Bart Moore Bowie Knife - Replica by Franklin Mint

D

der_vincent

Joined
Dec 9, 2011
Messages
141
Good Morning Friends,

recently i got a replica of the Bart Moore Bowie Knife. I like it a lot ... it is a substantial knife with a good grip and a good blade-catcher guard :

Only thing i wonder: i have no idea how the tang design was made. maybe rat-tail tang? If anybody has a clue, please et me know.

Ho Ho Ho ... and have a nice Santa Sunday today :)
Erik
 
The Franklin Mint makes grossly overpriced gift items. They are neither historically accurate nor intended for any kind of use, and usually have no edge bevel at all. They have been a plague on the collector community; since many of us have received them as gifts from well meaning, but knife illiterate relatives.

I have absolutely noting good to say about them and would happily dump their entire knife catalog into the nearest ocean.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
The Franklin Mint...
I have absolutely noting good to say about them and would happily dump their entire knife catalog into the nearest ocean.

n2s
Click to expand...


Hello Buddy, thanks for your thoughts about Franklin Mint ... i have heard similar stories, and i would not consider that Bart Moore REPLICA to be a serious user .. it is what it is, a replica, i guess. -At least it might function as a training knife for Bowie knife flows (singte training, not with partner), since it has got some weight.

However, the awesome massive steel guard and also the wooden grip seems quite nice to me. - it might be an interesting project to remove this blade catcher guard and mount it on my Cold Steel Carbon V Trailmaster ...

Cheers, Erik
 
der_vincent said:
Good Morning Friends,

recently i got a replica of the Bart Moore Bowie Knife. I like it a lot ... it is a substantial knife with a good grip and a good blade-catcher guard :

Only thing i wonder: i have no idea how the tang design was made. maybe rat-tail tang? If anybody has a clue, please et me know.

Ho Ho Ho ... and have a nice Santa Sunday today :)
Erik
Click to expand...

for some there is much joy and desire
in just looking at things over and over
again without the need to ruin a sweet decorative replica in the name of knife
testing.
you'll never know, that come some point
in your life, you might actually want to
give it away to someone who
apprrciates such things.or even recoup
from this investment
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/franklin-mint-bowie.396369/
 
Knives can be made solid and substantial out of any kind of steel. I feel it's the nuances of quality/price/performance ratios that shape our opinions and drive us as knuts, or nuts.
 
abcdef said:
Knives can be made solid and substantial out of any kind of steel. I feel it's the nuances of quality/price/performance ratios that shape our opinions and drive us as knuts, or nuts.
Click to expand...

Well spoken, my friend.. i agree.
Just because Franklin Mint probably has used some cheap stainless steel on that Moore Replica (maybe 420), this does not make it bad knife in total. When handling the Knife, i think it is quite well assembled.. no rattling or whatsoever.

Als regarding the steel: i find the comparison to the Ontario Hells Belle quite interesting. Both Knives have NO visible full tang.. both knifes have stainless Blades. Nonetheless, the Ontario Bagwell Replica are highly sought after. I can not see why this Moore Replica should be worse than the Ontario ...

And keep in mind what Bill Bagwell recommends in bis book: best Blade Steel to him is Damascus, Second best is a Carbon monosteel. So Mr. Bagwell probably would not recommend the stainless Ontario ... or?

Anyway, if you think of the fighting Bowie as a back-up emergency blade, and NOT as a daily user, then i would not worry too much about stainless Steel. Once the Knife has been sharpened properly, you can store it for years until it might be needed ...
 
GIRLYmann said:
.. without the need to ruin a sweet decorative replica in the name of knife
testing
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/franklin-mint-bowie.396369/
Click to expand...

Thank you :) Buddy... and no worries, i will keep the Knife as it is.. won't disassemble it. - rather i would create another iron guard then. Should be not too difficult, since the material for a Guard could be simple construction Steel .. not heat-treated ... or maybe wrought iron.
Cheers, Erik
 
der_vincent said:
...Also regarding the steel: i find the comparison to the Ontario Hells Belle quite interesting. Both Knives have NO visible full tang.. both knifes have stainless Blades. Nonetheless, the Ontario Bagwell Replica are highly sought after. I can not see why this Moore Replica should be worse than the Ontario ...

And keep in mind what Bill Bagwell recommends in bis book: best Blade Steel to him is Damascus, Second best is a Carbon monosteel...

Anyway, if you think of the fighting Bowie as a back-up emergency blade, and NOT as a daily user, then i would not worry too much about stainless Steel.
Click to expand...

