Anyone collect Bowies?

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Miller Bro's
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by Miller Bro's »

Excellent work! ::tu:: ::tu::
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electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

First let me say that this site is awesome, I found it by looking up a knife I bought through an estate auction, now to the good stuff. I’m now 61 years of age and have been collecting and selling some and yes losing some too here or there over the many years but I’ll now get to the good stuff. The knife I purchased at this estate auction didn’t come in a box or have any papers, just a really nice knife and sheath. Looks brand new and didn’t give it much thought for about a week until this evening when I decided to look it up. WOW, was I surprised to learn it is. Western W 49 USA ‘E’, in this very site I learned of its full origins and history as well as age, I’ll post the pictures I’ve taken and let you all be the judges and in a few days I may just tell you all the price I paid for it. But then again maybe not. Enjoy y’all, Tony in Georgia.
I’ll make it a bit easy, as an ‘E’ model Western Bowie knife the ‘E’ places production by the original Platts family on Longmont Colorado and the year of 1981. And again, best yet I got it all right here. Please all of you, give me your feed back as to your thoughts and one other thing, there are no bad marks or rust of any kind on the knife so if you happen to notice something it’s likely my lighting in my living room and the fact I took the photos on my Italian leather couch (not too smart) but as I said, it’s flawless so where it had been kept I don’t know but there was another knife in the same sale I missed out on and it too was in great shape and owned by an eccentric billionaire of which names are never given. Thanks to you all again, Tony
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electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

After having seen some great and beautiful tooth picks here, I’m very impressed at what I’ve seen. Though mine aren’t standouts such as what I’ve seen here I’ll post photos of the few I have in the next day or two, nite all for now. Tony
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by doglegg »

electricaltape62 wrote: Tue Jun 13, 2023 5:53 am First let me say that this site is awesome, I found it by looking up a knife I bought through an estate auction, now to the good stuff. I’m now 61 years of age and have been collecting and selling some and yes losing some too here or there over the many years but I’ll now get to the good stuff. The knife I purchased at this estate auction didn’t come in a box or have any papers, just a really nice knife and sheath. Looks brand new and didn’t give it much thought for about a week until this evening when I decided to look it up. WOW, was I surprised to learn it is. Western W 49 USA ‘E’, in this very site I learned of its full origins and history as well as age, I’ll post the pictures I’ve taken and let you all be the judges and in a few days I may just tell you all the price I paid for it. But then again maybe not. Enjoy y’all, Tony in Georgia.
I’ll make it a bit easy, as an ‘E’ model Western Bowie knife the ‘E’ places production by the original Platts family on Longmont Colorado and the year of 1981. And again, best yet I got it all right here. Please all of you, give me your feed back as to your thoughts and one other thing, there are no bad marks or rust of any kind on the knife so if you happen to notice something it’s likely my lighting in my living room and the fact I took the photos on my Italian leather couch (not too smart) but as I said, it’s flawless so where it had been kept I don’t know but there was another knife in the same sale I missed out on and it too was in great shape and owned by an eccentric billionaire of which names are never given. Thanks to you all again, Tony
Sweet!! You did good.
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by Quick Steel »

It looks immaculate and beautiful. A very fine acquisition.
electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

Thank you for the fine comments on my 1981 Western Bowie knife acquisition in the estate sale I happened upon, the price I paid was $197.51 which included the $32.00 and some change for FedEx shipping to my address. I guess I’ll now hav to keep my eyes open for another lucky break like this one and if so I’ll fill you all in. Thanks again. Tony
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by DanTX1953 »

hello electricaltape62,
That is a really nice looking Bowie you have there, congrats and thank you for sharing the pictures.

I really like the Western Bowie knives, here are an few from my collection :
1. W45 small Bowie
2. W47 medium Bowie
3. Vietnam era large Bowie (approx. 1964)
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by DanTX1953 »

here are just a couple more -

1. W-CAB straight guard
2. W-649 imitation stag handle
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electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

What you have there is a great collection but the three side by side and of different sizes and lengths is just awesome, I didn’t know or had ever seen Bowies in a graduated height like you displayed. Just awesome and cool to the bones. Here is just one I had Buck Knives make for me last year, it cost me just under $500. but it was a one time thing and well worth it. Enjoy and have a blessed day. Tony
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by DanTX1953 »

thank you Tony,
and that is one cool Buck knife !
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

I’ve been really busy lately but in the next few days I’ll be laying out and displaying some of my more larger knives and some a bit smaller but a few from WW II bayonets to only god knows what I have so many. About five years ago I met a guy, retired nurse from the army, I was at his house looking at an oak bar he had purchased a few years earlier and was giving away. Honestly this bar belonged in a bar because of its size and weight but I excepted it, in conversation I told him that I too was retired Air Force but had served six years in the 509th air borne and the 82nd air borne at which point he ask me if I was into knives, I said of course yes and followed him into this room about 24 x 24 and as I entered my jaws dropped. I kid you not, in show cases from floor to ceiling on all four walls of more than five thousand different knives from just about every country. As awesome as that was, he had four more rooms just the same, I was lost in la la land, his total count was over two hundred thousand and NONE were pocket knives, these were all either belt sheathed knives or larger that couldn’t accommodate one. Of course I ask him now that he had retired from the military, what he planned on doing with so many knives, he said I’m retired not dead and he planned on traveling the US knife circuit showing and selling “a few” of his knives. I wish I could remember his name for you but time isn’t too good to me these days. I just thought you’d enjoy hearing that story, have a very blessed day. Tony
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by GSPTOPDOG »

