Cowboy Knives - Custom v Production

These days you can't hardly find anyone not carrying a knife, usually a folding knife with the ever recognized clip showing outside a pocket on their wranglers. Folders are very utilitarian excepting that maybe they are hard to open one handed by some people, especially when wearing gloves. Folders are safe too, providing you have a manual opening or spring assist mechanisms. The auto opening folders, using a push button to fully extend and lock the blade raise the potential of accidentally opening and cutting yourself, in my opinion, which comes from experience as I had one 25 years ago and spent hours at Urgent Care waiting to get my thumb sutured up. But then again, most people aren't as accident prone as me. In fact, sometimes I wonder why God hasn't just let me die yet for my ignorance.

Back to knives.....I have been carrying small fixed blade knives for practically all my life. I had a local custom knife maker build a couple of small fixed blades to my specifications. But Joe passed many years ago, however not before I sent several guys his way who rode with me and admired by knifes he made for them.

Between Joe passing and a couple years ago I had no option but to direct people to a couple custom knife makers, but many balk at $200 + price tags. Then I discovered a knife maker who makes several knives I found suitable for a cowboying knife. By suitable I mean a blade length of 2 7/8 to 3 1/2 inches (4 inches wouldn't be too long either), full tang and decent thickness for durability under rough use, and, forged from a steel that will hold an edge. These are the knives I offer on my site. Seven inch total length with a 3 1/2 inch blade, 1/8 inch thick for toughness, Damascus steel forged from 5160 and 4340 steel, finger groove for retainability when hands are slick or when wearing gloves, full tang blade with either cow bone or stabilized rosewood handle secured with five pins, and a lanyard hole where I rattlesnake braid a strip of leather to aid in drawing.

These knives are very reasonably priced at $60 and can be offered at that low priced because they are made from Damascus blanks and cut on CNC machinery, so they are not custom knifes, except maybe for the fit and finish, but they sure look it and perform as well as any knife I have owned.

I recently did a search of custom makers on the internet, which prompted Google to think that's all I wanted to see and be reminded of in the weeks since, but showed me many production knife makers offering alike knives at prices exceeding $250. However, there are other options that offer good value and a good knife. Cow Camp Supply has very reasonably priced quality knifes, fixed blade and folding, suitable for carrying horseback. One the knives that Sparky Wallace, the owner of Cow Camp, offers is a very popular palm knife. On the higher priced side there is the Montana Knife Company who offer very stunning small fixed blade knives suitable as well for the working cowboy, hunter or anyone else who finds a small fixed blade knife a tool they can't do without. A nice fixed blade knife is certainly a great tool to have on hand, as well as being a very nice gift to pass onto someone.

Cowboy Knives

I have often been asked where someone could obtain a sheath knife they see me carrying. And over the years I sent a few local people to my knife maker. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago. Since then I have referred people to several other makers or sites who carry custom maker's knives.

However, recently I found a company who makes really nice Damascus knives of the style I like. I bought a couple of them earlier this year and have used them to cut hay twine, rope, boxes, plastic buckets and scrap salt blocks. They held up well, although I am not testing them like you see on the television program 'Forged in Fire' where they beat knifes in car hoods and cow skulls. I have yet to ever have to do that with a knife. But I did think highly of these knives to buy a couple more and put them on the prize table for the Arena Challenge I ran a couple months ago.

Recently I obtained several more of them and will offer them through this site. I have added a coule to the store. These are not custom made knives. They are production knives and that is why I can offer them at so affordable a price. Anyone who has any questions on these knives can contact me at: brad@functionalhorsemanship.com

Update:  These knives are now added to the store, click here to go to the store.

Each knife will cost $60.00 plus shipping 

Both knives are of the same design, but I have two options on the handle. These are of a full tang design with 7 inch fixed blade having a blade cutting length of 3 inches and a thickness of 1/8 inch. One has Cattle Bone scales (handle) with a fiber liner (see top photo). The other knife has stabilized Indian Rosewood scales with a fiber liner (see bottom photo).

Both come with 45 degree canted sheaths that are reversible for right hand or left hand draw. This design has a finger choil which is handy keeping it positioned in your hand even wearing gloves.  These knives sit low in the sheath like I like them and I braid a leather popper style tail for easier draw.