:

A Marine Corp K-bar comes close to your specifications.

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If you actually plan on using it, a Ka-Bar is hard to beat, even more so for the price.

I always considered the Ka-Bar a modern (at the time) interpretation of the Bowie design.

I quess but it would depend on what you want it for looks, use , collectability and cost. Sometimes you can find a good deal on ebay. Probably the best reasonable priced knife , I think is a Cold Steel Recon Scout, older models with just Carbon on the blade, new one are fine knives , just made in China. I like the 1XL older brand but not too cheap. AlMar has a lot of larger nice knives but not really classic Bowie design.
Personally be careful its as costly a addiction as guns, HA. Good luck .

StrawHat said:

Resin Bowie had Daniel Seattle’s make several knives. A copy of one would be truly, a Bowie knife.

Kevin

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Kevin-

You have a spelling problem.

Rezin Bowie spelled his name like I just did, and Daniel Searles was the knife maker. Rezin gave one of his knives to a US Dragoon officer and that knife still exists. It looks like Rezin described the original Bowie, which was made on the Bowie estate by a blacksmith named Jesse Something. We can't be sure if James Black in AR or others also made knives for James.
I think they did.

Rezin said the first knife had a nine-inch blade. That was probably the knife with which James killed Maj. Norris Wright and also several bandits who waylaid him on a trail.

The Randall Model 1 and Model 5 are basically Bowie styles and more practical than larger knives.

Buck's Model 119 and Model 120 are the best that you'll find at a reasonable price. But the handles are more modern, as with other knives mentioned here. The Western knife noted has a pretty crude guard. The Collins No.18 shown is more graceful, and has been copied. Some may recall a No. 18 being carried by Stan Brock in some episodes of Zoo Parade or Marlin Perkins's other show, Wild Kingdom. I think Brock wore it on his Brazilian ranch.

I once wrote an article for a knife magazine in which I speculated on what a real Tarzan's knife would look like. I chose a classic Sheffield Bowie with about an eight inch blade. This is based on info in the original Tarzan book, about 1912, NOT on movies.

The closest that I own to general "Bowie" styles are the Buck models mentioned and a Fallkniven NL-2. The last is from Sweden, but actually made to order by a very fine Japanese cutler in Seki City. It is not inexpensive, but cheaper than a similar Randall. It balances very well, feeling light for a knife with an eight inch blade. The slightly concave leather handle looks more authentic than a similar Randall handle.

I think you're wrong to insist on an American knife, unless you settle on Buck. The Cold Steel mentioned is Japanese made, BTW. Between it and the Fallkniven, I'd choose the Fallkniven. And I did own the Cold Steel Trailmaster. It's a fine knife, but not as refined as the Fallkniven NL line.

F"allkniven - Nordens ledande knivspecialist sedan 1984

I went to the trouble to give you the Fallkniven site. GO THERE and examine the Northern Lights ( NL) line and also their F-1, S-1, and A-1 models as general outdoor knives. I think the S-1 Forest Knife is as good a sportsman's knife as can be had. The blade is very like a Randall Model 5, about 5 inches. I think they list measurements in Metric terms. They do have US dealers!

To get an American knife in either the Mediterranean dirk style of the Rezin Bowie knife or a Sheffield stye, you need to find a member of the American Bladesmith Society who actually knows what Civil War era Bowies look like. Bring a wheelbarrow of money. If Jerry Fisk is still active, he has the qualifications.

Buy the annual, Knives and study Bowie styles there and consult the extensive index for knife and sheath makers, scrimshanders, etc. Your search will begin there. Expect to pay at least $500, maybe over a thousand, for an authentic Bowie repro by a noted master smith. I'd buy the Fallkniven NL-2 or NL-1, if you want the longer blade.

Please note that I have seen MANY original Bowies and was for over 30 years one of the leading knife writers, on the masthead of several cutlery titles. I have visited the ABS school sponsored by Texarkana Jr. College and met many famous knife smiths and makers, and have profiled them in magazines. I've read most of what's available by original Bowie collectors, inc. what Rezin Bowie himself said in describing his brother's knife.

The OP says the Puma Bowie with 6.5 inch blade has too short a handle. That's true, but they make or have made an eight-inch version. I didn't like the looks and handling and sold both of my Pumas of that style. In a practical trail knife, I prefer Model 3589 or the Outdoor model, but they are not Bowies.

Randall.

Everything else is a substitute.

Randall makes some very nice classic Bowie’s for sure.

The Buxton fighter is a Randall special made for Buxton knives. They usually have some available for sale. It’s very Bowie like.

Another solid option is a Buck 124. If you are patient you can probably find one with a stag handle.

Many style of Bowie knives were made to meet the demands of the new frontiersman & eastern 'civilized' folks as well. Many of these came from [mostly] makers back east or in England. No definitive source for the 'Classic' bowie other than descriptions by Rezin Bowie & the Musso Bowie.

