Xtreme Bowie Size Comparison

Updated from [link]

I made a few changes to the Bowie. The shrink-fitting of the pins into the handle scales and the blade tang was deemed too problematic and likely to weaken, and so were replaced by countersunk, flat-head Allen head screws and machine screw nuts. The floating fasteners solve the problem of the press-fitted parts working loose over time, allow the handle scales to be replaced, changed, or simply done away with depending on the situation. They're also much stronger and can be adjusted for wear or warpage, and as a side effect, have the effect of permitting greater positional and locational tolerances.

I thickened the blade to .30" for extra strength and in addition, I lengthened the blade to 11" from tip to hilt. In addition, I changed the style of the butt, to a crowbar end, and I also thinned the grip scales, making the length across the grip around three quarters of an inch, so the grip will be better suited to smaller hands.

Additionally, for the prototype version, I replaced the originally specified CPM S30V Powder steel with D2 tool steel, which should also provide a fine blade steel and be much more affordable for a lower production run and require less initial tooling up. At least, for the prototypes. As a tool steel, D2 has good strength properties and better wear resistance than most of the plain high-carbon steels, and higher chromium content should give it some degree of rust resistance.

Notably, the rivets on the sheath have been changed to grommets and the sheath is now specified to be hot-pressed together. The spacing of the first six holes is MOLLE-compatible, so lengths of paracord can be run through the holes and tied off to attach the sheath to MOLLE gear or a tactical vest. I'll probably have to think of creating a cloth backing for the sheath as well, which could probably help.

Here the Bowie is shown next to my Fairbairn-Sykes Improved Mark III, which features a 7.5" blade. Notice how much larger the Bowie is compared to the Fairbairn-Sykes Improved Mark III. This is only partially due to the angles of the camera. That in mind though, around the minimum points of the Bowie's ergonomic handle, the measurements are actually very close to the Fairbairn-Sykes' maximums, so hopefully this knife should be usable by people with both large and small hands, and unlike the Fairbairn-Sykes, it should be usable in both reverse and 'slasher' grip thanks to the design of the handle.