A Bowie style knife. Rocky Mountain USA.

[ron_m80]

First the knife itself was respectable. I would put the fit and finish nearly at or just below some condor offerings. It didn't hold up and perform however. I don't even think the $120.00 was the value of the knife by the time I made up my mind it was the wrong purchase. I did fall in love with a decent and hefty bowie knife though.

The bowie pattern is a lethal sidearm. Its use before reliable repeating pistols made complete sense when i handled this mass of steel. I will definitely be seeking a well made American version that delivers the same characteristics for my array of knives.

Overall this knife was about an 80% failure. I cannot trust it. The label which said USA on it caught my eye and i snatched it up with no research at all. The box clearly ID'd the knife as being made in China. Otherwise there are no markings on the blade I actually wondered if it was a kit knife for a few minutes.

So here are some photos.

This is how big it looks.

This is the last 5/8ths of the tip, I stabbed a wood log repeatedly and wiggled the blade free. after about 10-15 stabs and wiggling it free it took a definitive set.

I struck the edge down (with the grain) many times, it not only failed to bite, mostly due to the blunt grind; It also destroyed the blade geometry of about 2.5" of the blade length.

I think the overall HT was missed or not performed. The price is horrific for a Chinese product (and the marketing work on that label is criminal and deliberate IMO), when you compare the performace and cost of this well shaped scrap metal to the offering from a group like Condor the choice is easy to buy from SA.

AVOID THIS KNIFE WHEN AND WHERE YOU ENCOUNTER IT.

 

[skyhorse]

Dang, that sucks Ron.Any chance you can return it?

 

[ron_m80]

The transaction was fair and square, and the blade is now destroyed. The company doesn't exist as far as Google is concerned, because nothing related to the tag turns up any results.

I am ok. I stole the basic layout of the blade, sat down with some blue dye, and a large plate of O-1 last night. I will be alright when I get done.

Thanks, sometimes you lose in a buy. I took a chance that day, I knew it wasn't a high end knife regardless.

 

[GRIM 62]

Wow,the heat treat on that is horrific!That's too bad,as it's a good design.

 

[stanley_white]

Interesting that the handle on the knife is straight whereas the handle of the knife in the picture of the brochure has a slight hook on the end.

-Stan

 

[alex]

All is not necessarily lost. If it was mine I would take the handle slabs off carefully as well as the guard and just have the bare blade re-heattreated.
There are guys like Delbert Ealy who will do it very cheaply as long as it's a plain carbon steel of some sort. You might pleasantly be surprised if the knife alloy is something like 5160 or 1095.

Delbert Ealy has done about a half dozen blade blanks I have sent him from my own grinding experiments on knife like objects and all have come back as usable blades with decent hardness and edge holding. Since you are going to heat treat the 0-1 blade then might as well do this one also at the same time.
Put the old handles and guard back on if it hardens up OK and you then will have a nice serviceable bowie.

 

[ron_m80]

All is not necessarily lost. If it was mine I would take the handle slabs off carefully as well as the guard and just have the bare blade re-heattreated.
There are guys like Delbert Ealy who will do it very cheaply as long as it's a plain carbon steel of some sort. You might pleasantly be surprised if the knife alloy is something like 5160 or 1095.

Delbert Ealy has done about a half dozen blade blanks I have sent him from my own grinding experiments on knife like objects and all have come back as usable blades with decent hardness and edge holding. Since you are going to heat treat the 0-1 blade then might as well do this one also at the same time.
Put the old handles and guard back on if it hardens up OK and you then will have a nice serviceable bowie.

Adam,

That is actually a damn good idea. I am glad you looked at this thread, i actually had not concidered that. I'm not saying i never would have as the handle was already removed and checked for something else it could workwith, i didn't think to send out the blDr