That is a great photo.
Bowie!
- Thread starter RonJ
- Start date
That is a great photo.
You shoot SASS with a Walker? I'd be interested in hearing about that!
Thuer
Member
OK, for 225 I can deliver Han Wei bowie knives plus shiping.
The knives comes in a blue presetation box. We have several models on stock.
The knives are several years old and never been used. Complete brand new.
Those on the picture are mine ( All Mine mHaHaHa). But we have one of both models on stock. There is just an other model wich I do not have a picture of. The handle is longer then the one with the wooden handle and flanged at the top.
I did have contact with the Manager of Han Wei. Got his card and send him a e-mail with the pictures of the old western knives.
Still nothing heard of him.
The knives I mentiont are in the book of R.L.Wilson "The Peacemakers" I sure like to own several of those knives.
The knives comes in a blue presetation box. We have several models on stock.
The knives are several years old and never been used. Complete brand new.
Those on the picture are mine ( All Mine mHaHaHa). But we have one of both models on stock. There is just an other model wich I do not have a picture of. The handle is longer then the one with the wooden handle and flanged at the top.
I did have contact with the Manager of Han Wei. Got his card and send him a e-mail with the pictures of the old western knives.
Still nothing heard of him.
The knives I mentiont are in the book of R.L.Wilson "The Peacemakers" I sure like to own several of those knives.
Attachments
Thuer
Member
Pilgrim. If you see the quality and craftmanship of those Chineese Han Wei knives you probaply say's different.
RE: Cold Steel Laredo Bowie
TS, not really sure who makes them for Cold Steel. I personally like the feel of it, and I've owned lots of Bowies.
SK-5 high carbon steel is essentially 1080 whereas Carbon V is 1095. Not a lot of difference. The 1095 has a bit more carbon in it. Some say 1095 is tougher whereas SK-5 (1080) takes the heat treatment better. The debate goes on an on. I've had knives with both and, in my opinion, the difference is negligible.
You might want to take a look at Cold Steel's video on the Laredo Bowie. Fairly impressive. I think, for the price, it's a heckuva deal.
I know 5BeansintheWheel doesn't seem too favorably impressed with the Laredo Bowie and the SK-5 steel, and I can certainly understand where he's coming from...but then again, not everybody has $1500-$3500 to put down on a Bill Bagwell knife. Like I said, for the price, this particular knife is a pretty good value.
TS, not really sure who makes them for Cold Steel. I personally like the feel of it, and I've owned lots of Bowies.
SK-5 high carbon steel is essentially 1080 whereas Carbon V is 1095. Not a lot of difference. The 1095 has a bit more carbon in it. Some say 1095 is tougher whereas SK-5 (1080) takes the heat treatment better. The debate goes on an on. I've had knives with both and, in my opinion, the difference is negligible.
You might want to take a look at Cold Steel's video on the Laredo Bowie. Fairly impressive. I think, for the price, it's a heckuva deal.
I know 5BeansintheWheel doesn't seem too favorably impressed with the Laredo Bowie and the SK-5 steel, and I can certainly understand where he's coming from...but then again, not everybody has $1500-$3500 to put down on a Bill Bagwell knife. Like I said, for the price, this particular knife is a pretty good value.
Last edited:
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
Grayman knives or Atlanta Cutlery Company.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Someone made a post that seems to disparage the tang and the butt cap securing nut on what I think was the Laredo knife. What is he talking about? Does it have a normal width narrow tang, and how is it secured?
THEUR-
The knife on the right in your first picture is very much what I'd want in a Bowie style, very typical of Sheffield production of that day.
I used to write extensively for cutlery magazines and once wrote an article on what Tarzan's first knife must have been like, had Tarzan been a real person. I concluded that it was most likely a Sheffield or London made Bowie much like that knife, but without the blade inscription, and with stag antler handle scales and a silver initial plate. The guard would have been a little thicker. Or, he may have had a very similar knife, except that it'd be a dagger. Either is fully plausible given the time that Tarzan's parents set out from Britain en route to his government post in Africa. Blade length would be from eight to nine inches.
As you Tarzan fans who really read he books know, mutineers seized the ship and marooned the Greystoke family somewhere in French West Africa. In fact, French was the young Lord Greystoke's first spoken European language.
Can someone please post a photo of the Fallkniven NL-1 or NL-2, preferably the latter? I think that will express very well what I think a modern Bowie with traditional inspiration should look like. No one here seems to be bothering to visit their site, but here again is the address: www.falkniven.com
Work the subject titles and see the knives. But candidly, I'd carry an A-1 over the larger knives in most circumstances.
