Repro EK Bowie Knife

I have plenty daggers, such as Gerber Mk II, and the Applegate/Fairbairn.  I passed by the EK "dagger" because I have plenty of such.

I have come to appreciate the sharpened, upward-swept tip on bowie knives when used in the backstroke.  EK bowie comes with adequately sharpened edge, but "false" edge is not sharpened, nor is the tip "upswept".  Only takes maybe an inch or so to be sharpened to be effective in backstroke, and while NO expert, that is at least HALF of knife-fighting, because opponent often fails to realize the backstroke is often more dangerous than the forehand stroke.

Plastic Scabbard secures the hilt of the knife adequately, and Kbar offers some inexpensive plastic belt loops for it for about $14.  On order, so no opinion.

Balance point of knife is about 1" behind the guard, which makes it a bit "blade-heavy" which is not optimal, IMHO.  Removing metal from "false edge" to provide a "recurved false edge" and then sharpening it is likely to make the knife better balance, and far more useful as a fighting knife.  Such mods, if not taken to extremes will not impede this knife from being a useful field tool.  Rather long plastic scales of hand grips are surprisingly well-fitted to my size Large hands.  I understand that ancient WW II knives came with sandpaper for user to "adjust" wooden handgrips.

Full-tang, and exposed/rounded rear tang/pommel with lanyard hole.  Some folks might want to "sharpen" the pommel, and that's possible.

Contacted KBar, and they do not sell spare handgrips nor unique screws for the EK handgrips.  Use an appropriate very wide-bladed screwdriver and cut an appropriate slot in the blade to engage the cross-slotted fasteners and use a properly fitting wide-bladed screwdriver to engage the screw-heads on the other side of the handle.  Easy to do with a careful application of Dremel cutting wheel.  Easy to see what is needed, once one sees the unique fasteners.

A well-known You-tube knife channel has panned the Model 5 for having the guard come loose after some chopping and other "semi-abuse" for which the knife was not originally intended, but IMHO, he has a legit gripe that the knife should be capable of withstanding such abuse.  Being able to use proper tools to "adjust" the horizontal position of the plastic handguards will likely solve this potential issue, but no mention of this being attempted by YouTube reviewer.  For that matter, as one person suggested, emplace some very stout epoxy between the plastic handles and the metal guard, OR wrap some plastic fishing line between metal guard AND plastic scales grips will serve.

BTW, "Expert" YouTube reviewer was "reminded" in "Comments" that Ek knives originally were designed to have removable cross-guards.  I'd never do so with a "thrusting" dagger, since hitting bone and having NO decent guard to prevent one's hand from slipping forward on the blade is obviously a potentially injurious situation.

I'm a "fixit" kinda guy, and this fairly minor guard issue is fixable in a number of ways.

The KBar version of the EK Bowie knife is a decent item, especially if one sharpens the "false edge" for about an inch or so from the tip.

That said, even this very decent knife is as NOTHING compared to a Bagwell "Hells Belle" Bowie.

Simply NO comparison.  You'll need to feel difference in your hand to appreciate the difference. The Helles Belle Bowie "wants" to cut something.  In my personal experience, nothing like it for a "fighting knife".

I paid $400 for a "NIB" OKC "licensed" repro of a Bagwell Hell's Belle Bowie.  I consider myself lucky to have found it. Normally I "question" folks who say, "You have to "experience" such-and-such an item to understand how well it is made/designed", but in this case, it's actually true.

I had one of the 90's manufactured ones with the walnut handle. It was a great knife after you filed on the walnut a little. It was actually designed to allow the user to shape the handle.

Alas, I loaned it to someone and they broke the tip off throwing it. I shortened the blade and ended up sending it to some troop in AFG.

Pics aren’t showing up.

If you click on the Big Red Letters at top of OP, pix show up.

LMK if you need further help.

You should try to get a Bowie from the Virginia days or prior, ever since Mike Stewart messed with the brand it’s become a watered down “sorta like an Ek” brand.  Stewart introduced model types and interpretations that didn’t exist to the family owned company while trying to build some cheap knives that carried the iconic name.

I don't think that's fair. Mike has kept knife companies, that would have been bought by the Chinese, in America, employing Americans. He's also one of the foremost experts on Bowie knives history and their variants. EK has changed ownership a bunch and their WWII knives, IMO, were next to useless without a guard on them.

It's reasonable to compare a "new" EK knife with one of the older units, but to be fair, it's also reasonable to ask if Ek himself might have altered his original designs or added altogether new designs/materials if he were alive today.

