SZCO Supplies 15-Inch Bowie Knife with Carbon Steel Clip-Point Blade, Wooden Handle, and Leather Sheath – Hunting, Camping, Survival, and Outdoor Knife

I can see whay a lot of people have left less than five star reviews on this knife. I bought it anyway because I was looking for another "project" to finish. If you view this as a pretty much 95% finished "kit knife" you will certainly not be disappointed. When it arrived it was quite sharp, but with a lot of prominent grind marks in the edge, very much like a sharp but cheap machete. It was a pretty simple thing to get a nice smooth and razor sharp edge by just using my diamond sharpener followed by about ten minutes on my ceramic sticks. And then a light few swipes again with the diamond sharpener to smooth out the grind. Then I turned to the grip scales. They were covered in what I can only assume is some sort of polyurethane finish and were fairly rough. I just used some 220 grit sandpaper to smooth them out followed by 400 and then 600 grit paper. Some stain and a boiled linseed oil/pine tar combo that I make up and voila' -a very pretty set of hand filling scales that look for all the world like walnut. It was a very simple task to get the wood to fit the tang properly since they were pretty close in the first place. Next I put a patina on the carbon steel blade and tang, using some Birchwood Casey Perma Blue and a wash of the same company's Super Blue. The color came out a pleasing blue/gray after carding with oil and 0000 steel wool. The patina is very similar to my 1930s era ROMO Solingen bowie knife. When I get time this weekend I plan to also use some of their Plum Brown solution on it so it will appear to be a much older patina. This is about the heaviest 10 inch bladed Bowie that I currently own. The reaction to my sharpening was very similar to 1095 high carbon steel in some of my other knives. SO in my case at least, it seems well heat treated and tempered. The blade is right at 4.95 mm thick at the spine. So it's a nice heavy Bowie knife with a bent towards chopping. Spend some time (which I find to be fun) in actually finishing this knife. You will find it rewarding and can end up with a knife that will last you a lifetime. (Oh the "Pakistan" tag on mine was a simple piece of tape thoughtfully placed on one of the grip scale. It peels off so easily!) Next up - the sheath. The one I received is actually quite nice and fits snugly. It is much better than the one pictured in the listing. I am going to remove the belt loop and snap on this one. In place of the snap on the mouth of the sheath I'll be putting in a Sam Brown type stud for carrying it tucked inside my belt. The positioning of the snap and the snug fit of the knife will make this a five minute conversion. This knife can easily be made into one that looks the part of an 1840-1870 Bowie knife. It doesn't take much skill. Just a willingness to have some fun and expend a little elbow grease. If this is what you are looking for, then I HIGHLY recommend it. If you want a fancy Bowie knife for under eighteen bucks - well that just ain't going to happen. So get this eighteen dollar knife and turn it into what looks like a $100 knife. It will take you a couple of hours and will be well worth it.

So there I was drunk and off another red dead redemption kick looking for a Bowie knife that was decent looking and cheap. Drunk me and carbon steel are basically married at this point but I digress. When I got the knife the next day I almost rushed to check my checking statement to see how much of a fool I was, thankfully I wasn’t much of one at all at 20 bucks. I took a look a the edge and the majority of it had a pretty good bevel to it and a reasonably sharp edge, however the last inch or so of the point was dull as pig iron. That was annoying yes but easily cared for with a bastard file and a 1000 grit stone and she was then incredibly sharp given her size. Fast forward a few months and I’m beating on the thing just to see if I could break it. Full force throws into trees, often dirt, and bounces off rocks on all parts of the knife and the only thing that gave was the brass pins in the handle. Which honestly was gonna happen sooner than later given they’re just under an 1/8 of an inch thick. I’ll be remedying that soon with 1/4 inch brass rods soon and possibly new handle material but for now it’s a pretty tough knife. Did I mention I tried to snap it and it didn’t even budge? Great buy for the price all the way around. Treat it like hell and it’ll just keep coming back for more.