The fact that two knives are both made of stainless steel and have tangs that are fully enclosed by the handle does not make them equivalent.
 
madcap_magician said:
The fact that two knives are both made of stainless steel and have tangs that are fully enclosed by the handle does not make them equivalent.
Click to expand...

... but it makes them similar and comparable, since they share at least 2 important features.

Maybe you refer to a proper Heat treatment.. yes i know that Buck knifes use stainless steel too.. and Buck is known for good Heat treatment.

The Franklin Mint Moore Replica and the Ontario Belle even share a 3rd component: a Blade catcher Guard. So i think these 2 knifes can be compared..
Cheers, Erik
 
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KenHash said:
Considering what is now happening at Cold Steel, if you own a Carbon V Trail Master, I would leave it alone.
Click to expand...
After seeing the C.S. thread, I dug out my Carbon V T.M. I've had it for 30+ years I guess.
I hand convexed it and beat the snot out of it when I was in the woods a lot. Not as much now. Still a great big old Bowie.
Do you think there's much market for used C.V. T.M's?
I was thinking about giving it to my son as I don't do the big knife stuff too much anymore.
Got a KLVUK khukri for that when I do.
 
der_vincent said:
... but it makes them similar and comparable, since they share at least 2 important features.

Maybe you refer to a proper Heat treatment.. yes i know that Buck knifes use stainless steel too.. and Buck is known for good Heat treatment.

The Franklin Mint Moore Replica and the Ontario Belle even share a 3rd component: a Blade catcher Guard. So i think these 2 knifes can be compared..
Cheers, Erik
Click to expand...

This MTech

143484_143513.jpg


and this Spartan

SPARTAN-HARSEY-DAGGERS__32702.1571942728.jpg


Are both also made out of stainless steel with synthetic handles and guards. Guess they must be meaningfully comparable as well?
 
Heat treating blades costs money. If the Franklin Mint intended their knives to be display/collection pieces they may have not even bothered with a heat treat.

I saw a Franklin Mint full page magazine ad online for the Bart Moore replica, and it made no mention of a heat treat, temper, blade hardness, etc. And no mention of the steel type other than "stainless".

Also, the FM replica doesn't come with a sheath, only a display case. That leads me to believe it truly is just a display piece and not any kind of "user".

And I wouldn't compare Franklin Mint knives to Buck knives. Buck makes their knives to be used.

Personally, if I wanted a Bart Moore style bowie, I'd save up for a real one. Buy once, cry once.
 
Last edited:
der_vincent said:
... but it makes them similar and comparable, since they share at least 2 important features.

Maybe you refer to a proper Heat treatment.. yes i know that Buck knifes use stainless steel too.. and Buck is known for good Heat treatment.

The Franklin Mint Moore Replica and the Ontario Belle even share a 3rd component: a Blade catcher Guard. So i think these 2 knifes can be compared..
Cheers, Erik
Click to expand...
Yes, both knives are made of metal and have handles and a guard....thats about as close as it gets...
fSZfwlu.gif
 
Arathol said:
Yes, both knives are made of metal and have handles and a guard....thats about as close as it gets...
fSZfwlu.gif
Click to expand...
... to be precise: Yes, both Knives are made of STAINLESS Metal and both Knives have a CURVED fighting guard.

I thought that was obvious ...
 
killgar said:
Personally, if I wanted a Bart Moore style bowie, I'd save up for a real one. Buy once, cry once.
Click to expand...
Killgar, thanks for your Comment, i agree...
Maybe you have a Recommendation of a blacksmith or Command that produced a "real" Bart Moore..? Would be interesting...
 
madcap_magician said:
both also made out of stainless steel with synthetic handles and guards. Guess they must be meaningfully comparable as well?
Click to expand...

Well ... YES.

Sure knifes with similar features are comparable. You can also compare a Mercedes to a Mitsubishi ... both are cars.

For a poor guy who gets stabbed with a dagger, it is probably not too important if it was a 20 Dollar Dagger or a 400 Dollar Dagger ..
 
As much as I respect Jim Bowie, and all those who died at the Alamo. I have a tough time pursuing “Bowie knives”. Especially those purported to be replicas. Replicas of what?

The original Bowie knife is lost to time. Some Mexican lady probably wore it to a nub chopping kindling or veggies.

The provenance of all “Original Bowie’s” is questionable at best, more like highly doubtful.

For a user buy a knife that looks as Bowie-ish as you want. Then use it. Buck 124 is a good choice, maybe grind in a bigger clip.

For display buy a knife that you like to look at. For me personally it would have to be functional as well. I’d be looking at Randall Bowie’s. Cry once when you buy it, then smile if/when you sell it someday.

First rule of collecting anything is to avoid things made to be collectible.
 
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