We cannot answer that question with certainty, but it's reasonable to believe that EK might have changed some things, and possibly broadened his line of offerings.  

That said, the "new" EK knives will need to be judged on their own--in all respects-- and not simply how faithful they are to the initial design.  

This will likely require an expert with a broad and deep subject knowledge, and especially one who is intellectually honest and who can discuss the differences between the two and fairly compare and contrast them.

It may be desirable for some folks to be able to obtain close copies of the "real article" if they are decent blades in their own right.  Perhaps better a very "close" replica available and obtainable than nothing at all.

I make no claims as to "close" the repro EKs are to the "real" EKs.  I'm not an expert.

Here ya go Raf.

Ek Knives history,

John Ek was no knife expert.

Mike Stewart doesn't even own the company anymore.

Excellent historical info, and TYVM for linking it.

What is omitted is a "decent" comparison between original EK knives and the subsequent reproductions, but not the fault of the link, per se.

It is useful to compare original Bagwell Bowie knives to the licensed copies.  Bagwell was a very talented knife-maker who eventually specialized in Bowie Knives.  The "licensed" copies, semi-mass produced, were never claimed to be as "good" as a custom-made Bagwell.

But in terms of affordability and over-all quality the "licensed" Bagwell bowies were damn close, IMHO.  And also in the opinions of experts.

I bought a NIB "Licensed" Bagwell "Hell's Belle" Bowie for $400, and I consider that a lucky buy.  I've watched/read vids/articles from experts on this exact knife comparing originals to "licensed" units.  I'm OK with what I have, not being a "Collector", and no insult to collectors.

It should be noted that the Bowie style of knife entails a "different" style of fighting than do typical daggers/stabbers.

Bowie knife, if not taken to extreme "knife-fighting" configuration, as is the "Hell's Belle" version, can also a decent "camp" knife, while being biased on the "chopper" end of camp knife usage.  Such "intermediate" configuration Bowie knives will do for both fighting and camp uses, which was their original intent.

I'm considered a knife "expert" in many circles. They have been an obsession for 45 years, I've been making and modding them for 35 yrs. I was an Ontario Knife Co distributor when their Spec Plus line hit the shelves. I have, and have read, a great many books on edged weapons and tools  in their historical context as well as means of manufacture. I read Knives Illustrated, Fighting knives, and another mag I can't recall cover to cover from 1989 to 1999. I have 500 hrs of knife sparring, 100 hours of theatrical fight choreography. I've spent a great deal of time using knives in the wilderness, hunting and fishing, and in a military context.

Your Ka-bar made Ek is probably a better knife than the original due to modern materials. Glass filled nylon is pretty indestructible compared to maple bed-frames and pallets the originals were made from, and the screws are much healthier for you than the original poured lead rivets.

I wanted to buy one of the OKC Bagwells. Sexy knives.

Here, I'll do your job for you since you're too lazy to.

Lol, not talking about original WWII Eks or whether Mike Stewart still owns the company, just that he watered the brand down and took the name backwards from what evolved into the nice knives the family owned shop was putting out in the 70’s, 80’s and ‘90’s.  A really nice blade with materials that still are  great today.  Stewart wanted the name and he ran lines of rudimentary production knives he could try to make a buck on.  If you ever saw the ones being sold through places like Brigade Quartermasters in the 90’s you know.  This Kabar offering kinda smacks of those “interpretations”.

This was the M5 as sold for over 30 years by the Ek family….Stewart allowed them to continue to make them under agreement and even copied some which he made and sold at a premium from his Effingham shop. They were pretty refined and very nice knives.

Don’t have the Kabar version.
Here are two earlier ones I rehandled.


OP- the Camillus made OVB Fisk Bowie is very similar to the Ontario Bagwell. Beautiful knives.

I recently bought some black Micarta handles for the KaBar Ek I have.  Very similar to OEM plastic grips but more textured.  I''ve always been a fan of Micarta for knife and handgun grips.  We'll see how they look/attach when they arrive.

Nice work on your knives!

I apologize if I misunderstood you. I am familiar with with all those models.

Some folks are "purists" and possibly "originalists".  That's perfectly fine.  "Collectors" may subsume both categories and define things much further.

I appreciate all viewpoints.  As for myself, I "appreciate" a well-made knife that respects the origins of the historically based knife.

For example, the Boker Blade  is in all respects a vast improvement over the similar WW II blade, while being very different from the original.

