I love my 1917. I customized/carved down the wood slabs on the the grip, and sharpened the back of the clip point (that took some time). And sharpened the whole thing up a bit. Now it's perfect. A real beast. Scary.
You articulated this very well. I have two of these bowies and they are a built heavy and built to last. The handle shape is a pistol grip. When you hold it in edge up,you can wrap your finger around the guard like it’s on a trigger. It differs from a raptor or birds beak grip. Out of all the ColdSteel knives I own. The Wild West Bowie and the Rifleman are my favorites.
Good thoughts on the 1917 Bowie's use! I've always felt that on the extra large heavy bowies that edge up is better. Working two in tandem was well done!
I know. Full tang makes it handle heavy (like a Randall Bear Bowie). Without custom DH and precise distal tapering, the 1917 is as good as it will get for now.
I found one similar to what you're describing a couple years back on eBay. The size and weight make it hard to use as a fighter. Still a cool knife though. I think if you had someone do a custom build you might end up with something pretty cool. IF it's just a simple Natchez style blade and handle scales I bet you could find someone to do one for $250 range +/-.
Excellent video! I was looking forward to this one, and you didn't disappoint! I have also been considering getting a second one for double bowie. I'm also glad you covered fingering the guard as I've gotten comments that you should "never" do that, but it does have its risk/reward equation. And the beast did move better for me once I reshaped the grip to reduce the squareness, though I expect that goes against its intended design. Looking forward to more!
Thank you brother! It’s actually a MUCH lighter Bowie when it is launched edge-up. It is CRAZY fast! In the double Bowie set up there are a lot of combinations that can be launched. Obviously - only for the advanced. I loved your video on the same knife btw. 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
I've been watching your bowie knife videos and have been working on my skillset since it's been a while since I dedicated a lot of practice time on the weapon. Now I deeply desire to get 2 of the 1917 CS bowies
I have been drooling over the 1917 as a backup blade for my Thompson saber for a while now. This seals it. The sheaths are even matching, and I think the 1917 would shine as a defensive back up against other melee weapons. If anything, it seems like it carries its weight well enough to deliver a fast and powerful counter shot. I just love looking at it. Great video jammed full of insight and technique. Great information and inspirations.
That’s fantastic! I’m of the mind that every collect should have a “heavy” blade, just to mix things up for the motor control units. The 1917 serves that purpose for me. And yes - an awesome zombie apocalypse melee weapon! 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
This put the 1917 into a whole different level for me and I appreciate it!! I would love to see what your movements would be like with the Busse Silent Knight from your collection. If you get a chance to do a review for it 🙏
Drive it like you stole it baby! Gotta have both hands full! Great video and thank you for the whole Bowie series! I don’t have a decent large Bowie ( dirks and daggers for me ). As to the Laredo, Got a line on a blacksmith in Pakistan happy to make things to spec, might try and get a hells belle made. For now though the 1917 looks spot on. Pinute and 1917?! Or maybe 1917 and brass knuckles? I’ve got too much crap to practice.
@@RolandoEstocada I saw that his 5 DVDs on bowies and big knife fighting is up for $150! Two Keatings site and another sell them. I'll contact them. As for Bagwell, I've seen a few videos on youtube. Did he make a DVD or series of DVDs on knife fighting?
Can you do a really basic tutorial to bowie knife fighting, like for people who have no experience in martial arts? Most of the ways you described how a backcut or snap cut even works was not very easy for me to understand.
The handle angle helps with thrusting. Think Western Fencing and Civil War era Saber techniques more and FMA less 😉. Works much better with a more Western approach. The only thing I would have added to this would be a sub-hilt but then it wouldn’t be as authentic, would be much snappier if it had one.
You know you make a really good point with this. I’ve tried that exact idea and I found that it was hard to recover after the thrust. As one of my subscribers mentioned, I’m a bit spoiled because I have so many to compare it to. The BEST thrust Bowie is the Laredo, based exactly on your premise. 😊🙏🏽
The 1917 design is based on very popular models from the 1800’s (very similar to a lot of Bowies that are in Norm Flayderman’s antique Bowie book). Coffin handles were indeed prevalent, but you’d be surprised how so many historical models were either very ornate or very conventional (with many in between).
Take a look at Windless Steel Crafts and see if you think that's the same 1917 Frontier Bowie? There are 2 versions, both look identical to the Cold Steel version. I bought their Arkansas Toothpick and it looks to have been made by the same person! The sheath is even very close to the same design. It's a very close match to the 1917 Bowie.
