• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Cowboy Bowie

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

LRB

75 Cal.
MLF Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Messages
6,377
Reaction score
1,237
Fresh off the bench. A medium sized basic Bowie knife with a 7" x 1 1/4" x 3/16" blade of 01 tool steel, a through tang peened over a 3/16" thick nickel silver butt cap, 1/8" thick nickel silver guard, and a very nice Sambar elk antler grip. This piece of Sambar elk had barely a hint of pith, if any real pith at all. Very solid and white to the core. I was extremely pleased to find such a nice piece. Hope you enjoy a look.









 
If I still did CAS I'd make a cash offer for that in a heartbeat. The closest I was able to get to that style was the Muela knives back when Sambar stag was still available for just a little extra $.
 
Several years ago I made a Damascus Bowie for myself almost like that. It is one of the few I kept, as the knives always go quickly.

As always. :bow: you did a really nice job. Only thing better than a real nice knife is getting to keep one now & then !! :grin:

Keith Lisle
 
I have a question: on the beautiful Bowie knife you made, is the "clip or drop point" of the Bowie knife sharpen? It is my understanding that the Bowie knife was to be held with the blade up. The back of knife / spine, held down. The back of knife was used to knock the opponent knife down, then the clip would cut the arm of the opponent. then the knife would be thrust into the body and cut up. If this is how the Bowie knife would have been used as a combat weapon, then the clip would have been sharp. Right????
 
The main purpose of a false edge, that is the proper name for it, whether clipped, straight, or rounded, is to aid penetration. Diamond shaped entry, rather than triangular. Very few false edges are sharpened on Bowies, or even intended to be. Many, maybe most, do come to an edge, but remain un-sharpened. The blunt false edge, especially on a large knife with sufficient force behind it, would cause a blunt trauma open wound if it struck a bony area such as a forearm, wrist, collar bone, midway upper arm, head, ect. It is my understanding, that yes, the proper fighting grip for a Bowie knife is edge up, but I am no expert in knife fighting.
 
Never really stopped, but I had to take a lengthy break which has put me so far behind, I don't know if I'll ever get caught up.
 
Aren't "COWBOYS" a little late for the time period of this forum, or is this a timeless design?
 
Most CW rifles and handguns seem to be plenty OK here, and there were cowboys in that time frame. Can you define a cowboy for me, and tell me when they made their first appearance? The Bowie knife appeared pre 1830, and was widely popular by 1840. Was there no one tending cattle at that time? If you wish, I, Wick Ellerbe, here in writing and of my own free will, give you permission to change my title to "1840's Cattle Tenders Bowie Knife". Would that work for you?
 
The Bowie knife appeared pre 1830, and was widely popular by 1840. Was there no one tending cattle at that time?

Prior to the Revolution cattle were produced only on small farms and sold in very small lots for beef. George Washington is credited with suggesting innovations in ranching by having landed people raise and sell cattle in large numbers to help feed his armies. I'm sure they needed "cowboys" to do that. And, so it started a bit before 1830. And, no, don't ask me to dig out my books to 'document' that. I read it oncet and that's good enuf for me. :wink:
 
Back
Top