My review of Gulzar Ahmed's reproduction of the Musso Bowie Knife. Gulzar's company is URSA International, but he seems to market this knife primarily on eBay.
Nice analysis of Ursa’s Musso copy. I have this one and the antiqued version, which has a slightly longer handle and noticeably different handling characteristics; it seems lighter and faster in the hand than this one. I believe the brass strip is meant to be functional, probably to dissipate shock. Bowie conceived a unique battle implement after a couple of nasty close quarters experiences, and the total package is meant to be completely functional. The geometry of the blade and handle, overlooked by some other copiers, emphasizes its use for battering through sword defenses when held edge up, leading to a deep thrust into the body of the opponent followed by a devastating upward slash, leading to total evisceration. This blade is meant to end a life or death fight in one practiced movement, while still affording the ability to back-cut, stab and slice like other big knives. Not coincidentally, the blade length matches today’s standard for penetration of defensive handgun ammunition (12-14 inches), because that’s how deep you want to go to reliably incapacitate someone. Carrying this thing around, while ponderous, would be no more troublesome than carrying a flintlock pistol or standard sword weighing several pounds. Bowie believed in the total package, as evidenced by his giving copies to some of his closest comrades. It makes you wonder how many in total were made, and whether some might still be waiting to be discovered. Copies of “Bowie Knives” at the time, and since, have overlooked several of its key features. This is the real deal, in my opinion. The knife that created the myth.
Sr. the customer-attractor brass bar you mention is actually put there to guard the blade against another knife strike while blocking it in a fight; Hibben itself mentioned it during one of his interviews, along with a lot of bowie knives historians; and if you check a picture of the actual knife used by Col. James Bowie, it also wears it (it's currently displayed at the Alamo Museum in SA, Tx) Cheers.
Just got mine in the mail today. I am THOROUGHLY pleased! In my opinion, it's even better than thr Gil Hibben I have and I think that's actually a pretty good knife.
A few of things about using a bowie if I may. Something not often talked about is that with a knife this big in a scabbard, you would use a nice wide, thick leather belt, much like a prototype sailor of the period would have worn. It would have made carrying such a heavy weapon more comfortable. Next, most fighters of the period would use the knife with the cutting edge upward, and the false edge down. With this in mind the brass on the top of the blade could be used to parry, or could be used as a skull crusher. Any cut with a weapon of this size would be very close to lethal, but a back cut, aka comma cut with this weapon would "keel".
These knives are almost rare to find. In order to find them you'll have to go to gun shows. I got mine from By The Sword. Last one, sadly. The knife I have is not a Pakistani made, this knife is from the Philippines. Gosh darn the Filipino blacksmith made such a powerful knife. Sheath is made with frog leather, knife resembles the knife Jason Patric carried as he played the role of Jim Bowie in the 2004 Alamo
when I was in sixth grade studying the civil war there in our txt book was a picture of a war print .It was a picture of a woman holding a knife similar to the one you have and a yankee soldier on the ground .under it it had a caption the north has bayonets' we have the bowie .We will win
That thing's huge! The Natchez is as big as you want to go, IMO. Of course, you can have a longer blade, but it should be narrower to reduce weight, like a Bagwell bowie. I think that's even more optimal than a wide blade. The brass spine guard just adds weight, definitely not a good thing.
Wanted to say that in the days of single-shot firearms, having a "short sword" at your side could save your life...certainly was faster and more maneuverable than an actual sword. Don't buy your marketing theory, sorry. The brass spine strip WOULD catch an opponent's edge for just a fraction of a second, allowing you to counter stab .
Very big blade and make the Natchez look small although it's a big Bowie ,so it's a Very big knife compared to the Natchez Bowie ,good gift from your wife.
I think if I may that like the sword. A blade so thin as it strikes will wobble.possibly while biting edges the brass spine would buffer the blade during such stresses.
