Mastering a new custom and ambidextrous Bagwell Bowie Knife

“Reviewing a RARE and UNIQUE Bagwell Bowie Knife”
- Since Bill Bagwell’s untimely passing in 2021, his works have increased in value and are much harder to come by.
- My recent trip to Blade Show 2024 in Atlanta, GA gave me the opportunity to pick up a RARE Bagwell Bowie: a curved stag handle with a gorgeous mirror-finish blade!
- Knowing Bill, the unique handle served a clear fighting purpose, and I review the blade and conjecture on what the purpose may have been: a fluid and ambidextrous fighting Bowie!

[@mathewrculbertson]

What awesome gift.

[@michaelbyrd7834]

Excellent! I had a Bagwell that Bill made me in 2017, had to sell it due to job loss. I have 4 that Greg Covington made for me. I love your videos!

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you! What style of Bowie did Bill make for you? How are you liking your Covington Bowies? 🙏🏽

[@THCBLADEWORKS]

Wow. What an awesome blade to find out in the wild. That is amazing. I'm feeling a mixture of awe and jealousy. Congratulations bud.

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you my friend! More videos to come with this amazing blade!

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

Congratulations Rolando, its a beautiful Bagwell!

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you my friend!

[@InHypnoticTrance]

I knew you were coming back with a knife! Great stuff kapatid!

[@basultoacademy2907]

Outstanding! That cant in the coffin handle really helps the blade stay "point on".

[@RolandoEstocada]

OSU! Thank you Seef!

[@zobody]

The Bagwell is like Excalibur my brother 🏌🏽

[@RolandoEstocada]

His works are unmatched because he was both knife maker, innovator, and martial artist.

[@NSW15355]

Awesome video and congratulations

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@WaltKO4LFE]

What is the width and thickness of the Hell’s Belle Bagwell Bowie blade? I cannot find this info anywhere on the internet.

[@brandensutton2324]

🤘

[@h__n1092]

Hi Rolando! Isn't it a lefty bowie?

[@RolandoEstocada]

It feels very ambidextrous! I have a left Bowie and this one doesn’t feel like my lefty Bagwell. 🙏🏽

[@h__n1092]

That's very interesting. I never would have thought that such curved handle can be ambidextrous. My initial thought was, that this is an early design of his, before he started to curve and tilt the blades according to hand dominance. (on another note it looks like it doesn't distal tapering, is it right? )

[@RolandoEstocada]

There isn’t distal tapering where the “bronze strip” is supposed to be. My suspicion is that the design is an homage to “edge up” Bowie fighting knives, where the spine is deliberately thicker to either block or beat on other Bowie knives or Arkansas Toothpick style knives. The give-away, in my opinion, are this little divots on the spine and the guard, where blade on blade contact may have occurred during a duel from the past.

[@h__n1092]

How does it balance without distal taper? where is the balance point? (probably the thick guard helps with that..)

[@RolandoEstocada]

@h__n1092 it balances just above the ricasso. It moved a LOT like my “shock and awe” Bagwell. The handle design makes it backcut a touch more smoothly, while transitioning to edge up. Although this Bowie has these very unique properties, from afar it looks quite classical.