I have more "daggers" than I "need".  I prefer blades that are "multi-purpose" and which are useful for both "camp" uses and "fighting" uses.

I'm slowly becoming a "Knife guy" thanks to all of you.  Just what I need another expensive hobby.

If you do some careful research, you can afford and buy some more blades than you might think.

If a "collector" then the sky's the limit.  If a "practical user" choices are greatly reduced, but more affordable.

There are no  WWII   Applegate-Fairbairn knives other than a couple prototypes. Bill harsey built some prototypes, but, the first production (mid techs) was done by knifemaker T. J. Yancey in the 1980s. Soon after that, late 80's, early 90's, Applegate licensed Boker, Blackjack, and Al Mar to make it. Applegate than worked with Gerber to produce the folding model in the mid 90's.

You may be confusing the Applegate Fairbairn with the Fairbairn Sykes dagger. Or, maybe, you are adressing an evolution from one to the other, which, depending on who you talk to, may or may not be accurate. My understanding in Applegate was making a dagger to fix all the problems with the F/S dagger. Others believe the AF dagger is an improved FS, but they are so different that it's hard to see them as related other than merely being daggers. It's a new knife, as opposed to a redesign, IMO.

Double tap

I think your opinions are reasonable and I don't disagree with them. FWIW, An Ek 50 knife will be delivered today ($90 on EBay):Ek 50

It's a shorter clip point version of the Ek knife, suitable for general use.  Also on the way are improved Micarta grip scales for both the above item, and my Model 5 Ek knife.

The KaBar Attachment System  ($14.14(shipped) on Ebay) is inexpensive for what it is and allows options for folks with typical Kydex scabbards.

That's a good looking and a good size for those who love the old USAF survival.

Now that you mention it, they are a bit similar.  I reckon the tang on the Ek-50 is a lot stronger than that of the USAF Survival knife.

The Ek-51, with its tip a bit more "centered" with respect to the axis of the handle might be a superior "bushcraft" knife.

On a whim, I picked up an Ek Folding Knife    $108 on Ebay.

Also ordered an Ek-51  $110 on Ebay.

May get another set of "oversized" Micarta grips for the Ek-51.

That Ek51 looks like something Ethan Becker would design if he was working for Ek. Becker has worked for Camillus and Kabar.

Yes, distinct similarities.  Most "Bushcrafters" say that having point of blade co-axial with the center of the handle of blade is a distinct advantage for "bushcrafting" purposes.  The "Drop-Point" Ek-51 seems to fit this much-repeated requirement.  In true ARFCOM manner, buying both, LOL.

I'm OK with base steel used in "modern" Ek knives. I know how to sharpen blades, both on the bench and in the field.  Some modern "SuperSteels" require home-based and precision tools to make the "best" of such steels.  Maybe not so "sharpenable" in the field.  YMMV.

That's OK, but to each his own.

Your personal suggestions of decent and affordable knives requested.  You seem to be an educated person.

@tsg68

After experimenting with "Standard' thickness and "Oversized" thickness aftermarket Micarta grips for Ek Model 50 and 51 knives (Ebay vendor), I believe the "standard" thickness is preferable.  Both Micarta grips have a very textured surface, which is required in conjunction with knives that do not have a "guard" that prevents hand from being cut, such as the 50/51 knives.   The "standard" thickness aftermarket grips do not require the user to trim the forward edge of the grips to fit well within the OEM plastic scabbard, as do the "over-sized" grips.  The "Oversized" Micarta grips, while better filling the hand, require some "shaping" of the forward edges of the grips to properly fit within the OEM plastic scabbard.

Returned "oversized" grips and ordered "Standard" Micarta grips for 50/51 Ek knives.  YMMV.

I'm keeping original grip screws, along with applying "light-duty" Purple Loc-Tite compound to degreased/oiled screws/nuts.  This ought to be sufficient for this application.

Latest Ek knife, Model 51, has point of blade more-or-less centered on axis of knife handle, which is MUCH preferred by bush crafters, and I concur.   Neither small knife (Ek 51/Ek 50) is a "chopper", nor well-suited to "baton" use.  Either will do in a pinch.

Decent price, and decent steel.  Easily re-sharpened in the field using common tools.

Plastic scabbard is indestructible and adequately secures the knife: nylon fabric handle snap-strap is nice, but not required.

Ka-Bar, as mentioned above, offers very inexpensive kits which will fit the scabbards of these knives and allow other methods of attachment.   I've bought a "kit" for each of my knives.  YMMV.  Kits