@@gulzarahmed2836 Some questions sir 1 will you make one hot pinged with a brass butt plate instead of using a screw 2 is the blade convex ground or hollow ground 3 will you do one with a white handle . Thank you
@@xanatos3633 Hello Sir, Thank you very much for your questions. Please follow my answers of your 3 questions: 1: Yes I can make blade tang with hot Pinned with a brass end butt plate. 2: medium Hollow ground and balanced. 3: Yes I can make your knife with white handle as Oak wood or camel Bone handle. Please contact me through Email ursacraftsman@gmail.com for more discuss or purchase. Regards
Sir you are clueless. The brass fleshing banner on the top of a bowie knife is there for fleshing skins and pelts of thinner skinned animals. The reason the XL Bowie knife was so popular with trappers and those adventures who needed a knife to not only clear brush, defend you against wildlife but also double as a fleshing tool in trapping because unlike today where we can carry many knives to flesh our trapped animal pelts. You could not carry that many specialty knives in those situations. So the XL Bowie was created. Not for fighting like everyone thinks today but for trappers to use to brush trails. Set foothold traps and scrape the flesh of the skins all at the same time. Trappers today still use a style of bowie that uses this brass Banner on the back of the knife for Beaver fleshing as well as Muskrat.
@@elijahdimke5353 I have a number of URSA Bowies, this one included. Gulzar Ahmed is great to deal with and very professional. His knives are very useable and well worth the money. His contact details are below in the other posts..
That brass on the Bowie is not for looks. Lol! Everything has a reason. It's to take blows. Cause, you fight with a Bowie with the blade facing towards the weilder of the knife. And block with the spin. And yes, they did Carry it. It was used for defense.
Go out in the woods wearing that knife on your hip and you'll walk in a big circle. Did any of the 4 similar knives you mentioned have an original sheath?
PreparedMindStrongSpirit 5160 is a great steel for camp knives and Bowie’s with the proper normalizing and heat treatment. 1075 is even better for larger blades.
The brass back strip cannot be found on any genuine 19th century Bowie. Musso's claim, including the "lab testing" has to be taken with a few grains of salt. The brass back Bowie idea seems to have been introduced by Thorpe, in the 1920s, and put into the Bowie legend in the novel, _The Iron Mistress_ in 1950. All that said, I have the Atlanta Cutlery (meaning Windlass) version of this blade and I love it.
Brass strips appear on other 19th century Bowies and on some 18th century Scottish dirks. Bowie’s family was Scottish. There is a lot of pseudo-information out there on this subject, so beware.
@@botswanabanger there is a painting of Sam Huston and James Bowie .Sam is looking over a battle map with James Bowie standing off to the side Sam is holding a knife exactly like the Musso . The painting is authentic . And every test done by a lab is singed by the lab that done the test and every test can be replicated .Oh Bowie is French lol
What spoils it for me is this blasted micarta stuff! If it wasn't invented until 1912, how could it possibly be on a knife supposedly of the 1840s? Surely it MUST have a beautiful hardwood handle?
The shape of the knife is very nice to look at. It looks similar to the Musso Bowie by Knives By Hand. That had a 1/4 inch blade. For a fighting knife, it could start at 1/4" at the hilt, but tapper down to the point. A short sword would have the same distal taper. It prrobably tapers from the back of the blade to the edge.
I disagree about the backstrap, I think it WAS a blade catcher! If you were actually in a knife fight, you would want every protection you could get! I know I would?
I just like the fact that it's 5160 spring steel, that means this baby is about as tough as they come, only way to break that blade is to drop 1000LBs on it lol, things a beast.
@@bowieknifeconnection7177 ya I'm a knife/sword collector myself, I have a 5160 high carbon raptor katana I absolutely love, I think 5160 is most deff my favorite type of steel.
The uploaded thing it’s a beast but in fact it’s a very fragile knife that can break in the rat tail tang ! It’s far from being a « full tang » knife....so it’s mean nothing to be to withstand 1000 lbs on side blade impact if the tang is as small and fragile than a rat tail....
