Name: Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie Fixed 12.25" 1085 Carbon Blade, Rosewood Handles
Brand: Cold Steel Knives
SKU: CS88CSAB
Price: 124.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3.824 (34 reviews)

Kent
CA

Aug 24, 2022

Pros: None

Cons: None

Excellent quality knife!

This is a great quality knife! It's quite large & very stoutly built. The sheath is fairly good quality too. This knife is good for bushcraft, hunting, self defense, etc. The 1085 carbon steel is really good quality. The bluing on the blade, tang & guard look really nice. Just keeping a little oil on the metal & rubbed into the wood will help a lot to preserve it by preventing rust & other problems. I recommend Tuf-Glide oil, but Ballistol is good too. I'd love to see this knife with titanium nitride or powder coat on the metal. But it's a really good knife & I highly recommend it. Thanks to Cold Steel, Windlass Steelcrafts & Knife Center for making it possible to own such a good piece. 🤠👍🏼

Tex
Washington state

Oct 13, 2017

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Fantastic knife for the connoisseur on a budget

These 1 star reviews seem to be people who either don't own one or don't understand knives. As an ABS trained bladesmith I have a fair amount of knowledge on the topic. The construction hasn't been 1055 in years so the info on this site is out of date. It is "hard" to sharpen due to being hard spring tempered 1090 steel, not because it's poorly tempered as the "operator's" review implies. Take anyone who calls themself an "operator" with a grain of salt as only airsoft kids and armchair soldiers tend to use that title. Mine is hefty, well fitted, and holds a razor edge through heavy use. It is dull upon shipping, but if you can't hand sharpen to a razor edge, you don't need a knife like this to begin with. The imperfections are par for the course with any hand forged blade for less than a grand, but add charm and a touch of authenticity. Weighted for chopping it is not a fighting bowie, but rather an all purpose bowie however the finger groove in the choil makes the blade far more nimble. It is not "dipped in black stuff" as the "operator" claims either. It is in fact blued and has a bit of cosmolene on it to protect during transport. All in all the best bowie for your money and far sturdier than either the Laredo or Natchez bowie. I can't recommend it enough, it's become my everyday carry knife.

Aum
San Antonio, Texas

Mar 11, 2021

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Thrust or Cut

First of all, I want to say the workmanship on these knives is very good, and there must have been some good quality inspection by those people who are involved with Cold Steel, they must be trying to impress others with their attention to detail, and it probably will keep them in sure production. The knife itself easily lets the wielder the opportunity to thrust or to slash, as should be the option of any good strategy .Measure, Method and Timing is the most important in all Martial Arts strategy as it was in the old days, as it still hasn't changed. The weapon needs to be versatile, and able to be used for reliability and dependability. I chose this weapon as part of my collection due to the steel as well. My martial arts back ground of over 53 years has taught me on what to look for in a weapon, and survival tools alike.This knife is a winner,and a keeper. Light in the hand, thrust or cut. Thanks, Knifecenter, Namaste, Aum

Igor
NJ

Sep 03, 2022

Pros: None

Cons: None

Most have

Very well made Bowie,KC - best service.

Rick
NJ

Sep 03, 2020

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

KING of all BOWIE knives!

This BOWIE is SICK! It's MEAN and it's all BUSINESS! If you think it looks cool as hell now on the website, wait until you hold it and see it in person. When I think of Jim Bowie and vision him fighting at the end of the ALAMO I invision him with this BOWIE and no other. If it was armageddon and I had to pick a knife this would be it, no questions asked! The fit and finish are great, the sharpness is perfect for this blade. The weight and balance is perfect for combat and survival if needed it can play both roles. I'll end this review by saying..... BUY THIS DAMN BOWIE NOW!!!!!! NO REGRETS WILL BE HAD!!!!

Harry B.
Pittsburgh PA.

Jun 19, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

A great bowie from Cold Steel

This is a very nice large bowie, with great balance and a wonderful heft. it'll make a great chopper and a very good cutter and also has a very businesslike and utilitarian look without decoration or frills. Overall a great knife and a good purchase, with the second lowest price on the internet!

William
Mississippi

Oct 12, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Excellent knife in every regard...

This is a great piece. Any real knife aficionado knows that one hand-made piece will have variations from another, and this is no exception to that rule. I had to tighten the scales on mine when it came in, but I'm certainly not going to whine about it. Hard use will eventually loosen them and then I'll have to tighten them again. Heck, I might even have to actually SHARPEN it myself (and know how to do so). This is a knife for the manly men, not the whiney-boys who want pretty toys. This is a hard-use blade for real work in the real world.