While there, look at the modern lockblade folders in various handle materials. My U-2 folder is probably even sharper than a new Swiss Army knife and the Super Gold Powder steel has performed very well for me, although I've not asked it to do anything spectacular. But that little knife makes a great spare and the blade is well under three inches. So I sometimes carry it in a city that has a three-inch blade limit, although state law provides for a 5.5-inch blade.
In his catalogs, Randall said that his Model 1 was about as close to the true Bowie as any knifesmith has got since Jams Black's time. He was quoting a Bowie knife authority of the late 1940's.
I don't agree, having seen knives designed and made for the real Bowie brothers. That made for an officer of dragoons named Fowler is Rezin Bowie's conception of a fancier knife along the lines of the one his brother made famous. But the Randall Made Model 1 with seven or eight-inch blade is indeed a better fighting and general purpose knife than are almost all original Bowies of the 19th Century.
It is not, however, the style sought by the OP. (Or in his price range.) Of the photos posted here, either the Hanwei knives from Theur or the Laredo Bowie make the most sense. And look at Lindermesser's Bowies with 440 steel blades and real stag handles. Some are quite practical and of reasonable size.
For the realist who can legally carry a large knife, anything larger than the Fallkniven NL-2 or the Randall Model 14 really should be a short machete. Mine is a Corneta brand from El Salvador, with 12-inch blade. An 18-inch blade is even better for general use, including beheading a snake. But this takes us from traditional Bowies into modern jungle knives.
For what it's worth, my daughter and I have visited the site of James Black's forge at Washington, AR and seen and talked with the man who operated it then. He has seen the Bart Moore knife out of California and thought it might actually be as Mr. Moore's family believes, the actual knife taken from Jim Bowie's body at the Alamo. His ancestor acquired it from an old Mexican who said that he picked it up there on Mar. 6, 1836. I disagree, but the knife is certainly well thought out and unique and very possibly of that period. Mr. Moore showed me the knife and I was impressed. I just think some aspects of it are too crude for it to have been owned by the wealthy Col. Bowie.
Last edited:
jlrhiner
US Veteran
AND if you get on the Special Projects mailing list, you can buy seconds and overstocks at a greatly discounted price. AND unless your a tremendous metallurgist, the common man cannot tell the difference between those two steels.
Both the Cold Steel Laredo Bowie and the Cold Steel Natchez Bowie are made this way. The tang goes about halfway up the handle, then a piece of cable is welded onto the tang, to which the butt cap securing nut in then attached.
There are some who think that this is some sort of cheap shortcut. Not at all. Think about it. It is more labor intensive and more expensive in terms of material. According to the folks at Cold Steel, this knife was made as a fighting knife that would take abuse and the handle was done for balance, shock absorption, and strength.
So far, I have absolutely no complaints regarding this knife. Like I said, a pretty darn good bargain for the price, in my opinion. Cold Steel has a great warranty too.
jlrhiner
US Veteran
My google-Fu says the SK-5 knives are made in Taiwan.
Texas Star
US Veteran
built as a replica of jim bowie's famous butcher it is made by bark river knife and tool. i paid 180 on the secondary market, cant recall the retail price. razor sharp, i can shave with this knife.
http://s1094.photobucket.com/user/kamloops67/media/IMGP0399.jpg.html][/URL]
7" blade with enough weight to chop with.
This knife is very like one seen in a painting of a powerful Indian chief of the 1830's. The knife is painted in great detail from life and is in the man's sash.
I wish I owned one of these, but I don't think it's safe for general carry and use, given the lack of a guard.
THE PILGRIM
Member
Here's the NL-2. I have never seen one, looks like a neat knife.
The only Cold Steel that I own is a folder. As I have reported before,
it has really hard steel, almost too hard.
Jim Bowie's knife? Really?
The rule is always the same. The more outrageous the claim,
The more proof is required.
The only Cold Steel that I own is a folder. As I have reported before,
it has really hard steel, almost too hard.
Jim Bowie's knife? Really?
The rule is always the same. The more outrageous the claim,
The more proof is required.
Attachments
Last edited:
5BeansintheWheel
Member
Texas Star, It was me who mentioned the cable tang. I thought I had read about several breaking, but could only find one. That dude beat on the handle, so I will stand corrected on the handle breakage. When you have a few minutes to read the links you will see pictures of the tang construction. It has in fact been around a long time.
Cold Steel themselves recommend the Trailmaster for heavy use over the Natchez and Laredo.
Natchez Bowie It is broken.
Another proud Laredo owner
Recommendation? Laredo?
Earlier today Matt Lamey sent me a picture of this 11" W2 with kingwood. Matt gets some great hamon lines on his blades.
