Well here we go
Some of you might remember when Jason and I did the Kwaiken project a few months back. It was very successful and the small run sold out in around 24 hrs. At that time there was talk of a Fighting Bowie project.
It is no secret around here that I am a huge Bowie fan and I am fortunate to call some of, if not the best Bowie makers in the world friends.
I have what I believe to be a very nice assortment of Bowies and I have devoted a lot of my time trying to learn as much as I can about Bowie knives and how to use them.
I firmly believe that when it comes to edged weapons and especially large knives the Bowie is the king of the true combat blades and that you can do things with a proper fighting bowie that elevate it above similar type knives.
When it comes to makers of proper fighting Bowies there are many I could mention but only a handful that fully understand what it takes to make the kind of knife I consider a proper fighting Bowie.
A man who has a huge understanding of what true combat cutlery is Jason Knight. This is no secret to many and when companies like Wilson Combat search him out there is a reason for it. In my opinion Jason kind of bridges the two worlds between perfectly finished show investment pieces and true hardcore combat/hard-use blades. Jason truly can do it all and I believe he enjoys making true battle blades more than any other type of knife. I have said this before, he truly would be at home on an ancient battlefield, forging and swinging steel .
Jason's blades have been torture tested by many, but mostly by Jason himself he really would never put out a blade that he did not think was battle ready. I dig that about him.
You can identify his work from across the room which in an age where there is a sea of work that all looks the same this is a feat in and of itself. His blade styles are emulated by many and his friendly nature and eagerness to teach makes him not only a stand out Blade Smith but a standout human being as well.
Onto The Knife
Jason and I have spent long hours speaking of Bowie Knives and techniques. We spoke of the main standout moves or techniques that work especially well with the Bowie and what a Bowie has to offer in order to make these techniques and this style knife the standout blade it is.
First and foremost it needs a blade of at least a certain length, then it needs a properly shaped blade that has a sharpened clip to back cut and penetrate on the thrust. It needs enough belly to be a good slasher and enough weight to hit like a ton of bricks but still have enough balance to change direction quickly.
This is done with distal taper and other tricks of the trade but you would be amazed at how many big name makers IMHO make a beautiful inert paperweight, instead of a knife that performs like the best out there.
When it comes to handles here is where a lot of makers fall short they make a beautiful handle but it does not give enough purchase on the blade and does not index well Kinda like putting a poorly sized and slick wheel on a F1 car It is your connection to the blade it better fit well and feel right.
That does not mean when you pick it up you go boy this is comfy I'm talking about when your hand is sweaty and you are snap cutting thru targets and thrusting into targets it stays put and lets you know right where your edge is at all times. I like to say that if I could stick the knife straight up in to a beam that I could get enough purchase on the handle to hang from it.
I have had the misfortune to of had to finish off some animals with a knife and I can tell you things die hard by the blade. I have spent many hours working with swat cops and law enforcement personnel, a friend of mine was the head of all gang-violence prevention in a bad area and the pics of knife wounds I have seen are traumatizing. In a last-ditch situation where a knife is all you have, I don't want a short, wimpy blade, I want a blade that hits like a lead pipe, changes direction like a light saber and pierces like an ice pick. To make a long story short I want to end the altercation as fast a possible, I don't wanna roll around slicing and getting sliced up This is when a properly made Bowie stands out.
So you can imagine how pleased I was when Jason said let's do the Bowie Project. I sent him a sketch of a blade shape and we discussed handle shapes and after a generous dose of Knightness, the Metal Mashing Monster came up with this prototype,
What we have here is a 10 inch blade of forged W 2 with a radical distal taper, a stainless guard and some fantastic curly maple dyed black with a single pin to give this blade a dark, elegant bad-ass look.
This blade has the power of a freight train and the handling of a Ferrari and the name of this blade is the Founders Bowie.
The first one has just been sheathed by the great Paul Long and then it will be on its way to the Great Coop for a proper photo. Paul was kind enough to snap some pics so I could get the post up and running. As soon as Coop gets a photo done I will post it up on this thread. Paul's sheath work is always fantastic and from the look of the skin he used it looks like that mean old Texan went down to hades and skinned old lucifer himself
. Thanks Paul
For more information go to the dealers section
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=836215
Thanks for looking
Some of you might remember when Jason and I did the Kwaiken project a few months back. It was very successful and the small run sold out in around 24 hrs. At that time there was talk of a Fighting Bowie project.
