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Bowies, Big Knives, And The Best Of Battle Blades
by Bill Bagwell
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Paladin Press (2000-11)
ISBN: 1581601077
EAN: 9781581601077
Dewy Decimal #: 683
Paperback: 184 pages
Condition: New
Comments: 2000, 8.5 x 11, 175 pages, Paperback, Book is in Unused Condition. Book is completely intact with inside pages in Excellent condition with no tears and with no notations (no pencil marks, no underlining, no highlighting, etc.)
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
This book binds the timeless observations and invaluable advice of master bladesmith and blade combat expert Bill Bagwell under one cover for the first time. As the outspoken author of Soldier of Fortune's "Battle Blades" column from 1984 to 1988, Bagwell was considered both outrageous and revolutionary in his advocacy of carrying fighting knives as long as 10 inches and his firm belief that the Bowie knife was the most effective and efficient fighting knife ever developed. His assignment as a contributing editor to SOF was to test and evaluate contemporary knives from all over the world, and he soon earned a reputation for cutting to the chase. Candid and frank almost to a fault, he told it like it was - and he could always back it up. Sixteen years after his first column made its debut, Bagwell's convictions on knife design and blade technique have gained validity in the industry, and he has earned the respect of even some of his most vocal critics. This book provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the design and use of Bowies and other big knives and learn which blade designs and combat techniques stand up to both the rigors of battle and the test of time.
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Customer Reviews
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Classic
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-08-03
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
A classic by a master blade smith and acknowledged king of Bowie knife makers. For anyone interested in the Bowie and large fighting knives in general, it is a valuable read.
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Interesting but blow-hard flawed
Rating  (3)
Date: 2007-06-17
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
It is an interesting book. Bagwell's repeated condemnation of knives less than 9 inches long wears pretty thin though. And on this point he doesn't know what he's talking about - there are situations (fighting a large animal,eg,) where a blade longer than 7 inches will rapidly become a liability.
Also his pronouncements on the absence of effective short blade fighting tradition in Japan is just wrong.
And would anyone really choose that U-shaped Chilean military knife over a Kbar in combat???
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A Closer Look at the Bowie Knife ~ The Deadliest Knife on Earth. And... much more...
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-10-22
5 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
Bill Bagwell was the author of the `Battle Blades" column in `Soldier of Fortune' magazine from 1983 to 1987. During that time he wrote many articles about a wide variety of knife related topics. In his book "Bowies, Big Knives and The Best of Battle Blades" Mr. Bagwell reprints many of these articles.
Mr. Bagwell begins his book with a closer look at the Bowie knife, which he advocates as the deadliest knife on earth. He advocates carrying a knife of at least 9.25 inches, and in Bowies, Big Knives and The Best of Battle Blades he explains how to effectively carry a large knife in modern society without drawing unwanted attention. (I can personally attest to the effectiveness of Mr. Bagwell's instructions on the use and carry of the Bowie knife, as I have done so for years using the method he suggests.)
Because much of the book is reprints of `Battle Blades' articles we also are treated to Mr. Bagwell's opinion on a number of other knives, such as the K-Bar, saw-toothed blades, daggers, the Kukri, the Japanese tanto knife, throwing stars (shuriken), and the AK bayonet. Mr. Bagwell's opinions on these knives can be controversial, but his opinions are well reasoned in each case ~ whether one agrees with him or not.
While "Bowies, Big Knives and The Best of Battle Blades" gives much insight into the idea and concept of knife fighting, it isn't a manual intended to teach knife fighting techniques. For that Mr. Bagwell recommends the training material produced by James Keating at Comtech, here in Washington State (again a recommendation I can personally attest to having much merit).
If there is any criticism about "Bowies, Big Knives and The Best of Battle Blades" it's that because many of the book's chapters are reprints of the `Battle Blade' articles they are limited in length imposed by a magazine (Soldier of Fortune). Still this is only a very a minor criticism, as the quality of the book as a whole is excellent.
For anyone interested in carrying large knives (especially Bowie knives), "Bowies, Big Knives and The Best of Battle Blades" is worth adding to your personal library.
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Bowies, Big Knives...by Bagwell
Rating  (2)
Date: 2004-02-14
4 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
The author dwells too much on knife fighting rather than the knives. I found the book to be a disappointment.
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The other reviews are right on
Rating  (5)
Date: 2004-01-03
6 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
The other positive reviews pretty well sum up my thoughts on this text. A must for people who carry a knife with the idea that they may have to use it someday to save their skin. I also recommend Cold Steel by Steyers and Everybody's Knife Bible by Paul. Put together, you will not need any other texts on blade usage.
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