Thoughts on the Chaos Bowie

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DangerZone98

Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
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For owners of this knife, does it perform well as a wilderness knife? I don’t see a lot of reviews of this knife online. It’s clearly meant for combat applications, but I was wondering if it would lend itself well to chopping thin branches and bush clearing. In theory, the SK5 steel should hold up to abuse.
 

Designed primarily to be a fighter , but would probably work for utility if needed .

I'd much rather have my Trail Master or Gurkha Kukri for either fighting or bushcraft .

I just prefer to not be so locked into one grip .

Your hand/ finger size is very important on this style handle to properly fit .

Balance point is just forward of handle . Great for fast handling in a fight , but not ideal for chopping .
 
Yes for any prolonged or heavy chopping you want the handle to be able to shift in your hand. Think about the difference between short strokes with a hammer vs long strokes with a machete.
 
I would opt for Recon Scout or some Kukri if chopping was on my mind.

Chaos Bowie is combat knife, same as Chaos Tanto and Chaos Stilleto.
They have their purpose and are hell of a knife but I personally prefer more neutral handle that allows for more types of grip.
That kept in mind, the grip Chaos series has is also made in such way that it's harder to disarm, so that's an advantage.

About SK-5 holding up to abuse - I can confirm that it's true, I never had any rolls, bends or chips and I used Recon Tanto for lots of chopping, it's not an ideal chopper but I work with what I got, few hits more but I get there eventually.

If you pull the trigger on it, let us know how you like it :D
 
Smiling said:
I would opt for Recon Scout or some Kukri if chopping was on my mind.

Chaos Bowie is combat knife, same as Chaos Tanto and Chaos Stilleto.
They have their purpose and are hell of a knife but I personally prefer more neutral handle that allows for more types of grip.
That kept in mind, the grip Chaos series has is also made in such way that it's harder to disarm, so that's an advantage.

About SK-5 holding up to abuse - I can confirm that it's true, I never had any rolls, bends or chips and I used Recon Tanto for lots of chopping, it's not an ideal chopper but I work with what I got, few hits more but I get there eventually.

If you pull the trigger on it, let us know how you like it :D
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Always glad to know your opinion, man. I’ll let you guys know if I pull the trigger on the Bowie.
 
Just a follow up question, guys. Specs say the knife weighs 23 ounces. That’s a couple of ounces heavier than the BK9. For a 10.5 inch blade, is 23 ounces acceptable?
 
I keep my Chaos Bowie under my pillow. I still need to get around to sharpening the swedge. It's a fighting Bowie, and a good one. I'm sure it could perform okay as an outdoor knife, but there are better options, such as the Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie. I have extra wide hands, so it fits me well. I would suggest handling one before you pull the trigger on the purchase. It could be very uncomfortable for the wrong hand size. As for the tang, I'm not sure how stout it would be as an outdoorsman survival knife. That's not really the purpose.
 
DDDYLN said:
I keep my Chaos Bowie under my pillow. I still need to get around to sharpening the swedge. It's a fighting Bowie, and a good one. I'm sure it could perform okay as an outdoor knife, but there are better options, such as the Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie. I have extra wide hands, so it fits me well. I would suggest handling one before you pull the trigger on the purchase. It could be very uncomfortable for the wrong hand size. As for the tang, I'm not sure how stout it would be as an outdoorsman survival knife. That's not really the purpose.
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Hey, thanks for the response. Actually pulled the trigger on it quite some time ago and it’s a valued piece of the collection, even if rarely used for mundane tasks. Blade shape was attractive, and it’s a scary sharp monster of a knife out of the box. Gets me grinning stupid every time I handle it. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fun piece.

The aluminum handle doesn’t offer the same degree of control as a molded rubber grip, but it’ll do as a fighting blade. Having something to punch and hammer with at close range is also a nice plus, hahaha. It does feel more like a short sword than a large knife in the hand.

Off topic, but the slim Kobun is my pillow knife of choice. The Bowie is way too big for me lol.
 
Man with no name said:
Yes. Most of the weight is in the handle, the blade balances very well. You have to have one in hand to feel it for yourself.
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Only understood this once I had the knife. The handle still feels a tad strange to me, but the balance distribution is perfect. Surprisingly agile for it’s size. Monster of a knife.
 