I was looking for a carbon steel Bouie style knife. SZCO process just that. It arrived on time and the price is great. Having said that just like some other reviewers said it needs some work. Mine was not sharpened, it just had a grind. It’s been fun trying to put an edge on it and it’s coming along. The handle had some kind of finish on it but that I did not like so I sanded it and was pleasantly surprised to see some kind of dark hard wood. The wood had some sharp edges but a bit of sanding took care of that. Now it fits my hand better. Finished it with some boiled linseed oil and it looks nice. My guard was also loose but I sodered it in place and now it’s solid. As far as the sheath goes as others stated it’s functional but I am not sure what material it’s made out of. I plan to make a new one. Overall I really like it.

I got this behemoth delivered the other day and I have to say that I’m extremely impressed with it!! It’s a solid heavy knife that balances wonderfully in the hands. The sheath is well made and looks like it will be rugged enough to last a long time. It’s a great knife for a good price!!

Its a little rough around the edges but its a solid usable knife you'd want to use over something you dont want to ding up.. fun to practice with as a martial blade too.. can use this as a project knife too to customize however you want.. look at dbad's video of it as an idea

For $27 bucks hey it’s fine for intended use. It’s a bit crude, blade has some wave/dimples to it, it lacks finesse, but it is sturdy, solid and not ugly. It is heavy with a chunky handle. It is intimidating to look at, certain meets Crocodile Dundee’s quote “ Now that’s a knife! “ ha. Came pretty sharp, cuts paper,. It’s no wall hanger or display case knife, it’s a woods carry animal protection, brush cutting, camp, shed, car, tool. You will need to keep a light coat of oil on blade at all times or she will rust. . I decided to keep it for what it is…a user…..If you want real quality, and a Big Bowie at a fair price, get a Condor undertaker bowie, at $100 bucks or a Bear and Sons Bowie for slightly more, of which I own both of them.

UPDATE: Thrown in the trash. After 1 month in my car it was totally rusted out. I had oiled the blade, ensured the sheath was dry and waxed. DEEP RUST that I couldn't get out with 00 steal wool and oil after a 15 min scrub. Honestly, I wouldn't even use this as a self-defense deterrent. Complete garbage even at $20 bucks when you can pick up a nice Chinese Marbles, Old Henry, or Schrade. In a world of Pakistani and Chinese pot steel knives with purchased USA brands, this simply doesn't even deserve a place at the bottom of a river. This is a truly terrible Bowie! The cut on the handle is way off. The wood was two different kinds on the handle, and had some wetness still in the wood. The grind is completely off. And it was as dull as a Joe Biden fundraiser. The pummel guard is scratched to pieces and has wear in spots. That being said, I sanded and re-stained the handle. Took about 20 min to sharpen the darn thing, and scrubbed it a bit to get the horrid car oil off the blade. Now, it's just a really bad bowie. But for 20 bucks and next day delivery, I have a nice self defense weapon for my car that I won't be upset about when someone in California inevitably breaks into my car and steals it. Another upside is that the sheath is not too bad! Gets five stars from me because it's exactly what I thought I was buying!

Much better than I anticipated. If you like this style of knife, you cannot beat it for the price. I've paid 100s more for quality knives I don't like as much as this one. Did some real camp like world work with it and was surprisingly impressed. It's decent at chopping, cutting cord, and even food prep. I've yet to clean fish with it, but doubt it would be worse than any other large knife. The knife came sharp out of the box and it's well balanced. The sheath is actually good too, but I wish the belt loop was a tad bit wider. Really have nothing negative to say and will order another one. This is definitely a great deal for a large carbon steel blade and on par with everything condor or cold steel sells in this type of knife. Im usually underwhelmed with knife purchases and sell a lot, but at this price point you won't do much better.