It is no secret around here that I am a huge Bowie fan and I am fortunate to call some of, if not the best Bowie makers in the world friends.
I have what I believe to be a very nice assortment of Bowies and I have devoted a lot of my time trying to learn as much as I can about Bowie knives and how to use them.
I firmly believe that when it comes to edged weapons and especially large knives the Bowie is the king of the true combat blades and that you can do things with a proper fighting bowie that elevate it above similar type knives.
When it comes to makers of proper fighting Bowies there are many I could mention but only a handful that fully understand what it takes to make the kind of knife I consider a proper fighting Bowie.
A man who has a huge understanding of what true combat cutlery is Jason Knight. This is no secret to many and when companies like Wilson Combat search him out there is a reason for it. In my opinion Jason kind of bridges the two worlds between perfectly finished show investment pieces and true hardcore combat/hard-use blades. Jason truly can do it all and I believe he enjoys making true battle blades more than any other type of knife. I have said this before, he truly would be at home on an ancient battlefield, forging and swinging steel .
Jason's blades have been torture tested by many, but mostly by Jason himself he really would never put out a blade that he did not think was battle ready. I dig that about him.
You can identify his work from across the room which in an age where there is a sea of work that all looks the same this is a feat in and of itself. His blade styles are emulated by many and his friendly nature and eagerness to teach makes him not only a stand out Blade Smith but a standout human being as well.
Onto The Knife
Jason and I have spent long hours speaking of Bowie Knives and techniques. We spoke of the main standout moves or techniques that work especially well with the Bowie and what a Bowie has to offer in order to make these techniques and this style knife the standout blade it is.
First and foremost it needs a blade of at least a certain length, then it needs a properly shaped blade that has a sharpened clip to back cut and penetrate on the thrust. It needs enough belly to be a good slasher and enough weight to hit like a ton of bricks but still have enough balance to change direction quickly.
This is done with distal taper and other tricks of the trade but you would be amazed at how many big name makers IMHO make a beautiful inert paperweight, instead of a knife that performs like the best out there.
When it comes to handles here is where a lot of makers fall short they make a beautiful handle but it does not give enough purchase on the blade and does not index well Kinda like putting a poorly sized and slick wheel on a F1 car It is your connection to the blade it better fit well and feel right.
That does not mean when you pick it up you go boy this is comfy I'm talking about when your hand is sweaty and you are snap cutting thru targets and thrusting into targets it stays put and lets you know right where your edge is at all times. I like to say that if I could stick the knife straight up in to a beam that I could get enough purchase on the handle to hang from it.
I have had the misfortune to of had to finish off some animals with a knife and I can tell you things die hard by the blade. I have spent many hours working with swat cops and law enforcement personnel, a friend of mine was the head of all gang-violence prevention in a bad area and the pics of knife wounds I have seen are traumatizing. In a last-ditch situation where a knife is all you have, I don't want a short, wimpy blade, I want a blade that hits like a lead pipe, changes direction like a light saber and pierces like an ice pick. To make a long story short I want to end the altercation as fast a possible, I don't wanna roll around slicing and getting sliced up This is when a properly made Bowie stands out.
So you can imagine how pleased I was when Jason said let's do the Bowie Project. I sent him a sketch of a blade shape and we discussed handle shapes and after a generous dose of Knightness, the Metal Mashing Monster came up with this prototype,
What we have here is a 10 inch blade of forged W 2 with a radical distal taper, a stainless guard and some fantastic curly maple dyed black with a single pin to give this blade a dark, elegant bad-ass look.
This blade has the power of a freight train and the handling of a Ferrari and the name of this blade is the Founders Bowie.
The first one has just been sheathed by the great Paul Long and then it will be on its way to the Great Coop for a proper photo. Paul was kind enough to snap some pics so I could get the post up and running. As soon as Coop gets a photo done I will post it up on this thread. Paul's sheath work is always fantastic and from the look of the skin he used it looks like that mean old Texan went down to hades and skinned old lucifer himself
. Thanks Paul For more information go to the dealers section
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=836215
Thanks for looking