Could not resist! I will more then likely send it out to Paul Long for leather.
Cold Steel themselves recommend the Trailmaster for heavy use over the Natchez and Laredo.
Natchez Bowie It is broken.
Another proud Laredo owner
Recommendation? Laredo?
Earlier today Matt Lamey sent me a picture of this 11" W2 with kingwood. Matt gets some great hamon lines on his blades.
Could not resist! I will more then likely send it out to Paul Long for leather.
Last edited:
Texas Star
US Veteran
Texas Star, It was me who mentioned the cable tang. I thought I had read about several breaking, but could only find one. That dude beat on the handle, so I will stand corrected on the handle breakage. When you have a few minutes to read the links you will see pictures of the tang construction. It has in fact been around a long time.
Cold Steel themselves recommend the Trailmaster for heavy use over the Natchez and Laredo.
Natchez Bowie It is broken.
Another proud Laredo owner
Recommendation? Laredo?
Earlier today Matt Lamey sent me a picture of this 11" W2 with kingwood. Matt gets some great hamon lines on his blades.
Could not resist! I will more then likely send it out to Paul Long for leather.
Okay, that first link shows this weird construction well enough. The tang is only about one-third length. THat construction s something that I'd better not discuss on a family board. No way is Cold Steel selling me a knife like that!
Between Cold Steel's flamboyant Lynn Thompson and the less dramatic but more expert and pragmatic (my opinion) Peter Hjortberger at Fallkniven, I know whose knives I'd buy!
Hjortberger has fished and hunted for decades in rugged Nordic terrain as does his famliy, for generations. Fallkniven knives pass rigid tests by both the US and Swedish governments and by the Technical University of Lulea (Sweden) and are issued by the Royal Swedish Air Force and approved for purchase by US air units. Two of them even have NSN numbers.
As far as I know, Cold Steel's tests are all or mostly in-house or by persons who may or may not have connections with them. I simoly don't know.
I think that should be enough information for those who really need a rugged knife to make a decision. In fairness, I have owned two Cold Steel Trailmasters and they worked fine in my limited chopping, if a lttle less refined around the ricasso than are the Fallkniven items.
Last edited:
Texas Star
US Veteran
Yes, that's an NL-2, but the photo angle makes the handle look shorter than it is.
Thanks for your effort.
Well, I'm not very knowledgeable about knives, though I use them routinely. I've had a Cold Steel Carbon-V Trailmaster Bowie since the late 1970's and it has always performed for me. I bought it brand new back then.
Texas Star
US Veteran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaO53_KQZKI
Here's a Muela Bowie with wooden handle and brass guard and pommel.
Muela makes good stuff and the prices are probably quite reasonable. I have one of their Tornado tactical knives that resembles the SOG SEAL 2000 and it's a nice knife, but not a Bowie.
Muela is a Spanish company, and has a solid reputation, from what I can learn. They have quite a section in a premium book on knives by a Dutch author. (No, not our Theur. I think his name is A.E. Hartinge, without looking.)
The Muela Bowies are worth a look.
Here's a Muela Bowie with wooden handle and brass guard and pommel.
Muela makes good stuff and the prices are probably quite reasonable. I have one of their Tornado tactical knives that resembles the SOG SEAL 2000 and it's a nice knife, but not a Bowie.
Muela is a Spanish company, and has a solid reputation, from what I can learn. They have quite a section in a premium book on knives by a Dutch author. (No, not our Theur. I think his name is A.E. Hartinge, without looking.)
The Muela Bowies are worth a look.
Last edited:
THE PILGRIM
Member
I have learned one thing from this thread. And as I get older, I don't like most things that I learn. I don't like the idea of having a cable in a knife handle. I'm not sure if it really makes any difference, but I just don't like it.
Tangs on knives have for a long time been a point of discussion. A lot of blades like my Randall No. 1 have a pretty small tang with a nut on the end. The full tang knives have a bigger piece of steel and big steel is stronger than small steel. The GI aircrew sawback Jet Pilot knife has the reputation of being brittle and breakable. I still have the one I was issued in SEA. I never actually saw a broke one or heard anybody say they broke theirs. These knives were carried a lot more than they were used. But the stories persist.
I have very little interest in Bowie's except in a historical way. I prefer smaller blades. If you need to chop you need a ax-hatchet or at least a machete - bolo.
Bottom line is I don't like a cable in the handle of my knife. I can live with a small tang, but actually prefer a full tang.