Strider42
Cheyenne, Wyoming

May 26, 2020

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Now that's a Knife!

When I found that this knife was made by Windlass Steelcraft, I was not expecting it to be razor sharp, but could have been sharper. I cleaned the Cosomile off the knife with WD-40, then hot water and some dish soap, looks great. Scabbard/Sheath was, is a bit tight, so I applied a bit of WD-40 to the inside of the sheath. Now the leather is water proof. I've done this same trick with other of my long high carbon steel blades. All in all this will make a good knife to carry when I'm out hiking. No bears will get this old man :)

Alden
Endless Mountains, Pennsylvania

Oct 15, 2019

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Most Attractive finish EVER

88CSAB= COLD STEEL SITE HAS IT LISTED AS 1085 steel .I dont understand why I see these listed in different steels but I got an early one and the finish is a work of art.Mine is wonderful steel,nice and sharp out of the box,great profile,lines,grinds.,sheath...I am always amazed these are just over $100 bucks.WHAT A QUALITY KNIFE..I honestly give this value award for the money.I know is some "Wanna "Be" fool", speaking reviews on here,using words like green horns,etc while everyone has a different use and may like their knife razor sharp (above utility edge)when entering the bush as I do.If chopping is needed(Which MAY DULL CHEAPER BLADES at faster rate) I use the area close to hilt so to preserve the front portion of blade for tasks a sharp edge is needed.I have bears,bobcat's,foxes,coyotes,skunk's just walking by my door.Even must escort my pup out to wee at nite..Rabid animal attacks occur here and when I need to flick,I want my tip portion razor sharp.That guy talking like he is Bowie himself is a muppet.lol...You people chase the traits in your knife for your life, and let the muppet speak of $1200.00 Randall he never chopped with a day in his life.lol.Nothing worse than a know it all fool.Everyone here has a different need and a different region for their blade.I will admit,I normally can find a axe or large machete to chop rather than scuff up my side knife.Anyone doing that with a Randall unless in survival situation,is again,A MUPPET.lol..These here Frontier 1917's are great knives.I even bought a used one to beat up and have my new one in the box greased in Johnson's floor wax to enjoy the cosmetic bliss of the finish...You'd be pleased with these

Brian W.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA)

Sep 28, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Outstanding Old School Bowie Knife!!

I love Cold Steel knives. I have owned both versions of the CS Trail Master Bowie knife...the hogh carbon one And now I proudly own the CS Trail Master San Mai III Bowie knife!! Been wanting that one for a long while. Got an unexpected refund. I bought it and a Rhondo handmade custom fitted sheath made Specifically for the CS Trail Master Bowie knife. I also had bought the CS Marauder Bowie knife too. I tell you, I Loved that knife. But I decided to give that one and my other Trail Master Bowie knife as gifts to 2 different co-workers. So far I have given at least one high end production knife such as my 2 Cold Steel Bowie knives, and a few handmade custom bowie knives, to eac of my co-workers. I feel that sinceGod has been so good to me with Blessings, I should also spread those Blessings. Anyway, still, I Love Cold Steel knives and Love my new CS Trail Mastee San Mai III Bowie knife!! Now, I have had my eye on the CS Frontier Bowie knife for a while now. And based on very positive reviews on this knife Everywhere, I decided to buy this awesome knife tonight!! I will leave an update on the knife when I receive it. And if it is as rugged, big, and badass as others have claimed in their review of it, then I am sure...no...Positive...that my review will be yet Another hogh end positive review as well!! I Am really excited aboutnit and cannot Wait to receive my brand new Cold Steel Frontier Bowie knife!! Thanks for reading!!!

Bret W
Ca.

Dec 10, 2014

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish

Cons: None

cold steel frontier bowie

KnifeCenter shipped this to me (in Ca.) when others would not!Perfectly legal but just would not ?Anyway,knife center is my guys now!Great knife!It's huge.I like big,well proportioned,old school knives and this is my new favorite.Granted this is not built like a custom knife but your not payin the high dollars either.

Abraham
Newark

May 01, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material

Cons: None

Great Fixed Blade

I love the weight and feel. Some are complaining about the wood grain - it's wood bro, there are going to be differences knife to knife. This is a big blade, so know what you are getting - fun to show off and works perfectly - Get one! - Man I love me some Cold Steel!