Nice analysis of Ursa’s Musso copy. I have this one and the antiqued version, which has a slightly longer handle and noticeably different handling characteristics; it seems lighter and faster in the hand than this one. I believe the brass strip is meant to be functional, probably to dissipate shock. Bowie conceived a unique battle implement after a couple of nasty close quarters experiences, and the total package is meant to be completely functional. The geometry of the blade and handle, overlooked by some other copiers, emphasizes its use for battering through sword defenses when held edge up, leading to a deep thrust into the body of the opponent followed by a devastating upward slash, leading to total evisceration. This blade is meant to end a life or death fight in one practiced movement, while still affording the ability to back-cut, stab and slice like other big knives. Not coincidentally, the blade length matches today’s standard for penetration of defensive handgun ammunition (12-14 inches), because that’s how deep you want to go to reliably incapacitate someone. Carrying this thing around, while ponderous, would be no more troublesome than carrying a flintlock pistol or standard sword weighing several pounds. Bowie believed in the total package, as evidenced by his giving copies to some of his closest comrades. It makes you wonder how many in total were made, and whether some might still be waiting to be discovered. Copies of “Bowie Knives” at the time, and since, have overlooked several of its key features. This is the real deal, in my opinion. The knife that created the myth.
Sr. the customer-attractor brass bar you mention is actually put there to guard the blade against another knife strike while blocking it in a fight; Hibben itself mentioned it during one of his interviews, along with a lot of bowie knives historians; and if you check a picture of the actual knife used by Col. James Bowie, it also wears it (it's currently displayed at the Alamo Museum in SA, Tx)
Cheers.
I ordered one because of your video and it just arrived today. It is incredible!!!! Mine has a brown burl wood handle instead of the black micarta.
Yup you got one with a patina on your blade. Cool. Now I want one☺
@@jimboethefirst7418 I did the patina myself after buying it actually. :)
Actually the brass is used because it handles shock well. It is supposed to help manage the shock when their knife hits your own.
Any pictures of the brass on the Musso? It should show evidence of being used to parry if that's what it was for.
Just got mine in the mail today. I am THOROUGHLY pleased! In my opinion, it's even better than thr Gil Hibben I have and I think that's actually a pretty good knife.
What is the mailing address or phone number for ursa international.
A few of things about using a bowie if I may. Something not often talked about is that with a knife this big in a scabbard, you would use a nice wide, thick leather belt, much like a prototype sailor of the period would have worn. It would have made carrying such a heavy weapon more comfortable.
Next, most fighters of the period would use the knife with the cutting edge upward, and the false edge down.
With this in mind the brass on the top of the blade could be used to parry, or could be used as a skull crusher.
Any cut with a weapon of this size would be very close to lethal, but a back cut, aka comma cut with this weapon would "keel".
I've just ordered one, I can't wait to get it.
Gulzar has had some problems finding a courier who will deliver to the UK though.
These knives are almost rare to find. In order to find them you'll have to go to gun shows. I got mine from By The Sword. Last one, sadly.
The knife I have is not a Pakistani made, this knife is from the Philippines. Gosh darn the Filipino blacksmith made such a powerful knife. Sheath is made with frog leather, knife resembles the knife Jason Patric carried as he played the role of Jim Bowie in the 2004 Alamo
What marks it out as quality is that leather gaskett!
Real sweet! 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I ordered mine off Ebay 139.99 shipping 6.99 worth every dime
Wrong about the brass back, I've seen brass backs on old Scottish dirks older than bowie knives.
when I was in sixth grade studying the civil war there in our txt book was a picture of a war print .It was a picture of a woman holding a knife similar to the one you have and a yankee soldier on the ground .under it it had a caption the north has bayonets' we have the bowie .We will win
That thing's huge! The Natchez is as big as you want to go, IMO. Of course, you can have a longer blade, but it should be narrower to reduce weight, like a Bagwell bowie. I think that's even more optimal than a wide blade. The brass spine guard just adds weight, definitely not a good thing.