Großes Bowieklinge aus Carbonstahl. Für ~ 30€ gibt es meines Wissens nichts verlgleichbates auf dem Markt. Low Budget ist nicht gleich schlecht, hier passt Preis Leistung unter dem Gesichtspunkt als Basis für eine individuelle Umgestaltung und Bastelprojekt. Ein Stück Handarbeit mit qualitativen Abstrichen in der Verarbeitung nicht in der Funktion. Mitgelieferte Scheide aus echten Leder zu eng gearbeitet für die breite Klinge.

I was surprised with this knife . Seems solid and came sharp . The handle can be finished more and blade can polish up to a mirror or patina it for a classic look. It really is a western style Bowie very classic looking . Love it ! Decently thick blade and great big handle ! It is carbon steel not sure exactly what kind but seems well made . Sheath is ok too basically tossed in for free which is nice ! Can’t complain for the price !

Exelete cuchillo buen peso y la enpuñadura es de madera natural con guarda en bronce lo que sí me dejo un poco insatisfecho fue la funda porque es de cuero de mala calidad casi parece sintético pero por el precio esta excelente aparte esta echo en pakistan

Seriously wanted to like this knife. Glad it had the Prop. 65 warning to warn me of it's problems though. I suspect it is because they did not use lead-free water pipe grade brass or Indian Kansa cookware grade bronze for the fancy fittings. Instead the brass likely has significant lead content to the point where it says "wash hands after touching, keep away from children under 18, cancer and reproductive harm warning". Could also be the sheath is cured with something toxic which is why a cloth or wood sheath would be better, also I'm vegan so while the leather and work looks good I'd rather avoid leather. I strongly suspect the brass as the culprit though. The workmanship and value proposition for the price is otherwise good compared to what else is on the market. It is not the perfect knife and likely breakable through fatigue in long duration use or extreme force all at once. It is the best looking I could find for the money and it feels pretty nice and big and solid in the hand. It looks nice up close as well, not as durable as it could be but better than most and cheaper. Unfortunately the warning makes me seriously doubt the wisdom of holding this in your hand and using it for prolonged periods of time as a tool because lead is bad for you and touching it is bad and all that. That is a shame as I had planned to use this to sharpen my axe by stropping the blades together and that takes dozens of hours but produces the finest results of both polished and work hardened steel. Now I'd rather not have to touch it and will likely not use it as a tool without great need, preferring other knives. It's big and chunky with lovely thick large wood handle that has been soaked in oil and a bag with oil still in it to keep the blade from rusting. The workmanship is practical and the wood and brass fancy. I really wish they would make it with lead and toxin free parts. Less important but also nice, a vegan sheath and greater durability and toughness versus fatigue like a tang thicker than blade and a forged bolster. Edit: after thinking more about it the maximum lead content of so called "lead free" water pipe brass is still 0.25% and might still require that proposition 65 warning, but some brass can be like 10%. I definitely wish there was more publicly advertised clarity there. Also could tape it or wear gloves I guess. Bottom line, "Lead is dangerous to humans, and can be absorbed by prolonged contact with raw brass.". Edit 2: It is the cheapest carbon steel Bowie knife that was available that I could find so I gave it an extra star but I'm still worried about lead or whatever cause they have for the warning and again wish for more clarity. Still I can probably remove the brass on this one cheaper than find another without it. SO relative to what else I currently see available on the market I guess this is the bargain value winner for a tool.