I hope you're fine. Since we live mostly in a peaceful time, most knife fighting scenarios can only be imaginary, so it's mainly a fantasy world in our minds. What I mostly don't like with many knife design, is that their look are made to reassure the owner & since it's a peaceful time nobody has a real fighting experience, it's normal. For a man, it's natural to imagine life & death scenarios sometimes & it's normal to have fear of death, so too many knife design are created like I've said to reassure the owner yes, but to reassure his ignorance in fact. The "me looking at the knife's mean look I feel safer" effect has nothing to do with reality of a knife fight. Here with the 1917 Bowie, it looks more like a natural knife(Bowie style), then just a fantasy design, though I'm not interested in it, I think it's pretty much a good fighting bowie, a weapon with less pointless fantasy on its design. It must almost feel like a smal roman sword. :)
I love my 1917. I customized/carved down the wood slabs on the the grip, and sharpened the back of the clip point (that took some time). And sharpened the whole thing up a bit. Now it's perfect. A real beast. Scary.
Sounds fantastic!
@@RolandoEstocada It's a great knife. Feels perfect in the hand now.
Your channel, content and skill is awesome. Thank you.
Thank YOU! 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
You articulated this very well. I have two of these bowies and they are a built heavy and built to last. The handle shape is a pistol grip. When you hold it in edge up,you can wrap your finger around the guard like it’s on a trigger. It differs from a raptor or birds beak grip. Out of all the ColdSteel knives I own. The Wild West Bowie and the Rifleman are my favorites.
Love that vintage style
I sharpened the false edge on mine. I've never cut anything with it, I just take it out and look at it, play with it, and oil it now and again.
It is a great practice tool!
You make the moves with that knife look easy! I have that knife. What I don't have, is your "Mountain" of experience !!! Excellent video...
Thank you Jorge! Lots of reps and lots of study indeed. 😊😊😊😊
Good thoughts on the 1917 Bowie's use! I've always felt that on the extra large heavy bowies that edge up is better. Working two in tandem was well done!
Thank you my friend. I’m glad you enjoyed this episode. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
My short attention span thanks you for the fleeting glimpses of the knife.
😊😊😊😊
Really wish they’d make an exposed full tang natchez bowie
I know. Full tang makes it handle heavy (like a Randall Bear Bowie). Without custom DH and precise distal tapering, the 1917 is as good as it will get for now.
I found one similar to what you're describing a couple years back on eBay. The size and weight make it hard to use as a fighter. Still a cool knife though. I think if you had someone do a custom build you might end up with something pretty cool. IF it's just a simple Natchez style blade and handle scales I bet you could find someone to do one for $250 range +/-.
@RuizCombatGrappling I plan to look into that and most likely do an episode on it.
Excellent video! I was looking forward to this one, and you didn't disappoint! I have also been considering getting a second one for double bowie. I'm also glad you covered fingering the guard as I've gotten comments that you should "never" do that, but it does have its risk/reward equation. And the beast did move better for me once I reshaped the grip to reduce the squareness, though I expect that goes against its intended design. Looking forward to more!
Thank you brother! It’s actually a MUCH lighter Bowie when it is launched edge-up. It is CRAZY fast! In the double Bowie set up there are a lot of combinations that can be launched. Obviously - only for the advanced. I loved your video on the same knife btw. 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
Hey man I absolutely love your Content I just got to say in 2025 I think the preferable counter balance in the left hand would be a pistol lol
Thank you and that’s not a bad idea. 🤓
I love this classic Bowie, i also have the CS Marauder and that thing feels light and fast in hand, compared to other similar size Bowies.
I've been watching your bowie knife videos and have been working on my skillset since it's been a while since I dedicated a lot of practice time on the weapon. Now I deeply desire to get 2 of the 1917 CS bowies
It’s a VERY advanced setup so make sure you get your reps in before pulling the trigger on those. 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
And THANK you for being a subscriber!
bruh..you got serious moves.. respect 🙏
🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
I have been drooling over the 1917 as a backup blade for my Thompson saber for a while now. This seals it. The sheaths are even matching, and I think the 1917 would shine as a defensive back up against other melee weapons. If anything, it seems like it carries its weight well enough to deliver a fast and powerful counter shot. I just love looking at it. Great video jammed full of insight and technique. Great information and inspirations.