Wanted to say that in the days of single-shot firearms, having a "short sword" at your side could save your life...certainly was faster and more maneuverable than an actual sword. Don't buy your marketing theory, sorry. The brass spine strip WOULD catch an opponent's edge for just a fraction of a second, allowing you to counter stab .
Very big blade and make the Natchez look small although it's a big Bowie ,so it's a Very big knife compared to the Natchez Bowie ,good gift from your wife.
It’s for looks, throughout history we have added cool factor to our weapons
Why is it so hard to find an American made Bowie knife like this that’s actually good?
I was wondering the same thing . They are actually not hard to make
I think if I may that like the sword. A blade so thin as it strikes will wobble.possibly while biting edges the brass spine would buffer the blade during such stresses.
The curve is a nice touch
Does this knife (& did the original) have a distal taper, or is it the same thickness along the length of the spine? How thick is it?
More vids on the musso please. Point of balance, use in training, cutting comparison. ECT. This is a PSYCHOLOGICAL CUTTING EDGE FEAR FACTOR BLADE !!!
Razor cutting edge blade
@@gulzarahmed2836 Some questions sir 1 will you make one hot pinged with a brass butt plate instead of using a screw 2 is the blade convex ground or hollow ground 3 will you do one with a white handle . Thank you
@@xanatos3633 Hello Sir, Thank you very much for your questions. Please follow my answers of your 3 questions:
1: Yes I can make blade tang with hot Pinned with a brass end butt plate.
2: medium Hollow ground and balanced.
3: Yes I can make your knife with white handle as Oak wood or camel Bone handle.
Please contact me through Email ursacraftsman@gmail.com for more discuss or purchase.
Regards
@@gulzarahmed2836 Thank you.
I carry mine every day🤗
Sir you are clueless. The brass fleshing banner on the top of a bowie knife is there for fleshing skins and pelts of thinner skinned animals. The reason the XL Bowie knife was so popular with trappers and those adventures who needed a knife to not only clear brush, defend you against wildlife but also double as a fleshing tool in trapping because unlike today where we can carry many knives to flesh our trapped animal pelts. You could not carry that many specialty knives in those situations. So the XL Bowie was created. Not for fighting like everyone thinks today but for trappers to use to brush trails. Set foothold traps and scrape the flesh of the skins all at the same time. Trappers today still use a style of bowie that uses this brass Banner on the back of the knife for Beaver fleshing as well as Muskrat.
I have a Jesse Robinson Bowie . Looks a lot like your knife.
Jim Bowie would be impressed.
I have the exact same Bowie knife but in Damascus steel Omar Hamied makes some very good knifes
Would you say the knife is useable
@@elijahdimke5353 I have a number of URSA Bowies, this one included. Gulzar Ahmed is great to deal with and very professional. His knives are very useable and well worth the money. His contact details are below in the other posts..
That brass on the Bowie is not for looks. Lol! Everything has a reason.
It's to take blows. Cause, you fight with a Bowie with the blade facing towards the weilder of the knife. And block with the spin. And yes, they did Carry it. It was used for defense.
Go out in the woods wearing that knife on your hip and you'll walk in a big circle. Did any of the 4 similar knives you mentioned have an original sheath?
The URSA Musso or the Gil Hibben Old West??? Which one are you taking?
Can someone please tell how I can purchase the Musso Bowie Knife made by Gulzar Ahmed, the one discussed in the above video? Thank you.
I doubt it’s just for looks. Imho.
5160 is the same steel that the leaf springs holding your car up are made of. That blade ain't breaking. Could someone do an endurance test on one?
PreparedMindStrongSpirit 5160 is a great steel for camp knives and Bowie’s with the proper normalizing and heat treatment. 1075 is even better for larger blades.
Anybody know anything about the MH musso bowie? It appears to be a copy of this one for $200 on Ebay.
Can you post the link to your Facebook page I did a search and I couldn’t find it.
