I'm Too Fat on Bowie Knives

[user 48679]

I added a couple of Bowie knives to my stash - most are re-handled by me.

 

[tenngun]

Good looking set

 

[Bill Rowe]

Very fine collection, I make knives my self, I use D-2 steel , and like deer horn for handles. I do appreciate the coffin handles, as you do a very nice job. I always admired the bowie style, and have fashioned most my knife to that affect. I do like the double edge Michigan toothpicks I have made though. Sorta like a Roman short sword . Only two pictured not produced by me are the little Damascus daggers, bought on Evil bay, I re-handled. Again a very nice collection.

 

[user 48679]

I'm likin' your handiwork, Bill - congrats on jobs well done !

 

[andy52]

If I were going to choose a Bowie it would probably be the sandbar style, I just like the overall style of the knife.

 

[user 48679]

Sweeet, andy - a very refined knife !

 

[deermanok]

Good looking knives.

 

[andy52]

Sweeet, andy - a very refined knife !

Refined enough for Jim to live after that sandbar encounter barely, even though his probably didn't look as good as the one I posted.

 

[Bill Rowe]

I'm likin' your handiwork, Bill - congrats on jobs well done !

Very kind, thank you.

 

[LRB]

If I were going to choose a Bowie it would probably be the sandbar style, I just like the overall style of the knife.

Nice, but what makes it a sand bar style?

 

[andy52]

Nice, but what makes it a sand bar style?

It's the supposed style where Jim Bowie got involved in a duel on a sandbar on the Mississippi river. This was prior to the clip point that most bowie knives look like now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbar_Fight

 

[andy52]

Here's one I made for myself 30 years ago it's sort of a bowie style with a narrower blade, it's referred to as a longhunter style. It has a 8 1/2 in blade and is 13 1/2 overall. I made the handle out of a piece of elk antler. It has a threaded tang and the cross guard is silver soldered in place. I shaped the brass pommel after threading it and tightening down. It's a pretty formattable weapon and I certainly wouldn't feel under armed if I had to use it in a knife fight.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Nice, but what makes it a sand bar style?

That is a never to be a fully answered question.

 

[andy52]

That is a never to be a fully answered question.

Correct.

 

[Bill Rowe]

Here's one I made for myself 30 years ago it's sort of a bowie style with a narrower blade, it's referred to as a longhunter style. It has a 8 1/2 in blade and is 13 1/2 overall. I made the handle out of a piece of elk antler. It has a threaded tang and the cross guard is silver soldered in place. I shaped the brass pommel after threading it and tightening down. It's a pretty formattable weapon and I certainly wouldn't feel under armed if I had to use it in a knife fight.

Nice job, I like the finger grooves, Elk is a tough antler to get a descent knife handle out of, the pulpy area is much more dominant then white tail , but a whole lot better than moose. Good looking piece. I found that most of my knifes are created from the antler , as you can always size the steel blade to proportions , but can not alter mother nature.

 

[andy52]

Nice job, I like the finger grooves, Elk is a tough antler to get a descent knife handle out of, the pulpy area is much more dominant then white tail , but a whole lot better than moose. Good looking piece. I found that most of my knifes are created from the antler , as you can always size the steel blade to proportions , but can not alter mother nature.

That piece of elk came off a very large rack and very near the tip where the antler is denser. Most of the softer center portion was drilled out for the tang. Even so I had to be really careful with the shaping as not to get into the center portion. When the knife was newly made the handle looked almost like ivory.

 

[Shiloh1944]

If I were going to choose a Bowie it would probably be the sandbar style, I just like the overall style of the knife.

andy52, I am not trying to dispute your thoughts about that being the style used by Jim Bowie, but it is actually a Searles style that was originally fashioned by Daniel Searles of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and commissioned by Rezin Bowie, brother of James Bowie.

 

[andy52]

andy52, I am not trying to dispute your thoughts about that being the style used by Jim Bowie, but it is actually a Searles style that was originally fashioned by Daniel Searles of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and commissioned by Rezin Bowie, brother of James Bowie.

Absolutely correct about the origins of the knife in question. If legend has it correct Rezin gave or let Jim barrow the knife used at the sandbar.

 

[Steel Hayes]

I have the Windlass version of The Bowie knife(bottom).
While useful, in an actual knife fight it would be worthless.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Rezin gave or let Jim barrow the knife used at the sandbar.

Searles made two of them. This was their first design. Resin gave his to Col Fowler, his is in the Alamo. Jim's is in the Santa Anna museum in Mexico City.

I have one bowie, and it happens to be the very same one. I went to Dixie Gun Works to buy a different blade, when I held that one, I told him to put the other away. They still have a few from the 1000 they had made.
In my travels I have shown mine to 3 blade smiths, all of them said it was the best steel they had ever seen, and ordered one for themselves.

The big Iron Mistress was a movie prop. Jim used this "large butcher knife" at the sandbar.