Tangs on knives have for a long time been a point of discussion. A lot of blades like my Randall No. 1 have a pretty small tang with a nut on the end. The full tang knives have a bigger piece of steel and big steel is stronger than small steel. The GI aircrew sawback Jet Pilot knife has the reputation of being brittle and breakable. I still have the one I was issued in SEA. I never actually saw a broke one or heard anybody say they broke theirs. These knives were carried a lot more than they were used. But the stories persist.
I have very little interest in Bowie's except in a historical way. I prefer smaller blades. If you need to chop you need a ax-hatchet or at least a machete - bolo.
Bottom line is I don't like a cable in the handle of my knife. I can live with a small tang, but actually prefer a full tang.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2006
- Messages
- 3,277
- Reaction score
- 2,584
I have the wetern W47 bowie knife and very happy with it.
beach elvis
Member
If you're looking for a beastly WORKIN' knife, you might wanna check out the BK-9 Combat Bowie from Becker Knife and Tool. Ka-Bar is currently their maker. Mine (Bk9 [9" blade] and its little brother, the BK10 [5" blade, all else the same.] are a couple of the older Camillus-made ones but I'm sure the Ka-Bar iterations are great. Serious bang for your buck.
J. Galt
US Veteran
The Beckers are STOUT and reasonably priced. They are great working knives. The Cold Steel Trailmaster or Recon Scout are also excellent for your price range.
Texas Star
US Veteran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoyB7jJ0Fg0
Not a Bowie, but the Muela Tornado that I mentioned earlier. I like the music, too. What's the name of that song and group? I've liked it for years, but the name escapes me now.
I haven't used mine a lot, but it seems very well made and designed, being perhaps inspired by the original version of the SOG SEAL 2000 knife. Note the saw teeth near the handle, very useful for cutting rope. I think they'd also cut right through vines or kelp, if used by a diver. Note the excellent satin poilsh on the blade, which is 440 stainless steel. They don't say which subtype of 440.
The handle is a nice, long one, in contrast to many. It's drilled for a wrist thong.
The lettering on the handsome box (says Cuchillo Deportivo) means Sports Knife, I think.
The very sharp video seems to have been made by a Russian, if I've guessed the titles writing right. But the knife is made in Spain, probably in Albacete, their equivalent to the German Solingen.
Not a Bowie, but the Muela Tornado that I mentioned earlier. I like the music, too. What's the name of that song and group? I've liked it for years, but the name escapes me now.
I haven't used mine a lot, but it seems very well made and designed, being perhaps inspired by the original version of the SOG SEAL 2000 knife. Note the saw teeth near the handle, very useful for cutting rope. I think they'd also cut right through vines or kelp, if used by a diver. Note the excellent satin poilsh on the blade, which is 440 stainless steel. They don't say which subtype of 440.
The handle is a nice, long one, in contrast to many. It's drilled for a wrist thong.
The lettering on the handsome box (says Cuchillo Deportivo) means Sports Knife, I think.
The very sharp video seems to have been made by a Russian, if I've guessed the titles writing right. But the knife is made in Spain, probably in Albacete, their equivalent to the German Solingen.
Last edited:
Thanks guys! I ended up ordering the knife I linked to above.
The box says it is an exact replica of the knife used by Richard Widmark (Jim Bowie) in the movie The Alamo.
It has the screw in the rear of the handle, so I guess it either has a rat tail tang or the cable tang mentioned above.
It looks very nice and the 11 1/2 inch blade is scary looking. The blade is semi sharp but I'm gonna leave it that way. Don't need it super sharp for use as a prop.
The handle is polished wood and would probably be too slippery to use in combat.
I've managed to polish out the tacky looking ALAMO stamped on the blade.
The box says it is an exact replica of the knife used by Richard Widmark (Jim Bowie) in the movie The Alamo.
It has the screw in the rear of the handle, so I guess it either has a rat tail tang or the cable tang mentioned above.
It looks very nice and the 11 1/2 inch blade is scary looking. The blade is semi sharp but I'm gonna leave it that way. Don't need it super sharp for use as a prop.
The handle is polished wood and would probably be too slippery to use in combat.
I've managed to polish out the tacky looking ALAMO stamped on the blade.
Malpasowildlifer
Member
Save for one of the Randall bowies
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I have a large Spanish made type of bowie knife. I purchased it in the mid 70's. It was cheap back then.
I have a heavy Rambo type knife too.
I have a heavy Rambo type knife too.
the ringo kid
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2013
- Messages
- 20,895
- Reaction score
- 22,823
Hey Ron--found a Bowie Knife for ya--$19.99 at Academy. Looks decently built-comes with a scabbard and has the look I think you wanted? These are for sale at Academy--if you have one near you? I also saw something I wanted--was a Bayonet made by Shrade for I think $69.00??
