Well I respectfully disagree and I'll state my reasons. I think when it comes to a fighting knife you have to make a choice as to whether you want to slash or stab. Personally I'm a little more for the stab, the slashes being sort of a preliminary strike to set up the fatal stab but then I started hearing stories of a slash taking off an arm, etc and saw some images of slash wounds and got to rethinking a few things.Primarily, an opponent may be better able to fend off your effort to stab than a slashing strike.
On a Bowie you want the weight in the blade, that's where the weight ought to be so a stick tang is a design feature that helps accomplish this. Originally I liked full tangs but was told it was needlessly strong and added weight in the handle where it did nothing to increase slashing ability. If a stick tang starts out with a wide taper into the handle there is as much cross sectional strength in that part of the tang as the blade, in other words- there is no point in having the tang stronger than the blade, it should be equal in cross sectional strength to the blade, although the blade is wider than the tang the tang is thicker than most of the the beveled blade. You also want a blade bevel from edge to spine that is flat, some blades are axe-like at the edge. The clip point needs to sort of be straight with some steel behind the point, in other words don't have the point upswept. The clip looks upswept but in examining the point, there's steel right behind it. If you are going to slash a slightly curved blade puts more of the cutting edge into the opponent than a straight edge, with a straight edge the front curve or belly portion does most of the slash cutting whereas with a continuos curve you get more cutting, IMHO. I also think it is easier to field-sharpen a slightly curved edge.
The brass on the spine is supposed to be soft brass, the idea to catch the opponent's edge (if just for a moment) in controlling the fight.
On sharpening the top of the point, I used to sharpen the entire length and I was at a knife show where the guy that makes the Bagwell bowies had a booth (I forget his name)- in any event he said only about 1/2" back from the point needs to be sharpened, like a claw, to back stroke against a knee, etc in a fight,the claw effect will cut just as deeply as sharpening the whole clip.
So it the Musso bowie the ideal? No, however Wick's craftsmanship is ideal. Good job. On design features I like a stag handle that's as rough as a corn cob, I think it gives a better grip. Also I think the butt of the handle needs a pointed pommel because a lot of knife fights end up with opponents grabbing each other and the pommel can be used to hit against a head, elbow or knee with good effect. Even mild hits hurt like H@&^.
Another feature worthwhile is no choil- like that on the Searles Bowie. I think it's best to not have a choil because it is conceivable a deep thrush in a lung area may drive the blade between ribs up to the guard and if the edge is lower than the Ricasso, the flexible ribs may allow the thrust but then grab and keep the knife from being with drawn- probably not a problem with THAT opponent but what if you still face a few more on coming foes???
On the guard, some of the 1830 Sheffield Bowies had a plain Jane oval guard, I questioned some folks on that and was told an oval guard would never catch on your own clothes as the blade was pulled out of the sheath and yet the brass still offerred good protection for the hand.
Well there's no such thing as the perfect knife, just some design ideas I think are of value.