Michael
Havelberg, Germany

Apr 12, 2021

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Big Knife

I am thrilled, the knife arrived after only 3 days at Germany / Europe. A really well-made knife. It actually looks like it came from another time. Very stable and valuable. Absolutely worth the price.

Roberth
MD

Mar 26, 2014

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

Massive Bowie!

Wow! That was my first impression when unboxing the beast. And it is a beast. This is one big bowie. From the blade length and width, to it's thickness. This is very stout knife. I do like how CS opted for a nice big fuller in the blade. This helps lighten this massive blade without sacrificing strength. This is good because this knife is plenty heavy enough with it. Overall the blade and guard are substantial. The handle is sort of a full tang. The tang runs the full length of the handle, it it not the full width. The wooden scale actually has a channel carved into it so that it sits or "caps" the tang from the top side. So what to have a tang where the metal is exposed along the bottom length, but covered along the top length (I hope I explained that good enough for people to understand). This is not a con though, as the tang is still very substantial and runs the entire length, even ending at the point (which is good for pommel strikes). The sheathe is very nicely done as well. The frog can easily be removed if you prefer to just slip the knife in your belt to carry that way. or with the frog, you can loop it on your belt. It has metal parts at the throat and tip of the sheathe as well, which is also blued the same color as the knife blade. Overall, for the price of this knife this is and outstanding deal. I can't believe I got this much knife, and very good knife at that, for this much money. It's no Von Tempskey, but it's still an excellent buy.

Jeff
Peoria , Az

Apr 30, 2022

Pros: Overall Quality, Materials, Handle Material

Cons: Blade Sharpness

1917 Frontier Bowie

Nice heavy duty Bowie knife. Beautiful finish & sheath. Needs to be sharpened.

Mark D
Washington

Apr 09, 2014

Pros: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Good value for the price.

I bought this knife for performing hiking/camping chores with a little bit of extra style. I was pleasantly surprised at the fit and finish of the sheath: the pivot on the hanger really helps manage the blade when you sit down. The knife is solidly assembled and the finish is well executed. The edge needed some attention out of the box. The perceived weight is in the "manageable" range, but not what I would call "lively" in the hand - it's a tool rather than a weapon (although a proper distal taper would solve that). Overall, you can't beat it for the price point.

Kevin
USA

Apr 13, 2014

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

not bad

has far as over all its not bad I have some LITTLE flaws there is a little crack in the hilt and some discoloration in the hilt but that's all so far and this thing is HEAVY

Rodger Young
Fremont, WA

Mar 31, 2014

Pros: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

It's a knoif

A preface; I didn't buy this knife to use, I have other big blades for field use. This will be a display piece. Its fit and finish is more than satisfactory to that end. Despite its size it is not nose heavy, the balance point is a 1/4" forward of the choil. The Indian influence is apparent in the heavy cross guard and the mild scimitar sweep to the belly. The sheath is very sturdily built and shows excellent finish. The stocks fit the tang well with only a minor saw mark on the toe. The blued finish is smooth and mostly regular and appears to be durable. I'll keep a light coat of beeswax on it just in case. Minor, perfectionist, gripes: The primary bevel was slightly off center and the knife appears much sharper than it actually is. A correct sharpening would solve both of these issues. Luckily, I live up the street from Albert at Seattle Edge and he could protect the bluing while I might scratch it in the process of sharpening. He evened out the bevel and added a razor's edge. While the design and finish of the sheath is excellent it is not vat dipped leather so the inside of the scabbard is still white. Not a cosmetic issue as much as one of durability and corrosion resistance. More serious complaints are that the rivet for the frog swivel abuts the crossguard hard enough to scratch it and the scabbard is so tight that drawing the blade takes two hands. Cool features: The frog on the sheath allows the knife to be removed from the belt without removing the knife from the sheath. A very old design unseen in these days of Fastex buckles and Velcro. The "British Proof Certificate" showing that the blade passed testing to certify British swords and describing the test standards.

Donald Seddon
so cal

Apr 29, 2014

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Cons: Handle Material, Blade Sharpness

This is what I want when the Zombies attack

I did have to send back the first one because of a small crack in the handle. Knifecenter honored their no hassle return policy. Aside from not being cold steel sharp, which a little honing will cure, this thing is massive, impressive, and an instant conversation piece. I do get the impression that these were found by cold steel in someones warehouse after sitting for some time. They feel like they are made in india, kind of crude, covered in dried up oil, no cold steel stamp, rusted fittings. BUT if I were lost in the jungle, with a knife sharpener, this is a killer knife. I am afraid that the handle might not stand up to the level of use you would abuse this blade to.

