D-Guard Bowie Knife

All in all mine was good. It was not loose at all as has been mentioned by other people. It was not stored with any rust protection so it has some pitting but an acceptable amount. Welds on the scabbard mounts are a bit pitted. Everything considered It's worth the money if you catch it on the daily special. If you do the pirate thing at the faires it makes a great secondary to your cutlass.

There's a big slot where the blade sits and mine had a small crack where they hammered the peen. the finish on the guard and fittings on the scabbard were rough and had marks all over. You pay for what you get I suppose. Hard to index the edge unless getting the pinkie on that prominence at the bottom of the handle. Blade and scabbard were great though, just really wish they'd care about the hilt.

This knife was purchased for my brother who collects civil war weapons. He was impressed with the detail and quality of this replica.

I’ve always wants a D guard Bowie, so when AC put them on sale I decide to buy one.  I had it in graves & sharpened,  I’m pleased with it.  It’s a working knife.  The quality is good for the price point.

1917 bowie continued
I took the grip piece off the knife to see the tang. The guard is probably soldered but could be welded to the tang/blade. Very solid and showed no sign of looseness and wasn't going to budge. Tang itself is solid 1 inch and 1/4" thick, same as the blade. The rosewood grip is a hard and solid piece of wood. Fits well on the knife and in the hand, as is.  Maybe it will be customised with a white bone or other substance, just cuz I can and like to customise my knives- but it really doesnt look like it "needs" to be replaced..The bone/ivory look appeals to me..  I was impressed, and Ive dealt with a few bowies and other large
knives.... In solidity and striking power I rate it up with the Windlass kukri Ive used for much of my adult life as a mtn/camp knife. Whether or not the steel is as good or better than the standard kukri remains to be seen.
This is a beautiful example of a heavy, large bowie. Solid quality!

Bought this for nothing more than display. Always liked the D-guard cutlass type blades. Don't know how well it would stand up to actual use, but, as part of a collection, it looks great and does feel nice in the hand.

Good quality large knife.  Holds an edge well.  I have opened pellet bags with it by the thrust and slice method; very satisfactory.  More than a stage prop.  Wild hog had 2 arrows in it.  Had nothing else; finished it with the D guard Bowie.

Great knife, sturdy & beautiful

Generally has a good feel and balance and is reasonably accurate historically , including the thin slippery, round handle. It could be used as a weapon for thrusting and slashing and also serve as a field tool.
The guard seems a little oversized, but does allow for 2 handed use.
Unknown are the width of the tang and whether it is 1 piece or welded or deferentially heat treated from the blade. Judging by the crude peened end of the tang it is very thin.
As a weapon of choice I would pass on it, too awkward and potentially weak. It would be nice if Windlass would make a combat version with full exposed tang, etc in the same price rang.
4 stars as a replica, 2 stars as a weapon.

It is a good knife overall but too many blemish marks on the hilt guard and there is no belt attachment on the sheath.  The sheath could at least use a button or protrusion to attach a frog which could be used for attachment to a belt.

WOW, This knife was so much more than I expected for the price!  It's heavy, well made and my husband loved his initials on it. I've never seen him so happy over a gift before! He does reenactments, and said everyone liked the knife. THANK YOU from Florida

Aside from being unsightly, a bad guard-to-blade joint is a sign of poor crftsmanship.

Fixing the wide gaps in the guard-to-blade joint, and having the joint silver-soldered would improve the knife considerably and should be considered by Windlass in future manufacturing quality improvement.

The bad guard to blade fit allows moisture and crud to enter into the handle and potentially cause rust at the critical joint.  A soldered guard would make the joint stronger.