DangerZone98 said:
Hey, thanks for the response. Actually pulled the trigger on it quite some time ago and it’s a valued piece of the collection, even if rarely used for mundane tasks. Blade shape was attractive, and it’s a scary sharp monster of a knife out of the box. Gets me grinning stupid every time I handle it. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fun piece.

The aluminum handle doesn’t offer the same degree of control as a molded rubber grip, but it’ll do as a fighting blade. Having something to punch and hammer with at close range is also a nice plus, hahaha. It does feel more like a short sword than a large knife in the hand.

Off topic, but the slim Kobun is my pillow knife of choice. The Bowie is way too big for me lol.
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I'm glad you like the knife. I got mine on a decent sale. Chicago Knife Works always seems to have the best deals. Sadly, the CS Chaos Kukri is defunct. I suspect one would cost $300, if you really wanted one. I keep my Chaos Bowie, and my CS Royal Kukri Machete under my pillow. That said, I also keep a double stack 10mm handgun on my nightstand. I'm a heavy sleeper due to a medical condition. The blades are backup, in case I don't wake up to a robber. All that said, I have a 27_lb mutt dog who thinks he's an alpha, and is very protective. I would hope he'd alert me to any danger.
 
DDDYLN said:
I'm glad you like the knife. I got mine on a decent sale. Chicago Knife Works always seems to have the best deals. Sadly, the CS Chaos Kukri is defunct. I suspect one would cost $300, if you really wanted one. I keep my Chaos Bowie, and my CS Royal Kukri Machete under my pillow. That said, I also keep a double stack 10mm handgun on my nightstand. I'm a heavy sleeper due to a medical condition. The blades are backup, in case I don't wake up to a robber. All that said, I have a 27_lb mutt dog who thinks he's an alpha, and is very protective. I would hope he'd alert me to any danger.
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A dog can put ADT Security Systems out of business. I have a chihuahua. He barks at everything. If something goes bump in the night he'll let me know. He could do the barking I guess I'll have to do the biting.
 
Definitely. My dog would bark at someone trying to enter my home, and immediately come wake me up. Best of all, my 3rd grade daughter is his best friend. He sleeps in her bed every night, and she's a light sleeper. If anyone tries to break into her window, he'll wake her up, and she'll immediately come get me. The only other thing I need to do, is get the eye surgery I need. I'm extremely nearsighted, with bad astigmatism in 1 eye. I tried to get Lasik like 13 years ago, but they said I wasn't a candidate, because they would have to shave off too much cornea. Thankfully, they can now replace the natural lenses in your eyes, with lenses that will correct your vision 100%. It's expensive, and not covered by insurance. But, even if it's $10K, it'll be worth it for me. My optometrist actually suggested it. He said everyone gets cataracts with age. Apparently, the problem is not the muscles that focus your lenses, it's the fact that the lenses get brittle as you age. If I get them replaced with lenses that correct my vision, I should be good for another 30 years.
 
BTW, I just checked. You can't even find the CS Chaos Kukri on Ebay. I guess people are holding onto them as collector's items. It's sad that Cold Steel sold out to GSM Outdoors. Their products have really gone in the shit&er. Cold Steel used to sell a great Gurka Kukri. They changed the steel to 4034 stainless, and they're still asking $250 for it. I'd sooner buy a Marbles 3Cr13 Kukri for $25. I'm guessing Lynn Thompson is regretting selling out. GSM Outdoors killed the South African machete products. I have 4 of them. They're excellent machetes for the price, or at least they were.
 
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The full tang Marbles Kukri, at $25 at SMKW, is sadly better than the Cold Steel 4034 stainless Kukri. The only thing better about the CS Kukri is the sheath. Nobody is going to pay $250 for 4034 stainless Kukri, no matter how nice it looks. 4034 is garbage stainless steel. For that price, you can get a San Mai III Trail Master.
 
I’ve had a chaos bowie for a few months now, and it is definitely tough enough for light/medium fieldwork. I just wouldn’t use it for heavy fieldwork because it transfers more shock to the hand than other blades, and the balance point is very close to the guard. A trailmaster/kukri plus/sp10 is a better choice for that.