I prefer the style made famous in 'The Iron Mistress' w ALan Ladd. Personally I have 3 Cold Steel TMs, a Junglas 2, multiple WEstern W49's & various other styles. I still need to get me a Voorhis example of the Iron Mistress, they come up occasionally on Ebay., usually $500 to $700 range....

Puma Knife African Big Five - Bing video


I stumbled across what seems to be a review of Linder knives, in German.

I was amazed to see obvious copies of the Buck Model 119 and Randall Model 1, as well as one of Linder's cheaper Bowie styles.

I can't understand the man, and he may be showing actual examples of a real Buck and of a Blackjack copy of a Randall, although they have replacement sheaths.

Linder Messer also makes some nicer Bowies. I think one would satisfy the average Bowie fan's desires.

And I think Case still makes their copy of the old Collins No. 18 short survival machete, used as a Bowie by Carlson's Raiders in WW II and in many USAAF survival kits in the Pacific theater. If those fit my hand, I'd sort of like one, as a compact bush knife. This is what Stan Brock had on, Wild Kingdom, but I think his was an original Collins. The Collins firm closed about 1967. They were once the leading maker of machetes.

eveled said:

Another solid option is a Buck 124. If you are patient you can probably find one with a stag handle.

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Or, you can just ORDER a stag handle from the Buck Custom Shop.

I've owned two Model 124's and sold both because the handle is too thick for my hands. You could call Buck and see if their Custom Shop can slim one down for you, if you have that problem.

IMO, Model 124 is not a Bowie. But it is an excellent sturdy, heavy duty knife.

You may recall seeing it in a series of ads for Nocona boots in, Playboy and maybe other,big, slick magazines years ago. In a very sophisticated painting that looks real, a cowboy is holding down a rattlesnake with his boot and is about to sever its head with his Buck Model 124. I published an article on that artist and the ad. He used a real Model 124 as a model and copied it faithfully. You can even see the exposed full width tang of the knife! Both Nocona and the artist, as well as Buck, were very supportive of my article idea, and I thank them for much of its success.

At one time, Buck made a variant of Model 124 for divers. This was the Nemo. I understand the Nemo is highly collectible now, should you find one.

Good to hear from you Texas Star. Is that article available anywhere? I’d love to read it. It was a great advertisement for sure.

AFAIK, the Buck Custom shop doesn’t take orders like that for the 124. At one time you could order a 124 with almost any length blade you wanted. But those days are gone.

They “customize” a select list of models. The 124 is not on the list. But the 916 Bowie is! It’s a good option for the OP that I forgot about. Check it out here.
https://www.buckknives.com/custom-knife/customizable-916-bowie-knife/CKS916/

Check out this monster 124 from the old days!

eveled said:

Good to hear from you Texas Star. Is that article available anywhere? I’d love to read it. It was a great advertisement for sure.

AFAIK, the Buck Custom shop doesn’t take orders like that for the 124. At one time you could order a 124 with almost any length blade you wanted. But those days are gone.

They “customize” a select list of models. The 124 is not on the list. But the 916 Bowie is! It’s a good option for the OP that I forgot about. Check it out here.
https://www.buckknives.com/custom-knife/customizable-916-bowie-knife/CKS916/

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That article ran, I think, in, National Knife Magazine, which was published by the National Knife Collectors organization. Alas, I no longer have records for the year it was published. Maybe they can help, if still operating. Or, you can contact the PR people at Buck and Nocona and see if they have it on file and could copy it. I don't think any of the NKCA magazine contents are Online.

I probably have a copy or two, but can't readily access my old files, in storage. I retired from writing in 2011.

I also wrote a story for, Knife World, about the Randall Model 3 knife that once appeared on cans of smoke-flavored Spam. But I doubt that Gary Randall would have time to locate it , if he kept a copy.

I published over 5,000 articles and have only a few magazines in my home, where I might find one if I moved some stuff to access them.

I'll see if I can find that article in my computer, but think it was long enough ago that I probably typed it. As on a typewriter! Remember those? I'll shuffle some things around and see if I can access a box that might have that magazine. If I find it, I can copy it at the grocer and will get your address. Another member wants an article, too, so I may make a day of that soon. And I remember Buck's PR firm. I'll see if they have it on file. Will ask their Custom Shop about stag on Model 124's, too. If I learn anything useful, I'll post here. I do have a small collection of, Playboy in a closet and will see if I can find that ad. That would at least give us the year, or close. If anyone here finds the ad, post when the magazine was printed. And someone with better computer skills may just find the ad and post it here! Actually, I think that happened a few years ago.

It’s too bad you don’t have these in digital form. I would love to read them. With today’s technology, once you get them in PDF or some sort of digital format, they would be easy to access, search, index, etc.

eveled said:

Check out this monster 124 from the old days!

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That thing looks as long as a Roman gladius!

Fellow member Opaul has a current thread featuring some very nice bowies he has made. It is still on the first page here in the Lounge.
Big Bowie

The Forrest bowie was displayed at Blade Show West this year. I could not talk the owner into letting me handle it!