A Good Source For 'Quality' ready-Made, Primitive Bowie Knives?

[Dispatch]

Does anyone know of somebody who has top-quality, (no matter the cost), hand-forged primitive Bowie knives, in stock?

I can't seem to find anyone who will make one for me so I have no choice but to buy ready-made.

Thanks in advance...

 

[tenngun]

I’m not sure what you mean by primitive in this case. Even the first Bowie was a fine knife by a fine knife maker. When Bowie’s were made they tended to be top quality knifes. Ebony or rose wood handles with silver was common.
contrary to the myth Bowie’s were not made to serve camp needs… carve Meat on Monday, tent pegs on Tuesday, Comanches on wensday. They might cost as much as a Colt, and many were imported from England, and were a weapon more like a sword then a meat cleaver.
Several ML houses have fine steel blades in their stock. And handle material. Many custom makers want to make a fantasy knife and call it primitive

 

[French Colonial]

Try a Wostenholm IXL,

G. Wostenholm & Son IXL Bowie Knife. | eBay

 

[LRB]

What time frame are you looking for? There were simple smith made Bowie knives, and what might be considered primitive Bowie's in the civil war period. Something commonly overlooked is the fact that a trained blacksmith was taught to leave little to no file or hammer marks on any of the work he did. A farmer having a forge to fix his own stuff may not have been so caring. How primitive are you thinking of? Google the Hamm Bowie. It is starkly plain, but well finished when it was made.

 

[Throwdown58]

Honestly the best place is ebay, from pakistan. The US "custom" knifemakers are way overpriced, and many of them are buying blanks from china anyway. As others have noted, the originals were mostly imported from european trade guilds, just like the guns. So there is no more valid or less valid. The stuff coming out of pakistan is fantastic quality for the price you pay, and they are buying specific grades of tool steel that are often listed right on the ad. Good stuff.

 

[user 48679]

Honestly the best place is ebay, from pakistan.

FWIW, every one of the odd-dozen Paki sources knives I used wouldn't hold and edge worth a darn.

The heat-treating seems to run from iffy to non-existent.

I gave up, and re-handled a couple of commercial bowie's

Then, I also bought one from a fellow forum member (T Y, Undead Poet ! )

.

 

[deermanok]

Unless something has changed, I never had any use for India or Pakistan steel. Too soft, never would hold an edge.

 

[Throwdown58]

Yeah how long ago though? In the last 5 years the quality has come way up. As come way up. The Damascus stuff is so hard that it is difficult to even sharpen.

 

[deermanok]

There's a guy on here, two feathers. He makes some very nice knives.
Look at edged weapons for sale.

 

[deermanok]

Yeah how long ago though? In the last 5 years the quality has come way up. As come way up. The Damascus stuff is so hard that it is difficult to even sharpen.

It's been a long time for sure. Good to know that they have improved.

 

[Dispatch]

I’m not sure what you mean by primitive in this case. Even the first Bowie was a fine knife by a fine knife maker. When Bowie’s were made they tended to be top quality knifes. Ebony or rose wood handles with silver was common.
contrary to the myth Bowie’s were not made to serve camp needs… carve Meat on Monday, tent pegs on Tuesday, Comanches on wensday. They might cost as much as a Colt, and many were imported from England, and were a weapon more like a sword then a meat cleaver.
Several ML houses have fine steel blades in their stock. And handle material. Many custom makers want to make a fantasy knife and call it primitive

You know, rustic looking, like say a 19th-century made one would look like of the period, not modern ...

 

[troy2000]

You know, rustic looking, like say a 19th-century made one would look like of the period, not modern ...

As a long-time woodworker, former finish carpenter and former general contractor, I found the term 'rustic' usually meant
'an excuse for poor craftsmanship.' The word 'primitive' when used to describe a bowie should hopefully refer to its early style, not its finish...

 

[Dispatch]

Honestly the best place is ebay, from pakistan. The US "custom" knifemakers are way overpriced, and many of them are buying blanks from china anyway. As others have noted, the originals were mostly imported from european trade guilds, just like the guns. So there is no more valid or less valid. The stuff coming out of pakistan is fantastic quality for the price you pay, and they are buying specific grades of tool steel that are often listed right on the ad. Good stuff.

No way, stuff made there is just cut from stock, not hand forged, I read they are mostly all fake, I had a friend who bought one and it was absolute junk.

As a long-time woodworker, former finish carpenter and former general contractor, I found the term 'rustic' usually meant
'an excuse for poor craftsmanship.' The word 'primitive' when used to describe a bowie should hopefully refer to its early style, not its finish...

Something not modern looking, not fancy, with an aged finish having forged marked flats, something of the period (19th century).

 

[user 48679]

Two Feathers can fix you up - here's just one of the various knives he can make:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/large-knife-patterened-after-a-scalper.121738/

 

[Dispatch]

Two Feathers can fix you up - here's just one of the various knives he can make:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/large-knife-patterened-after-a-scalper.121738/

I sent him a PM...

 

[tenngun]

Not trying to brag about Pakistani work, I know pearls in a sea of stinky fish. I picked this up for a Spanish accoutrement to Santa Fe trail period events and not as a real user. A Bladaque and not a Bowie, and el cheapo at about thirty dollars…but it’s actually been a good little knife.
Very shinny, so I gave ita few coats of LM forge cold brown and naval jelly, some deer blood.
Hold an edge? Well I give it a few licks on a stone every time I use it. For a few bucks this Pakistani knife has served me as well as European and American made blades

 

[Dispatch]

Not trying to brag about Pakistani work, I know pearls in a sea of stinky fish. I picked this up for a Spanish accoutrement to Santa Fe trail period events and not as a real user. A Bladaque and not a Bowie, and el cheapo at about thirty dollars…but it’s actually been a good little knife.
Very shinny, so I gave ita few coats of LM forge cold brown and naval jelly, some deer blood.
Hold an edge? Well I give it a few licks on a stone every time I use it. For a few bucks this Pakistani knife has served me as well as European and American made bladesView attachment 84325

Nice looking, would make a great patch knife.

It is the spitting image of an 18th-century bone handle, pistol grip cutlery knife Old Dominion Forge makes:

 

[Dispatch]

Two Feathers can fix you up - here's just one of the various knives he can make:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/large-knife-patterened-after-a-scalper.121738/

No dice...

He only does stock removal blades.

 

[Musketeer]

How about a Svord Von Tempsky? Von Tempsky Bowie 11 - Svord

Edit: Oops, missed the hand-forged part. These are stock removal.

 

[Musketeer]

How about Old Dominion Forge: Old Dominion Forge Knives

Main page (w/ email link way down at the bottom): Old Dominion Forge