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Western W49 with modifications

1977 Western Cutlery W49 Bowie with brass finger guard modification and lanyard hole. This was the last year that Western knives were produced in Boulder, Colorado. The factory was moved to Longmont, Co. the following year, 1978.

1977 was also the first year that an alphabetical dating code was implemented. Beginning with the letter "A" and continuing for the next 15 years ending in the letter "O". Western Cutlery was sold at auction to Camillus in 1991 (Western was owned by Coleman 1984-1991).

This knife will undergo another modification shortly. That being the sharpening of the false edge of the swedge and lowering the tip somewhat, ala Bill Bagwell's suggestions which are roughly as follows:

The Guard,

Cut the ends of the guard off at the point where top and bottom bend to make the “S” curve. Finish the ends off by filing, sanding, polishing.

The Blade,

Starting about 3/8 of an inch forward of the guard, the blade should be narrowed in progressive taper until it’s 1 7/8 inches wide at the point where the clip starts across the widest part of the cutting edge. You can use a file or a grinder but be careful not to overheat the blade.

The Point,

The point is carried to high and needs to be dropped. Using a File or bench grinder lower the point ½ inch. Do not overheat the blade if you use a grinder. The unaltered blade measured ~9.5 inches from the front of the guard to the point. The modified version should be ~9 inches long.

The clip,

The original W49 clip point is not sharp so using a file rough the profile and finish with you favorite sharpener.

The Handle,

Use a file to thin and round the sides and ridges of the handle until they feel comfortable to you. Spend some time here there is plenty of material to work with. Do not remove the handle hook.

He suggests performing the modifications in the above order.

(The above instructions were posted in 2006 on another forum by a member named Bors. - Thank you for your research!)

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Tags: Bill-Bagwell, Bowie, Western-Cutlery-W49

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Comment by Ron Cooper on October 15, 2013 at 6:15: Jeff,

No worries, mate! The confusion no doubt stems from the fact that I had failed to mention any specific purpose for the modifications save to reference Bill Bagwell's SOF article. And, as I had mentioned, this article was written in 1987.

If you get a chance Google that name, Bill Bagwell, and checkout some of his work. In fact, here are a couple of videos with him sharing some of his vast knowledge of Bowie knives and how he makes one of his famous Bagwell Bowie Knives:

He is truly an amazing man and has contributed so much to the world of cutlery. And, more specifically, Bowie Knives!

Cheers, my friend!

Comment by jeff on October 15, 2013 at 5:39: sorry ron..i only read this picture caption, maybe on another picture it mentions the fighting part? anyways...enjoy your project...:)

Comment by Ron Cooper on October 14, 2013 at 17:42: Jeff, that's precisely the purpose of these modifications. To make it more of a Fighting Knife, ala Bill Bagwell's article that appeared in the 1987 Soldier of Fortune magazine article (April issue). That's where all of these suggestions came from. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my description on this picture?

Comment by jeff on October 14, 2013 at 17:24: lol..oh I do know all about the {honeymoon} phase. I've probably enough projects to do till the end of my days, but I do guarantee that i will have twice as many, before then! I was just wondering about the narrowing, and was trying to picture the blade. wondering if you worked fron top or bottom of blade...but if its 1/8" it wouldnt change the looks too much either way. dropping the point will change the looks alot tho'. and will give you alot better stabbing penetration.but shortening 1/2" and dropping the point will take from your chopping i would think. sounds like these mods will make more of a fighting style knife..? ? ? just my guess...anyways..have fun. keep us in the know if you get a chance and thankyou again.. nice knife !

Comment by Ron Cooper on October 14, 2013 at 17:08: Howdy, Jeff!

Right now the widest part of the blade is exactly 2" even. So we're only talking about narrowing it an 1/8". For my purposes, right now, I am more concerned with dropping the tip slightly and sharpening the false edge on top. That would allow for back cuts. Bear in mind that I will doing doing this work over time by hand with files. Obviously the work would go faster on a grinder but I am not skilled enough to use one without doing damage to the heat treatment of the blade. Most immediately I will be working on the aesthetics of the brass guard. I am looking for more of an elliptical shape. The work on the handle, if any, will come much much later. Quite frankly it feels really good just the way it is. I love the fact that my knife already has a lanyard hole! I feel that a lanyard would be indispensable for a knife this size. Securing it to my wrist gives me a better sense of confidence that it won't go flying out of my hand while doing some heavy chopping. If it does it won't go far!

So, in the moment, these are all things that I hope to accomplish with this knife "sometime" in the not too distant future. But please consider that I have just recently become enamored with the iconic Bowie knife and like many of my projects, once the honeymoon period passes, they are placed on the back burners while I pursue the next big infatuation...whatever that might be? ADHD perhaps? lol!

Thanks for your interest! I'll keep y'all posted.

Comment by jeff on October 14, 2013 at 15:51: Ron,.. how wide is the blade now? i'm trying to picture modified version at 1 7/8 ". I would guess around 2 1/4" ? and, the narrowing process.. is this taken off the hilt? or cutting edge? i'm really interested in seeing this mod. hope you will let us follow your work? {fingers crossed}

Comment by Ron Cooper on October 14, 2013 at 14:42: Brad, I'm still on the hunt for a pre '75 that I will leave in its original condition. But this one will be my user and I want to streamline it, ala Bill Bagwell's suggestions.

Funny thing, I don't recall ever handling one of these massive knives? What a beast! But, what an impressive beast it is! I have barely been able to put this thing down since it arrived on Saturday. In fact, I'm beginning to fear that it may have unleashed another monster within me? Now, suddenly, all I can think of is Bowie knives! Considering that I got this one for a song, I'm afraid that it may turn into the most costly knife in my collection - in the end? *sigh*

You should have warned me!