That’s fantastic! I’m of the mind that every collect should have a “heavy” blade, just to mix things up for the motor control units. The 1917 serves that purpose for me. And yes - an awesome zombie apocalypse melee weapon! 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
Great video👍
Thank you my friend! 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
This put the 1917 into a whole different level for me and I appreciate it!! I would love to see what your movements would be like with the Busse Silent Knight from your collection. If you get a chance to do a review for it 🙏
Thank you! I’m actually putting an episode together - and I have two of them so keep an eye out for a double Silent Knight episode! 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
Drive it like you stole it baby! Gotta have both hands full!
Great video and thank you for the whole Bowie series! I don’t have a decent large Bowie ( dirks and daggers for me ). As to the Laredo, Got a line on a blacksmith in Pakistan happy to make things to spec, might try and get a hells belle made. For now though the 1917 looks spot on. Pinute and 1917?! Or maybe 1917 and brass knuckles? I’ve got too much crap to practice.
😊👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽
Awesome video!🔥
Thank you brother. Keep an eye out for the Ontario HB video. 😎
Are there any good books or videos to read and watch that shows what techniques to practice?
Anything by Bill Bagwell or James Keating.
@@RolandoEstocada I saw that his 5 DVDs on bowies and big knife fighting is up for $150! Two Keatings site and another sell them. I'll contact them. As for Bagwell, I've seen a few videos on youtube. Did he make a DVD or series of DVDs on knife fighting?
Just his Bagwell Bowie book. No DVD’s.
@@RolandoEstocada By the book, do you mean "Bowies, Big Knives, and the Best of Battle Blades" by Bill Bagwell?
@MrPotatoesLatkie Yes.
Can you do a really basic tutorial to bowie knife fighting, like for people who have no experience in martial arts? Most of the ways you described how a backcut or snap cut even works was not very easy for me to understand.
Take a look at his channel. He's already made videos that address this.
Please take a look at the Bowie knife playlist I created. I have several videos that address this. 😊
Thank you!
The handle angle helps with thrusting. Think Western Fencing and Civil War era Saber techniques more and FMA less 😉. Works much better with a more Western approach. The only thing I would have added to this would be a sub-hilt but then it wouldn’t be as authentic, would be much snappier if it had one.
You know you make a really good point with this. I’ve tried that exact idea and I found that it was hard to recover after the thrust. As one of my subscribers mentioned, I’m a bit spoiled because I have so many to compare it to. The BEST thrust Bowie is the Laredo, based exactly on your premise. 😊🙏🏽
Try pairing this with the Cold Steel Arkansas Toothpick. It's a fun combo!
IT IS! In 2025 I’m grabbing me a couple of those from CS. 😊🙏🏽🔥👊🏽
Are these really historical knives? It seems the historical ones were the coffin handles knives you see a lot of the old cowboys carry.
The 1917 design is based on very popular models from the 1800’s (very similar to a lot of Bowies that are in Norm Flayderman’s antique Bowie book). Coffin handles were indeed prevalent, but you’d be surprised how so many historical models were either very ornate or very conventional (with many in between).
Take a look at Windless Steel Crafts and see if you think that's the same 1917 Frontier Bowie? There are 2 versions, both look identical to the Cold Steel version. I bought their Arkansas Toothpick and it looks to have been made by the same person! The sheath is even very close to the same design. It's a very close match to the 1917 Bowie.
Admiral of the Army att. Delta Force-Rangers uh how can I access Delta Armory microchips databases pls
I hope you're fine. Since we live mostly in a peaceful time, most knife fighting scenarios can only be imaginary, so it's mainly a fantasy world in our minds. What I mostly don't like with many knife design, is that their look are made to reassure the owner & since it's a peaceful time nobody has a real fighting experience, it's normal. For a man, it's natural to imagine life & death scenarios sometimes & it's normal to have fear of death, so too many knife design are created like I've said to reassure the owner yes, but to reassure his ignorance in fact. The "me looking at the knife's mean look I feel safer" effect has nothing to do with reality of a knife fight. Here with the 1917 Bowie, it looks more like a natural knife(Bowie style), then just a fantasy design, though I'm not interested in it, I think it's pretty much a good fighting bowie, a weapon with less pointless fantasy on its design. It must almost feel like a smal roman sword. :)
🙏🏽😊
Bowie fight
(In the name of ungodly terror )
New York Times best seller
👊🏽😊😊👊🏽
Is it Bowie or Boowie?
Boowee. 😊
OK, so
it needs to be Thined to cut weight
&
The handle needs to be rounded
Not an easy task but yes.
I like it but I'm still a kukri guy.
😊