Back in the olden times, I had a couple of original EKs, one from Mass. and one from FL. I was happy to find the latest version by KA-BAR.
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electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

That is a very sweet commando knife for sure, I have a few older KA-BAR knives myself but I bet you’ve never seen these before, if a few people had these on board those air craft on 911 their mission would have never place. With the KA-BAR name you know it’s of high quality. These are made of high strength polymer that’s virtually unbreakable and razor friggin sharp and totally undetectable going through a metal detector or airport security and if ever seen my someone, it’s just a spork.
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

The blade has a aerated edge which is just over 2 1/2 inches long or 65 centimeters. Strong and long enough to Pierce the bone of the chest cavity and long enough to puncture the heart. A true deadly weapon by KA-BAR, I wish I could tell you but I don’t remember the cost but it wasn’t much at all.
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

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electricaltape62 wrote: Tue Jun 13, 2023 5:53 am an ‘E’ model Western Bowie knife the ‘E’ places production by the original Platts family on Longmont Colorado and the year of 1981.
Tony that Western looks to be absolutely perfect shape, A beautiful knife! I tried to buy one with an "I" production designation at a show and the guy selling it thought that the "I" was a #1 and meant that it was the 1st one produced and the "I" was the serial number...that made it #1 ::facepalm:: ... He wanted top dollar for it ::doh::
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

You know in life we’re destined to encounter the good, the bad and the ugly as is the name of one of Clint Eastwoods spaghetti westerns, but I feel they forgot to produce another movie depicting the dumb the stupid and the plain out ignorant. It doesn’t take an Einstein to research something as simple as the back ground on knives to gather it’s origins makers and so forth. I’m sure that guy you encountered at the knife show attended a well defined school somewhere in or near muddy bottom flats college for the ignorantly gifted allowing him and his new found degree to be able to secure one of the best spots at his weekend flee markets to spit the bull +^*= and sell to those that simply don’t know.
But then again, there are those that will attempt to tell you any and every lie they can conjure up to make you either look stupid or and most likely try to make himself appear to be so knowledgeable that he hopes to convince at least that one single person to believe and purchase his overly valued knife. And sadly, then comes customer number two in his line of lies and deceit.
WOW, sounds just like a car salesman doesn’t it, professional lies along with deceit to take from a man the truly hard earned dollars he’s earned above the funds to provide for his family, monies to buy for himself his little slice of what he considers ‘a slice of the good life”.
And honestly, these are the ones I loath to the bottom of the pits of ^+*#. I am so so happy you had brought this to my attention and really to all of the other good honest people here that read into the stories. I’m 61 and I’ll always say that a person is never too old to learn as long as they listen. I would be greatly honored to call you my friend. Tony
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by Alien883 »

Here are a few of mine...homemade or customized, one nice Gerber in the bunch!!
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electricaltape62
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by electricaltape62 »

That’s a very nice group of knives your displaying and I’m pretty sure that Gerber is like the one I life on a parachute jump in Germany when I was in the army back in 1981, I hunted for hours for that knife but I knew that with 14 C-130’s dropping troops over a thirty mile stretch that mile chances were slim to none at finding it. I not only had it strapped on well but I also had duck tape around the sheath as well. I’ll just about bet that duck tape was made in China otherwise I’d still have my knife. Back to yours though, I really like that you have a strong liking to the dagger type and many of the handles look like there home made. Awesome collection my friend.
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

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electricaltape62 wrote: Sat Jun 17, 2023 6:07 pm You know in life we’re destined to encounter the good, the bad and the ugly as is the name of one of Clint Eastwoods spaghetti westerns, but I feel they forgot to produce another movie depicting the dumb the stupid and the plain out ignorant. It doesn’t take an Einstein to research something as simple as the back ground on knives to gather it’s origins makers and so forth.... I am so so happy you had brought this to my attention and really to all of the other good honest people here that read into the stories. I’m 61 and I’ll always say that a person is never too old to learn as long as they listen. I would be greatly honored to call you my friend. Tony
Hey Tony, sorry for such a late response. ::doh:: ... I have not been back on this thread in quite a while. Thanks, for your response to my original post. I have been trying to buy some knives from a guy that bought a knife collection from an estate sale and he is all over the map with his prices not knowing what to price them at and going all over the place some as high as he can go with eBay prices, after checking online. So the problem is the ASKING prices on line are not always the best indication of the true value. ::hmm:: Lesson learned; don't be the 2nd guy to try and buy an estate sale. ::dang:: Always be the 1st one. ::facepalm::
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

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Recent "Bowie" pick-ups... nothing fancy but serviceable ::paranoid::
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by Dan In MI »

Knice little Bowie haul! ::tu::
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by petekuhn »

Here are some I bought this morning.
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by DanTX1953 »

petekuhn wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2023 2:53 pm Here are some I bought this morning.
good job !
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by doglegg »

Love them!
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Re: Anyone collect Bowies?

Post by Dan In MI »

A beautiful bunch, Pete! ::tu::
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