Auf den Bildern bereits überarbeitet! Zunächst was okay ist an diesem Bowie,es kommt gebrauchsscharf(nicht so schwer zu erreichen bei einem Carbonstahl..) Der Schliff ist also okay,3cm an der Spitze sind nicht scharf. Es wackelt nichts. Die Verarbeitung ist sehr rustikal,die Griffschalen sind nicht verklebt,leider an vielen Stellen Spalten. Das Parierelement,und das sieht man auf den Bildern nicht,ist auch ziemlich breit,und damit meine ich,wenn man das Messer in der Hand hält, seitlich nach links und rechts.3,1-3,2cm. Das Messer kommt sehr gut verpackt,allerdings in einer Tüte und ist komplett in einem Öl/Fett-gemisch getränkt.Die Menge an Öl finde ich übertrieben,hab ich so noch nie gesehen.Dadurch sind die Spalten zwischen,Parierelement und Stahl/oder Griffschalen und Stahl schön zugeschmodert und fallen erstmal nicht auf oder was.? Der primäre Anschliff ist am Ricasso total verutscht,ansonsten aber nicht schlecht.Es handelt sich um einen Holschliff. Die Scheide ärgert mich so richtig.Ich weiß nicht so richtig ob es sich um Leder handelt,wenn dann ist es extrem trocken,vorne mit einer dicken Schicht Farbe, und hinten,sowie die Gürtelschlaufe,mit Plastik bedeckt.Leider ist sie beschissen genäht und geht bereits auseinander.Die Sicherung mit Druckknöpfen ist auch nicht, wie auf den Bildern,an der Gürtelschlaufe, sondern an der Scheide. Sowas sollte garnicht produziert werden,dann lieber keine Scheide! Ich habe die Scheide nun mal auseinander genommen.Es ist Leder,allerdings zwei unterschiedliche.Das Rückenteil ist,gerade oben wo die Gürtelschlaufe sitzt,viel zu dünn. Ich würde das Messer so nicht wieder kaufen,als Bausatz ohne Scheide wäre es super. Ich zahlte 42,68€,und finde das alles in allem zu teuer.In den USA zahlt man wohl so 20-25$ Update, habe das Messer nun einmal ausgiebig benutzt. Allerdings hatte ich es da schon überarbeitet,der Anschliff war allerdings noch der "out of the Box",einmal gewetzt.(Siehe Foto...Griff geklebt u.geformt,lanyardhole/pin durch ein Röhrchen ersetzt,Klinge unten verschmählert und.brühniert,Parier verkleinert.) Somit sagt das jetzt nur etwas über die Klinge,aber es hat sich echt gut geschlagen.Ich habe mit den Messer Holz für ein kleines Lagerfeuer,klein heißt so ca.Grundfläche eines Tellers, ca 4-5std Brenndauer,gemacht .Also Äste und etwas Stamm, von 6-15cm geschlagen,zerkleinert, batoniert und Späne geschnitz.Das waren jetzt keine Unmengen an Holz,aber auch nicht sooo wenig, und es handelte sich überwiegend m Hartholz. Jedenfalls keine Ausbrüche,keine umgelegt Schneide und es war danach noch scharf!Im,beim Hacken, stark beanspruchten Teil der Schneide hat die Schärfe etwas abgenommen aber das ist normal. Fazit:Wer basteln kann, kann was daraus machen.Aber lieber nicht kaufen wenn: man Alternativen hat,und/oder Recoursen sparen mag.Übrigens dieses Messer ist nicht vom Cold Steel wild west abgekufert.Eher sind beide vom Western W49 indpiriert.Das CS wird von Windlass in Indien produziert,es gibt wohl eineige Schwierigkeiten konstant so hohe Qualität zu produzieren, das diese dann auch zum Preis passt.Das Wild West hat cutouts im Erl,was für mich nicht als fulltang zu bezeichnen ist.Das Szco wird in Pakistan gefertigt,es wird kein Holzhacken und danach rasieren aber es wird den Job erledigen.Wer das möchte und gut schleifen kann gibt der Klinge zwei verschiedene Schneiden.Vorne im Hackbereich einen konvexen in einem recht stumpfen Winkel, und hinten ei V grind in einem ziemlich spitzen Winkel.Dann nimmt man sich noch ein Leder mit um die Schneide falls nötig wieder auf Schärfe zu bringen.Und natürlich die restlichen Rasierutensilien,Schaum etc. Also gehen würde das, aber ich meine es nicht ernst 😉