Keith B
Horizon City, Tx

Oct 28, 2018

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Cons: None

1917 Frontier Bowie

Mine came in great shape. Solid, and well built. A true Texas style bowie. Only issue was a little screw up on the secondary bevel on one side of knife. I plan on full convexing it anyway. Doesnt seem overly heavy for its size. Well worth this price for such a great knife!

Dun
Colorado USA

Oct 13, 2020

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Cons: None

All in all, not a bad knife!

I use it to mess around with, I'm a knife collector (especially bowies) and I have no concerns about whether this piece of art will function as a hacker/whacker/chopper/slicer/alligator-knacker should things call for it. About all I wouldnt use it for is a thrower (as some have done to my knowledge) but that is because I don't throw my knives, period. The only real concern I have is the rosewood grip- I like the wood feel/fit/finish fine- that's just me. BUT I prefer a smooth phenolic or micarta grip- much more durable than wood. The shape of the grip doesnt fit my hand as well as it might, but some judicious time on a sander will take care of that should I decide to alter it. The blade shape itself reminds me of a bayonet blade more than the bowies I'm used to. However bowie blades come in any number of styles and shapes. The edge has a slight curve to it which assists in cutting and is common among fighting bowies. It doesnt come as sharp as CS knives generally do but some time on a stone will take care of that, as well as the unsharpened clip. All in all, not a bad knife, and one I would trust my butt to if it came to that. Not my personal First Choice in a grab and run situation (I have another personal preference) but it would do the job- about any job a bowie might be called on to do.

Senor Fuego De Basura
Vera Cruz

Jan 29, 2022

Pros: Blade Sharpness, Weight, Overall Quality, Materials

Cons: None

1917 Frontier Bowie "Operator"

I use mine for basic camp chores and intimidating punk operators. It's a good bowie, decent knife. It (along with many other bowies) is a bit large and so I carry smaller knives as well. Gave it a 4 because the grip didnt feel right in my hands, and so I had to do some customisation on my belt sand and then repolish, otherwise it's a 5. The steel and tempering is good at least for my purposes, mostly chopping and hacking tho it does slice, too. Seems to keep a scary edge, it isnt Carbon-5 of years gone by, but what is? I trust it, and it's a proven blade, so there it is! Oh, and the sheath is an interesting take for a bowie, more like a bayonet scabbard. Overall I'd give it a 4.5, Im not sorry I bought it by any means. Not necessarily my "Go-To bowie" but then I own so many... Would I carry it on "Naked And Afraid"? Maybe not, but wouldnt feel entirely naked if it was all I had!

Josh

Mar 25, 2014

Pros: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: Blade Sharpness

The blade was flat at the first and last 1/2" of the blade and sharpening the tip was not easy. The knife feels sturdy it was just sad to see a tag that states strongest sharpest knives in the world and then see such a sad "edge"

David
Bedford IN

Jun 13, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Materials

Cons: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

well...

well... mine came in less then perfect condition. The blade was scratched the scabbard had rust on the rivets and it was not that sharp. But other than that it is a good blade, just wish it would not have been handled so poorly.

Walter F Bill
montana

Mar 26, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Finish

Cons: Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

How can this be?

Such a good looking, old fashioned knife and such size, but then the blade is dull? For that kind of money, one should expect a very sharp knife. What gives?

Michele
napoli(Italy)

Jun 25, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material

Cons: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

good

I am a great fan of CS knives so I was a little disappointed when I saw this knife. It was totally unsharpened (no problem to sharpen with my Worksharp bought here) and rivets on sheath are made in iron and was badly rusted ( it take a lot of oil and one hour of hard work to restore). The sheath is well made and the knife is beautiful. Handle is comfortable. Overall a good knife but can be made a lot better

Kalvin
Hong Kong

Apr 30, 2014

Pros: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Cons: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Eye candy, but just that.