I sharpened the swedge recently, and it took me about an hour to get it honed properly. I found it necessary to grind beyond where the factory swedge stops to get the bevel steep enough to be sharp.

https://imgur.com/a/0N9L5mg

I also cut and drilled the tang of the ka-bar kukri machete (#1249) and fitted the blade to the chaos handle. After testing, I can say the bowie is a better performer in every category. Better durability, edge retention, and balance.

Chopping, thrusting, blade speed and recovery are also superior. I attribute this to the superior grind, higher hardness(56/58 vs 52/54 hrc), and thicker blade stock (5.1mm vs 4.1mm) of the bowie. The kukri blade was also only 2.5oz heavier, with a balance point of 1.75” in front of the guard vs 1” for the bowie.

I chopped through some very hard oak deck planks with each blade and got some minor edge rolling/dulling with the kukri blade that did not occur with the bowie. The bowie also bit deeper.

After this, I’m going to buy another chaos bowie. It’s definitely the best of the series by far. I thought I was missing out with the chaos kukri, which has similar dimensions, but now I see that’s not the case.

I also own a double edged chaos, it was decent. I ended up breaking both the blade and the handle trying to get them apart. Oh well, replacing it will be cheaper than the $265 discontinued chaos kukri that I saw on eBay recently.
 
DDDYLN said:
BTW, I just checked. You can't even find the CS Chaos Kukri on Ebay. I guess people are holding onto them as collector's items. It's sad that Cold Steel sold out to GSM Outdoors. Their products have really gone in the shit&er. Cold Steel used to sell a great Gurka Kukri. They changed the steel to 4034 stainless, and they're still asking $250 for it. I'd sooner but a Marbles 3Cr13 Kukri for $25. I'm guessing Lynn Thompson is regretting selling out. GSM Outdoors killed the South African machete products. I have 4 of them. They're excellent machetes for the price, of at least they were.
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I didn't know they don't make any more South African machetes. They were pretty decent. I've got one. Pretty good tool16780684338971999704243815855203.jpg
 
CA504 said:
I’ve had a chaos bowie for a few months now, and it is definitely tough enough for light/medium fieldwork. I just wouldn’t use it for heavy fieldwork because it transfers more shock to the hand than other blades, and the balance point is very close to the guard. A trailmaster/kukri plus/sp10 is a better choice for that.

I sharpened the swedge recently, and it took me about an hour to get it honed properly. I found it necessary to grind beyond where the factory swedge stops to get the bevel steep enough to be sharp.

https://imgur.com/a/0N9L5mg

I also cut and drilled the tang of the ka-bar kukri machete (#1249) and fitted the blade to the chaos handle. After testing, I can say the bowie is a better performer in every category. Better durability, edge retention, and balance.

Chopping, thrusting, blade speed and recovery are also superior. I attribute this to the superior grind, higher hardness(56/58 vs 52/54 hrc), and thicker blade stock (5.1mm vs 4.1mm) of the bowie. The kukri blade was also only 2.5oz heavier, with a balance point of 1.75” in front of the guard vs 1” for the bowie.

I chopped through some very hard oak deck planks with each blade and got some minor edge rolling/dulling with the kukri blade that did not occur with the bowie. The bowie also bit deeper.

After this, I’m going to buy another chaos bowie. It’s definitely the best of the series by far. I thought I was missing out with the chaos kukri, which has similar dimensions, but now I see that’s not the case.

I also own a double edged chaos, it was decent. I ended up breaking both the blade and the handle trying to get them apart. Oh well, replacing it will be cheaper than the $265 discontinued chaos kukri that I saw on eBay recently.
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How do you find the Ontario knife? Does it perform great for big knife duties?
 
DangerZone98 said:
How do you find the Ontario knife? Does it perform great for big knife duties?
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I got my SP10 thru Amazon when they had xmas pricing for $52. The edge bevel was really messed up, so I don’t recommend Amazon unless you’re ok with a possible lemon/fixer-upper.

The SP10 is a great all-arounder, but the SP53 is slightly better at chopping due to the extra weight and more forward balance. It’s a poor fighter though.
 
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