It is "Bowie Knife Connection" facebook.com/Bowie-Knife-Connection-731710337194159/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Thanks, wealth of information to be learn from your Facebook pages
www.ebay.com/itm/233156043690
Go to google type in musso Bowie knife amazon it will pop up price 139.99 shipping 6.99
I love my Damascus copy.
It's a blade catcher. You could catch a blade and flip it out of there hands.
The brass back strip cannot be found on any genuine 19th century Bowie. Musso's claim, including the "lab testing" has to be taken with a few grains of salt.
The brass back Bowie idea seems to have been introduced by Thorpe, in the 1920s, and put into the Bowie legend in the novel, _The Iron Mistress_ in 1950.
All that said, I have the Atlanta Cutlery (meaning Windlass) version of this blade and I love it.
Brass strips appear on other 19th century Bowies and on some 18th century Scottish dirks. Bowie’s family was Scottish. There is a lot of pseudo-information out there on this subject, so beware.
@@botswanabanger there is a painting of Sam Huston and James Bowie .Sam is looking over a battle map with James Bowie standing off to the side Sam is holding a knife exactly like the Musso . The painting is authentic . And every test done by a lab is singed by the lab that done the test and every test can be replicated .Oh Bowie is French lol
president Jefferson Davis of the confederacy had a brass backed bowie quite similar to the Musso Bowie .And yes it had a brass strap on the back
Huck stirred - run a quick Wikipedia or anything else on the name Bowie. It is Scots Gaelic.
@@botswanabanger wow I always thought it was French
What spoils it for me is this blasted micarta stuff! If it wasn't invented until 1912, how could it possibly be on a knife supposedly of the 1840s? Surely it MUST have a beautiful hardwood handle?
is it sharp or for show.
Very sharp!
@@bowieknifeconnection7177 cheers just brought one.
Razor sharp edge blade and usable knife.
@@bowieknifeconnection7177 where can I get one ?
Where can I buy a ursa musso Bowie.
Some one please send a address
2lbs seems too heavy for a fighting knife. Good short swords with 26" blades are under 3/bs.
The shape of the knife is very nice to look at. It looks similar to the Musso Bowie by Knives By Hand. That had a 1/4 inch blade. For a fighting knife, it could start at 1/4" at the hilt, but tapper down to the point. A short sword would have the same distal taper. It prrobably tapers from the back of the blade to the edge.
I disagree about the backstrap, I think it WAS a blade catcher! If you were actually in a knife fight, you would want every protection you could get! I know I would?
I just like the fact that it's 5160 spring steel, that means this baby is about as tough as they come, only way to break that blade is to drop 1000LBs on it lol, things a beast.
Yes, it is a beast! :-)
@@bowieknifeconnection7177 ya I'm a knife/sword collector myself, I have a 5160 high carbon raptor katana I absolutely love, I think 5160 is most deff my favorite type of steel.
The uploaded thing it’s a beast but in fact it’s a very fragile knife that can break in the rat tail tang ! It’s far from being a « full tang » knife....so it’s mean nothing to be to withstand 1000 lbs on side blade impact if the tang is as small and fragile than a rat tail....
@@bowieknifeconnection7177 How can I purchase the Musso Bowie you speak about in your video? Thank you.
@@markhamilton3215 hidden not rat tail
Does he offer these with a wood handle?
yes, I can make and dispatch you.
@@gulzarahmed2836 I am very interested in purchasing the Musso Bowie knife. How can I do so? Thank you.
Really scary looking. If your attacker has a heart problem you may scare him o death.
Once I heard the word Pakistan I turned it off, no wonder he left it until the end to break the news😂
Take a mans freaking arm off. Love it
this guy looks like Lindsey Graham
Actually, that is Lindsey Graham. When he was a little bit younger. Ha, ha ha ha ha
Interesting commenting on knives doesn't know the difference between a rat tail tang and a full tang this is a rat tail.
its not rat tail its hidden.
Liar. No way a wife byes that for a husband! Maybe in heaven?
Booee not bo ee.