Does anyone actually use a Case Bowie

I purchased the knife I posted a picture of above in 1966 from A. P. Martin Hardware Store in Alexandria, VA where I worked part time to supplement my Navy pay (date verified by looking at my 1966 Income Tax Return - the only year I ever worked there).

I only provide the info above to say that my knife appears to made of carbon steel - several of you seem to be saying your knives are made of stainless steel. I can't find the tang stamp on the knife anywhere and believe me, I have several pages of Case Tang Stamps available.

Anyway, it looks like Case made a Bowie knife with Davey Crockett's profile for quite a time span.
 
puukkoman said:
I'm also glad to hear it's a good user. I've been on the lookout for a similar item... a Western bowie... at a reasonable price for some time.
Didn't Camillus make the bowies for Western?

And not to hijack the thread, but: anybody know of a good bowie, similar to the Case or Western, that comes with a more realistic price tag? Looking for a camp user, not a safe queen or a wall-hanger.
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Keep looking. I bought a W49 here for a very fair price... It was in rough shape but not all that terrible to clean up.
 
Modoc ED said:
I purchased the knife I posted a picture of above in 1966 from A. P. Martin Hardware Store in Alexandria, VA where I worked part time to supplement my Navy pay (date verified by looking at my 1966 Income Tax Return - the only year I ever worked there).

I only provide the info above to say that my knife appears to made of carbon steel - several of you seem to be saying your knives are made of stainless steel. I can't find the tang stamp on the knife anywhere and believe me, I have several pages of Case Tang Stamps available.

Anyway, it looks like Case made a Bowie knife with Davey Crockett's profile for quite a time span.
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I was wondering myself, if Case had produced that bowie in carbon steel at some time. The only ones I'd really ever seen or heard about, were more recent versions made with Tru-Sharp stainless. And I'm pretty sure they're all marked as such, with pattern numbers including 'SS' on newer ones, or 'STAINLESS' on Case knives from '60s - '70s time frame. If yours isn't marked either way, I'd bet it's carbon steel (and I'm envious for it ;)).
 
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Mine is pretty well used, I ripped of that funny brass back, it's a bit rusted, but I did my best to sand that off. My dad gave me this when I was a kid and I didn't respect it much, don't beat up on it much anymore, but it is well used.

The other side of the blade looks terrible, I just couldn't take a picture

P6200022-2.jpg
 
The tang stamp on mine indicates 1981. The only thing indicating stainless steel is the fact that it hasn't rusted in thirty years. It's made of the kind of steel that gets shaving sharp when I do my part and can chop through a three inch hardwood log without damage. That's the kind of steel I like.
 
I had just assumed there should be a mark of some kind, consistent with other Case patterns over the years. I am beginning to wonder if any of the 'BOWIE' knives from Case were marked with a pattern # or 'SS'/'STAINLESS'. Can't even find an image on the web, showing any pattern# mark/stamp on the blade. Some vendor sites reference (generally) that the blade is stainless, on the current model anyway. Maybe it's the odd one out, in their product lineup, regarding stamping/marking the blade. Case has a listing on their site, of patterns produced over the last 10 years. They simply refer to it as 'BOWIE', with no pattern# referenced.

Oh well... it's good to hear that most seem to be pleased with the usability/durability of it. It's a classic.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
The ultimate irony is, bowie knives are specifically named & defined as an 'illegal knife' for public carry in the Texas code, even for hunting/camping. :(
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Ain't that somethin can't carry a Bowie in Texas. I mean it's that way here in Maryland aka "land of the liberals" but in Texas WTF OVER ???
 
Tracker16 said:
Ain't that somethin can't carry a Bowie in Texas. I mean it's that way here in Maryland aka "land of the liberals" but in Texas WTF OVER ???
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We don't get into the politics of domestic and international knife laws here in this forum...We do have a "Knife Laws Forum" where this subject can be discussed in depth.
 
...especially when it's misinformation.

I know it's not traditional, but I've just ordered a big bowie to try out. It's an Ontario SP10, which is kind of a strange bird in my opinion. It's epoxy-coated 1095 steel, with rubber (Kraton) handles. It was inexpensive enough that it'll be a good try-it-on-for-size tool, and if I like it enough I'm thinking about stripping the coating and putting on a nice wooden handle instead. We shall see. If it performs well enough, it just might get a forced reincarnation as a "traditional" bowie. :D
 
Yes, I have used my W49 (1985). It went to the 1st Gulf War and still functions as a camp knife and would make a dandy fighter if needs must. Now, like most of my knife collection, it resides in honorable retirement on my living room wall. There are others which I use far more often.
 
2011.
I should learn to check the dates.
I have the W49, which cuts great with that deep belly.
 
puukkoman said:
Get a sheath made, and take that big girl out for a romantic camping trip for two!!! :cool:
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If you want to try it out for a short spin. The current Marbles machete makes a similar knife (Jungle Machete Bowie) and the sheath for that will fit the western W49 well. I haven‘t tested it on a case bowie, but the sheath is very common and inexpensive.

www.machetespecialists.com

Black Nylon 10 Inch Jungle Bowie Machete Sheath from Marble's

Sheath for Marbles 10 Inch Bowie Machete Heavy black nylon Belt Attachment Comes with a sharpening stone in one of 2 pockets for refinishing the edge of your machete.
www.machetespecialists.com www.machetespecialists.com

n2s
 
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Case made the Bowie in CV (carbon) steel exclusively from the time it was introduced as a civilian product (1964) through 1982. It had previously been made only for the military as a survival/bailout kit knife.

In 1983 Case switched all of their remaining CV hunting knives including the Bowie, to stainless steel. So any pre-83 stamped Case Bowie will have a chrome-plated blade of CV steel. 83 and after will be polished SS.

It was not long after 83 that they stopped including the removable brass piece, which was indeed intended to "catch" the edge of an opponent's blade in a knife fight.
 
Both the Western and the Case were fairly common private purchase knives in Viet Nam. There were many that thought it was a great jungle knife but that is what it was designed for in first place as part of the Air Corp bail out kit.
 
puukkoman said:
I'm also glad to hear it's a good user. I've been on the lookout for a similar item... a Western bowie... at a reasonable price for some time.
Didn't Camillus make the bowies for Western?

And not to hijack the thread, but: anybody know of a good bowie, similar to the Case or Western, that comes with a more realistic price tag? Looking for a camp user, not a safe queen or a wall-hanger.
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Western was sold first to Coleman in the 1980's, then Coleman sold Western to Camillus in the 1990's
 
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"The Tigers bolted from the shrouded cornfield, firing their last round, and ran full-bore at the Federal line. Some slung aside their rifles and brandished their bowie knives in preparation for close-quarter combat. To one member of the 2nd Rhode Island, the charge “seemed to me to be the most terrible moment of this terrific contest.”
First Bull Run.
Louisiana Tigers Charge
 
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