Every time I want to pull the trigger on buying the CS Wild West Bowie, I change my mind...

[DDDYLN]

The pattern has become such a generic shape, that it's hard to compare them based on pics/vids without side by side comparisons. I have seen pics online of Pakistan made versions, and they follow that generic shape pretty closely too. I do believe that the Cold Steel version may be a bit bigger overall than the Legendary Arms Bowie shown in the video... But then again, without a side by side comparison, tough to tell.

Thanks for the share

Legendary Arms just takes the $21 SZCO Bowie, and makes it a bit nicer. A lot of companies do that.

 

[DDDYLN]

While I generally agree, I used to have the Western W49 it was modeled after, and used it hard for brush clearing and small tree chopping. Performed admirably and the guard remained tight. I’d buy one of these Wild West Bowies if it weren’t for reports of loose guards.

You should have never let go of that W49. Those Bowies are awesome. I wish I could afford one.

 

[DDDYLN]

Have never liked that style of Bowie, where the blade gets wider further out. Always looked cartoonish and clunky to me. Gimme a Laredo style any day!

The Laredo is a pure self defense knife. While I don't like the S-shaped handguards, Bowies with a lot of belly, make excellent choppers.

 

[jlauffer]

The Laredo is a pure self defense knife. While I don't like the S-shaped handguards, Bowies with a lot of belly, make excellent choppers.

True, the Laredo is more of a fighter, as it has a cable tang. But that style blade, with a full tang, can work well as a chopper. CPK and David Mary make excellent choppers, and they don't have much belly. I would take a Trail Master, Recon Scout, or Survivalist over the Wild West or W49 style.

 

[DDDYLN]

True, the Laredo is more of a fighter, as it has a cable tang. But that style blade, with a full tang, can work well as a chopper. CPK and David Mary make excellent choppers, and they don't have much belly. I would take a Trail Master, Recon Scout, or Survivalist over the Wild West or W49 style.

I think anyone would take a Trailmaster or Recon Scout, in CPM-3V (I'm not a San Mai iii fan), over the WW. Those knives are expensive for a reason. I doubt Cold Steel is going to make them in less expensive SK-5, because people buy them regardless of the price. I'm not sure I would chop with the Survivalist. The WW Bowie, even though I don't like it, would work much better. The Chaos Bowie would work much better as well. I love that knife! It's a perfect combo of a fighting knife, and an good outdoor knife, all in one. Last I checked, the lowest price for the Recon Scout was $200, and $250 for the Trailmaster. The only negative about the Trailmaster, IMO, is the full flat grind. I love a flat grind. But, without a bevel, full flat grind blades tend to get stuck in wood, whereas a partial flat with a bevel, will split the wood.

 

[DangerZone98]

True, the Laredo is more of a fighter, as it has a cable tang. But that style blade, with a full tang, can work well as a chopper. CPK and David Mary make excellent choppers, and they don't have much belly. I would take a Trail Master, Recon Scout, or Survivalist over the Wild West or W49 style.

Just my opinion of course, but a cable tang on any knife baffles me. It doesn’t inspire confidence at all. You can still achieve “perfect” balance on a full tang knife, and you actually have something that’s less likely to break in a violent self-defense situation.

Case in point in the CS Leatherneck. An underrated knife in CS’s catalog, IMO.

 

[riversidedep]

I've looked at buying the CS Wild West Bowie a number of times, but I already have a Western W49, a Case Bowie, and a Hen & Rooster Bowie of similar size, and I consider all three of them to be of higher quality than the CS (which is made in India). I don't really use any of them, since I'm mostly a collector, and I use an old beat up Ontario machete on any task for which a large bowie might be appropriate. If I was looking for a user bowie in this size range, I would probably go for the Condor Undertaker Bowie. In fact, I may get one anyway since it's a cool-looking knife.

Jeez, I kinda feel bad for mentioning five other knife brands in a Cold Steel sub-forum thread!