Looking for a classic Bowie, any suggestions?

[6518John]

Bowie #1

I suspect this is as close to the original as we will ever know—oh to have a time machine!

Knife: Bowie No. 1 Guardless Bowie Type

I have a Bark River Rouge Bowie which I suspect is as close to the original as one can get these days outside of the collection at the Historic Arkansas Museum.

By the way, I have been blessed to hold Bowie #1 in my hands with white cotton gloves over nitrile gloves.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

Buck 119 and 120 are USA made bowie style blades.

Edit: Picture added. The 119 is on top and has a blade edge right at 5.5". The 120 has a 7" blade edge. Both have the same size handle/pommel.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

everyone probably has different idea of a classic Bowie since the name was applied generically to almost every large fighting knife except Arkansas toothpicks. purists might say the Resin Bowie Searles type that look nothing like what most call Bowies is the classic. To me the true classic is the famous “Musso Bowie”, dated to the early 1830s and thought to be Bowie’s last knife. It’s the one carried by Bowie in the newest Alamo movie. I own the $100 Dixie version and aged the blade. it’s huge.

 

[dave1918a2]

If I wanted a bowie type knife I would buy a Cold Steel Trailmaster. If $ were no issue i would buy a Randall Model 12 with a 9 inch blade or a 12 inch blade.

 

[Biggfoot44]

" Classic Bowie " is a subjective term . Since the OP specified 7in blade , perhaps he's visualizing somthing along the lines of the late 1800s Sheffield made knives .

 

[Photog]

Go too nordicknives.com, go to Randall page, custom orders and look at the Nordic Bowie. A very classy knife, great blade shape and 7" blade length.

 

[Richard Simmons]

Give the Buck Custom Shoppe a look.

https://www.buckknives.com/custom-knife/customizable-916-bowie-knife/CKS916/

 

[MCorps0311]

Mine is not a classic but it's a Bowie.

 

[StrawHat]

I forgot all about Blackjack knives.

BlackJack Knives Classic Model 7 Fixed Blade Knife Full Ivory Micarta (7" Satin) - Blade HQ

Kevin

 

[jlrhiner]

I'm not really sure what your looking for, There have been a lot of great suggestions.

For a "Confederate" Bowie style knife, Museum Replicas offers a classic "D" guard Bowie.
US Civil War D-Guard Bowie Knife

 

[A10]

I collect bowie knives, and have studied them for years. No one knows, except a mexican soldier in the battle of the Alamo, what the original bowie was like. It has been described as a large butcher knife, with the upswing at the tip. I have been to the Alamo twice. They have a number of bowies on display, but one is not allowed to take pictures of any part of the interior as it is a shrine. I look at my collection, to me the carbon steel Trailmaster Bowie comes the closest. I have about 15 bowies, so I do have a choice. In the movie The Iron Mistress, a story that centers on the famous knife, the one used looks like one in my collection. Alan Ladd threw the knife off of a paddle steamer, which is contrary to history.

The Edwin Forrest Bowie is accepted as the original used in the Sandbar fight. No one knows what knife was carried at the Alamo. Bark River Knives recently had a run of Forrest bowies. To the OP, Id look closely at Jessie Hemphill knives. DLT Trading has some in stock, at least the last I checked.

 

[Ribwizzard]

Those Randels come very close, but not sure I want to wait or pay that price,
I have looked at the buck knives mentioned above nut dont care for the upswept clip point, prefer a drop point. ( like the randell)
I will start looking into the other suggestions, THANKS!

 

[mattallamerican]

bark river or blackjack both made by made by mike stewart

 

[Highhawk1948]

Look at the Randall Made Knife catalog. I'm sure you'll find what your looking for.

 

[JJEH]

Anyone have any suggestions on current production knives available?

Have a look at TOPS knives.

Maybe the Longhorn Bowie is to your liking?

Longhorn Bowie Black River Wash with Rocky Mountain Tread Knife - TOPS Knives Tactical OPS USA

The knives are American made (minus the Mini Scandi folder which is made in Italy) and great people to talk to. I have several Tops and they are top notch quality!

 

[Texas Star]

You probably need a Sheffield type knife by a custom maker who understands the style. See maybe Jerry Fisk, and bring a wheelbarrow of money.

Or, get a Fallkniven NL-1 or NL-2. Mine is an NL-2 Odin and with a blade of about eight inches, it's all the knife I care to carry.

There's a resemblance to some Randalls and the Northern Lights line has Randall-like leather handles and nice butt caps.

Not cheap, but really good. I think you can find one under $450 Online. Look under Exclusive Knives on their site for the NL line. They do offer other Bowie types, too. And this Swedish firm does have US dealers.

Hanwei makes a good one that I think Cold Steel sells, but I have reservations about the way the handle is attached. I think it's called the Natchez. Very traditional looks.

You could just get a Randall Model 1 and call it good. The really big Bowies are too unwieldy. My NL-2 is all the knife I need unless I step up to a machete. Fällkniven - Nordens ledande knivspecialist sedan 1984. Study that site very carefully if you want superior knives designed by a master hunter and woodsman. For a modern using knife, look really hard at model S-1 Forest Knife. The blade resembles Randall Model 5.
Model NL-2 is balanced so well that it moves better than you'd think. See YouTube videos on various Fallkniven models.

The Western model mentioned by some is too big and too crude to interest me.That crudely bent guard is an eyesore.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Try some local blacksmith/knife maker that can offer a pattern welded
to your specs. Make sure he does his own pattern welding as most
so called knife makers out there just order the blades from some mass
produced place and then do stock removal and call it hand made.

Jim Bowie's knife was more of a small sword than knife. Most believe
the Arkansas toothpick design was what James Black made for him as
posted by 6518 John. There is some thought it may have been a
pattern welded blade as Black sort of made these in secret.
The general term bowie knife may have more Hollywood in them than
we think.
I've forged a few knives made mostly from F150, that's Ford F150 coil
spring and a few from truck leaf springs. Usually just put some hickory
or walnut scales on them. They are not fancy but very functional.

 

[Drm50]

I hate Stainless Steel knives and won't buy any. Couple of years ago was ordering some kitchen knives from Smokey Mountain and saw a couple knives advertised as made from saw blades and files. They had a Bowie
pattern 6" I think and I bought one just for grins to check out the steel.
They were very reasonable I think $15. Well my order came and they substituted another Bowie by same company that was big enough to fell trees. The steel in it was good but I had no use for a knife that big and gave it to a nephew. Picture of it is here on forum with the pistol and knife sets. I'm not much for any knife with a point the only thing they are good for is stabbing.

 

[A10]

Just remembered this pic, the bottom is a Shining Mountain bowie by Bark River. Top is a modified W49 Western.

 

[skilled]

Here is one of mine. Chevalier a New York Maker around 1850