Western Bowie

[pwl44m]

Well in case U weren't bored enough I thot I would add to You misery. At least it is something NEW as a posting anyhow.
Was in the only Hock shop in town the other day to see if They had anything new. Nothing in the way of Guns but as I left I looked in the display window and this Bowie caught My eye. I went back in a fondled it a bit and bought it. No haggling just gave Them what They were asking.$89.95. The Gal wrote it up and said "how about $90 even" that's fine with Me. Now U all know I have fondness for Knives and know enough about them to get in trouble, but I don't think that was too much.
A couple pics fo U to gander and let Me know what U think.
Perry

[Old Savage]

That should be a handy camp knife.

[Blaine]

Easily worth what you gave, and it's a good looker, too...

[Sixgun]

That's a nice knife! Wadda think, from the 1950's? Worth every bit of $90. What's $90 today...a tank and a half of gas?

I see you had to push all of the rest of your tools forward so you had a place to take a pic of the knife. -----------6

[Borregos]

Nice

[olyinaz]

I remember those knives well and I always liked them. Did Camillus make the Western bowie? I know that they were marketed as Coleman items once also.

Great camp knife!!

[3leggedturtle]

Think you should have asked the girl to display it.

[gamekeeper]

That's a REALLY nice knife..
I once had a cheap knock off Pakistani version of that knife, nowhere near the quality though but it sure got the attention of some gypsies I had a confrontation with...

[Nazgul]

I have one, actually had it out yesterday to oil/sharpen it. Bought it in the early or mid 70's. Not a bad knife.

Don

[Lastmohecken]

I love big Bowie knifes. My first big Bowie is the very same knife. It's served me well. I have carried mine a lot when bow hunting when it wasn't legal to carry a gun while bow hunting, for self protection. And the big knife works great for building blinds, clearing shooting lanes, etc.

The more civilized the country gets, the smaller and more ornate the weapons become, but the Bowie was born when a man needed a knife he could depend on. IMHO it's still one of the best designs going when one really needs a knife.

You bought a fine knife.

[pwl44m]

Thx for the reassuring comments Guys. This knife will Probably never see a Deer or a tree branch or even a Cong again unless someone else takes possession of it.
From all the info I can glean it is an early 70s Western Bowie, before Camillus and Coleman. It has some rust spots as U can see in the pics that are prolly Deer blood. I am assuming it was cleaned up a little by the Hock Shop or maybe by the previous owner. There is a name carved into the handle and on the Sheath. Makes one kinda wonder where this knife has been. The sheath is pretty well worn but by no means worn out. There is a lot of History on these knives and seemed to have been very popular for use in Vietnam.
As U can see if U have followed any of My other Knife acquisitions that they tend to be in the same shape as most of the Guns that I acquire (well used) they r cheaper that way don't Ya know. Besides it is not the quality of the Toys, It's the One with the "Most" toys that wins.
Perry

[Griff]

I think, but not really sure that those were sold under the Camillus and Winchester brands also. Made from the early '60s thru the '70s. I have the Winchester branded one, came in a tin box w/sheath. Yep, easily worth $90! You see them on E-Bay.

[pwl44m]

Griff, the ones I see on the Bay are considerably more but r in like new condition.
Perry

[FWiedner]

There's somethin' about a big knife that just makes a fella feel... ready.

[pwl44m]

There's somethin' about a big knife that just makes a fella feel... ready.

My Mother was more afraid of a knife than She was a Gun, just couldn't stand the thought of being Cut.
Perry

[FWiedner]

There's somethin' about a big knife that just makes a fella feel... ready.

My Mother was more afraid of a knife than She was a Gun, just couldn't stand the thought of being Cut.
Perry

Isn't there a popular G.S. Patton quote along the lines of:

"Nothing strikes terror into the heart of a man quite like the thought of having his guts probed with a cold piece of steel."

[rjohns94]

Great knife.

[JerryB]

Perry, when I first looked at your pictures of the knife and case I thought that it had probably been carried in Nam.

[pwl44m]

Perry, when I first looked at your pictures of the knife and case I thought that it had probably been carried in Nam.

It very well could have been, it is the right time frame. And with the Guys name on the knife and sheath, U know how those GIs are.
Perry

[Birdman]

I've got one down stairs. Now I'll go get it out and give it a loving grip before I go to bed.

[pwl44m]

I've got one down stairs. Now I'll go get it out and give it a loving grip before I go to bed.

