RG-245 Handmade Hi Carbon Polished Steel Bowie Knife - Gorgeous Handle

Apparently this knife was designed by Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria in England, using photographs and specifications of an original 1840s Bowie that Matt liked and of which he wanted a copy. The result is this knife by Poshland Knives, which Matt reviews in a Nov 14, 2014, Schola Gladiatoria video on YouTube that you can watch. (Check out the Schola Gladiatoria YouTube channel for European martial arts -- Matt has also designed a short sword currently in production for fencing and competition known as the Easton Sword).The knife arrived from England in three business days via DHL, greased and wrapped to protect the blade from impact and oxidation. It came with a plain brown well-stitched leather sheath that fits and protects the knife and has studs securing a belt loop. Its blade is straight and evenly ground at 10" L x 1 5/8" W x 3/16" D, distally tapered along the unsharpened clipped edge. Its handle is sword-like at 5" L x 1 3/8" W x 5/8" D at the pommel. It appears to have a full tang with a steel border around the edge of the handle, so that the tang itself is concealed. I estimate it weighs about 3/4 lb. There is no maker's mark but Poshland Knives says it's hand-made in India using a heat-treated high-carbon steel, presumably 0.5% - 0.95% carbon, so the blade should be resilient and hard but not too brittle, and ought to be cared for by oiling and sharpening as needed. It has excellent geometry and balance, with the tip of the blade aligned to the middle of the handle, for balanced thrusts, and with a center-of-gravity only about 1/2" up the blade from the guard. Some Bowies have offset blade tips, and are blade-heavy with a center-of-gravity 1" or more up the blade from the guard, making them good for chopping but unwieldy in the hand. In contrast, this "Arkansas toothpick" balances well and maneuvers easily while feeling both light and extremely sturdy -- it behaves like a very short sword. It seems like it would do serious parrying without the blade or handle failing. Its fit is very good with everything tight and smooth. Its finish is generally good though one can see a few minor cosmetic blemishes, as one would expect on a "hand-made" knife of this price. The blank brass plate on either side of the handle can be engraved oneself.Overall I am very well pleased and recommend this to anyone seeking a usable traditional "Arkansas toothpick" Bowie that handles nicely, is sturdy and well built, catching to the eye, and does not cost a fortune. It looks and feels great, both very usable and also a show piece. I like just to hold, maneuver, sheathe, unsheathe, and admire it in hand. You will probably want to wield it. Good for collectors, Bowie enthusiasts and martial artists.

This knife was not up to the par set by my previous Poshland Bowie purchase. The materials are superior to a SZCO 20$ Bowie, but the construction is slightly worse. Fit and finish are rougher, The full tang protrudes past the handle and has rough/sharp edges that can cut into your hand. The steel is really decent and strong, the brass guard is solid. The brass plates on the handle are applied crooked which is disappointing, they are applied not inset as well . The previous poshland Bowie I purchased had none of these issues so quality likely varies by batch or model. It’s not at all a bad knife but not up to the quality Poshland can produce. I’ve got another more expensive blade coming from them, an Arkansas toothpick, my hope is it will be a good one, if not I’ll stick with other . This is not a bad knife, materials quality are much better than similarly priced knives. Carbon steel brass and bone are great. The sharp edges of the tang ruin this knife for my uses, it’s not the kind of blade I want to put a ranger band on and baton wood with, It’s too pretty for that. The protruding tang renders it unfit for defensive practice. Disappointing.

This knife is currently $20.48 with free shipping. Wow. this is hands-down the finest and most authentic $20 Bowie I have ever seen. Ever. I currently have 4 of them. Two are patinaed and two were left original. Of those, three came with a razor edge and the other took five minutes to touch up with my old Kwik Sharp ceramic sticks. As for the blade steel quality: In doing the patinas I could clearly see where the blades are differentially heat treated. This is a GOOD thing. I read a review here where a guy dented the spine of his blade. Well OK. That part of the blade is for strength, not hardness. Try doing that spoon thing to an antique Japanese Katana and you will likely get the same results. These are not great camping or field knives. Thry are Bowies that are designed after an original from the 1840s. Those were fighting/dueling knives. And these REG-529 Bowies are the same thing. Matt Easton initially commissioned the first one and I frankly trust his judgment as to their authenticity. Poshland did a great interpretation of these knives to make them affordable and VERY high quality for this price. The price? Well about the same as a Chinese Mtech 151. Stunning. The sheaths are worth more than the $20 you pay here. So the knife is basically free. And people complain about them. This is really a bit absurd. I can't believe the average rating on these is about three stars right now. Well that is good for me. I have four of them for about the price of a used stainless W-39. Or about the same as a Walmart Uncle Henry that was made in China. And with nice carbon steel, real buffalo and bone scale, and a historically correct design and execution. Amazing.Get real people. This is a GREAT buy.Added: I have added two photos of the original that inspired Matt Easton. It is the last ones in the series here. Made by George Woodhead between 1847 and 1855. The California Gold Rush period. His makers stamp is also shown. This is of course NOT on the one you will buy. But you can see how authentic these really are.UPDATE: I just received my fifth one of these. If anything, the quality has improved on them even more. This is the best-finished one yet. I am going to have it engraved for my brother with the names and units of a couple of our Civil War ancestors. Should make a nice birthday present for him. I can't emphasize how nice these knives are, especially at the current price.