Bailey Bradshaw

Thought I would share with you one of the most beautiful and artistic Bowie knives I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Bailey Bradshaw is the maker. He is now making custom rifles and that is the knife-making world’s loss. His British style falling block rifles are equally artistic displaying fine lines, exquisite engraving, even in high relief, and exhibition grade woods. Check his rifle work out at http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/ The 10 3/8 inch forged blade exhibits a crisp and active hamon. The spine (or mune) has a graceful sweep and is ground to a peak like a fine Japanese blade. Bailey’s Japanese torri trademark is etched on one side and his MS (master smith) stamp is on the other side. There is an incredible presence to this blade. Remember that aliveness I mentioned in an earlier post? This knife has it in spades.

The handle has a traditional Bowie shape but clearly a Japanese treatment: with same gawa (rayskin) underlay with tsuka ito (cord wrapping) of Navy blue silk. The steel mounts are again Japanese in form, crafted of mild steel, inlaid with gold wire, and gun blued. This fighting knife exudes an understated elegance a samurai would appreciate. Mr. Bradshaw said he made this knife about 2004-2006. While it is of presentation grade, in materials and finish, hefting it leaves no doubt that it is also combat grade.

What would James Bowie have given to carry a knife like this? The heavy leather sheath is simple and perfectly fitted so that even inverted the knife stays put. It has the belt stud common on today’s sheaths allowing the wearer to slip it in and out of their belt whenever you need to sit. So I am not the first owner (more correctly caretaker) of this knife, but time and prior ownership have not diminished its exceptionalism. Thank God there are people out there like Bailey Bradshaw who create such works of art.
And now you know why I am selling some of my other Bowies. It is "time to pay the piper" as the saying goes.

Bowies For Sale

I have these bowies for sale on another forum so if you are inerested contact me by email soon! ghdave2@hotmail.com

These Bowies are now SOLD! I am selling these bowies in anticipation of having to pay for a custom one from Matt Lamey. They are all custom knives by two different makers. One came without a sheath. They are excellent knives for re-enactors of the fur trade or civil war era. I am no longer doing re-enacting. They are priced according to what I feel is a realistic value based on the rougher finish on two of them. The finish in no way detracts from their function. Two of them have faint hamon. I am asking $175 for either of the knives with sheaths and $150 for the one without. I will sell the three of them as a set for $450. Numbered from the bottom to the top: #1 has 11 inch blade, #2 has 10 inch blade and #3 has a 9.5 inch blade. #1 has visible grinding marks on the blade that the maker did not polish out but its a hell of a stout blade. All are about 3/16" thick.

The Value of Friends

I just spent a terrible three days traveling for my work. It took me almost 20 hours to fly from here in NY to Kansas. I flew from Elmira to Detroit, to Memphis, to Atlanta (cause my flight got in late and I missed a connection) finally arriving in Wichita at 11:30 PM. Crashing at my hotel about midnight. Oh this was not the hotel I was supposed to be in because that was another 4 hours drive west. So who cares about my travel woes other than me, probably no one. I would have turned around and gone back home from Detroit but for one thing, I wanted to spend a few hours with a close friend in Wichita.

I am not sure how many of you have a friend worth that sort of effort, but if you do, then cherish them. In the coming days things are going to get tough and you will find a true friend is worth more than all the gold in the world. Thanks for a nice visit Gary, it made it all worthwhile.
http://www.bradburnknives.com/