U could even post a Pic, I wouldn't mind.
Perry

[Ysabel Kid]

My Western Bowie is almost 30 years old. I had the false edge sharpened like the character that my name here is based upon. It is awe-inspiring to say the least.

I actually carried that knife quite a bit as a young man. Became known for it. One of my favorite funny stories is about my bowie. I came home one weekend from college and found my 14 year old younger sister in our rec room with a boy sitting on her lap as they were kissing. Now my sister was a peanut - the the boy even smaller. They didn't hear me come in, so I walked up to them and grasped the young lad by the neck and lifted him off my sister. Shaking him "vigorously", I asked "just what do YOU think you're doing?". I then dropped him to the floor and left to go change for work.

When I came out 5 minutes later the two were sitting practically at opposite corners of the room. He was trying so hard to look innocent that you could see the halo he was projecting over his head. I came up to him, put my arm around his shoulder and said: "Corey, that is my one and only baby sister."

"Huh-huh" he replied.

"And I'm very protective of her."

"Huh-huh".

Then I leaned in close, and continued. "You know those fuzzy dice they hang from rearview mirrors in cars?"

"Yeah?" he said, rather puzzled.

Closer still now. "Well, if you touch MY little sister below her neck, I'm going to take my bowie knife, and cut you nut$ off and hang them from my rearview mirror - JUST LIKE THAT."

He turned white as a ghost. Never saw the young lad again. In fact, I don't think my sister had a date until she was out of high school!

[pwl44m]

That's funny YK, did U show the Bowie or just the mere mention was enough ?
Perry

[PriseDeFer]

That's been a good knife pattern for a long time. From Air Corps survival gear, noticed by some Anzacs, Edson liked it so the Marine Raiders got a version. It's been carried by a lot of interesting people into a lot of interesting places doing a lot of different things. Something for you to take to the end of the world if you have to go there.

[pwl44m]

That's been a good knife pattern for a long time. From Air Corps survival gear, noticed by some Anzacs, Edson liked it so the Marine Raiders got a version. It's been carried by a lot of interesting people into a lot of interesting places doing a lot of different things. Something for you to take to the end of the world if you have to go there.

That's interesting, before I got this one I always pictured a Bowie as an Old Western or Frontier knife but never as a Military knife. After a little research I find that They were used in more than 1 War.
Perry

[Paladin]

A lot of my friends wanted them or carried them in the late 60s and early 70s great knives. Great design and steel for the price then. A Lot more practical than the Gerber I was issued in 74.
Good find.

[Ysabel Kid]

That's funny YK, did U show the Bowie or just the mere mention was enough ?
Perry

It was well known, being my constant companion. The mere mention of it was enough.

[tman]

That's been a good knife pattern for a long time. From Air Corps survival gear, noticed by some Anzacs, Edson liked it so the Marine Raiders got a version. It's been carried by a lot of interesting people into a lot of interesting places doing a lot of different things. Something for you to take to the end of the world if you have to go there.

I got the ontario black knife lookalike. Cool knife you got there.

[sore shoulder]

I have one of those, won it on another forum, prob for too much but it was for a good cause at the time. Carry it in truck. Was at a gun shop and they had a copy. The shop owner said it was as good as the real deal. When i said the real one was much more robust and well made he got kinda pissy and said it couldnt be that much better. So I brought it in and compared it in front of his customers. There was no doubt the Western made the copy look like a cheap toy.

[Malamute]

Years ago I knew a crusty old guy that forged some knives, he said when someone got bragging about a knife, he'd take his knife and slice the sharp edge off theirs and make a comment about not thinking it's that great. The old guy said it profoundly irritates people when you make their favorite knife look like its made of aluminum.

I've done it a time or two out of curiosity, it can truly be done.


I've had a couple of the Westerns. Foolishly traded the first one off, then came into another one. I used it to chop the legs off a frozen deer at 30 below and chipped the edge badly. I reground it to clean it up and resharpened it. Also cut most of the back off the guard, and trimmed the front side down a bit, and am in the process if grinding the pommel where it protrudes out beyond the little finger into a hawks head shape. May have a nice late 1800's sheath made when done with the metal, something that would complement the Miles City style holster for the Ruger.

[pwl44m]

I am completely amazed at the things some of the Forumites "DO" manage to keep from Their childhood or some of the things They've picked up along the way. I don't have a single thing I had when I was a Kid. everything I got was totally used up. I'm not sure how I ended up with My Dads Long Tom and Rem mod 8. But as I grow older I am hoarding stuff that I should start moving out.
Perry