This knife is neither a fighting knife nor a survival knife. On the design of the knife, it is a beast.It has the classic bowie style blade with a deep blood groove, an oversize handle guard and a nice handle. However, it is not suitable for either fighting or survival. Although the blade has a deep blood groove, a generous hand guard and an acute tip, weighting at over 20 ounces, you have to be a big guy to wield it quickly, let alone using it effectively in a fight. The needle tip of the blade is excellent for piercing material, however 1055 steel is too soft to support such an acute tip so the tip will break if it is abused, including stabbing hard wood, which brings me to the next point. The acute point and hand guard makes the frontier bowie not suitable for survival tasks, its acute point will snap even processing hard wood and the hand guard will get in the way when splitting logs. Cold steel did offer a finger choil for detail work but it is not comfortable to use. Also the back spine was not sharpen for fire steel striker. The finishing on the blade is acceptable, however the grind is not unify through out the blade and is kind of dull out of the box comparing with other cold steel products. The handle finishing is great.But the handle is too square and is not very comfortable. Luckily, the handle is very thick and wide so you can sand it down to your liking. The leather on the sheath is a bit thin and the fitting isn't the best, but as a collectible, it is done really well. The belt loop can be removed from the sheath to give it a slimmer profile. One quick note, the colour of the handle is much more darker than it was shown on the picture, almost a dark chocolate brown, but the wood grain pattern is still clearly visible. Overall, this blade is more of a collectible item or project knife than a fighting knife or survival knife.The blade is very elegant and some what intimidating (I guess you can scare off unwanted visitors with it), but the material choice and blade geometry made it not suitable for fighting or survival. Lastly, thank you for reading my whole review and tolerating my poor English. I hope it helped you in considering whether or not to purchase this item.

Josh

Mar 13, 2014

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Not what I expected

Well this knife is ok but the blade edge was not good at all and they claim to be the toughest and sharpest in the world. The first and last 1/2" of the blade was as dull as a butter knife and took quite a bit of sharpening to correct. Also it's not easy to sharpen the tip without marring up the bluing on the blade. Other then that mess it's a pretty stout knife.

Johan
Sweden

May 01, 2014

Pros: Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Decent, nothing more.

The knife itself is sturdy and well made. The problem is with the edge grind. On the whole blade the edge is missaligned and way off center to the right. If I had access to a belt grinder it would be easily fixable, but as I don't the blade is almost unusable since it would take a long long time to fix it just by hand. I would not reccomend buying this knife before Cold Steel fixes their quality control. Although this is the only CS knife I have EVER had an issue with.

Michele
Napoli(italy)

May 27, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

gooooood knife!

it a huuuuge knife, very well made but, unfortunately (mine) is totally unsharpened and that's strange for a CS. For the price tag sheath is good but something better is possible. blade is 1055 steel which is a good steel but loose the edge quite fast. Overall quality is good but it is a project CS could improve!

Shawn
Mtns.

Jun 08, 2014

Pros: Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Look elsewhere.

To be honest,this knife came with a fit/finish that you would expect to see on a flea market knife.I ordered mine from another website,and upon looking it over, after recieving it,i immediately contacted them,and returned it,the same day,for a refund.This is unacceptable,especially for a knife that costs over $100.I can understand a knife that costs $25-50 having these issues,but not one that costs well over $100.I have seen bowie knives made from 420 and 440a stainless,that had better fit/finish,and were sharper than this bowie.Not to mention cost far less.In other reviews i read, mine wasn't a rare occurance.Seems like CS shipped alot of these "defect" knives.How did these get past QC? Does CS even have QC in India?To be fair,this bowie, in Perfect condition, isn't worth a penny over $75.In the condition mine came in,with the angled to the right blade,and uneven grind,and nicks in the blade,and handle,it wasn't worth more $25.This bowie does not have the premium materials in it, to justify costing over $100.1055 steel is not even close to being the best 10xx steel available.The handle,while decent looking,is nothing to ride home about.The sheath is the ONLY decent quality.This knife should have been marked"Factory seconds",it was that bad.This bowie isn't practical for anything other than a "showpiece".Once you handle it,you"ll see.It's too heavy,bulky,and unbalanced,to use effectively at ANY activity.Very POOR QC on CS's part.Unacceptable..Plain and simple.

Robert E
Chester, Va

Apr 11, 2014

Pros: None

Cons: Overall Quality

Factory Defect

Blade emerges from handle at a pronounced and unacceptable angle to the right. Very poor quality control on the part of Cold Steel.

Thunder Phoenix
Netherlands

Apr 04, 2014

Pros: Weight, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Cons: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie go or no go ?? a real No-no

I owned many Cold Steel knives in the past for my field tasks as an operator. All of them performed good. This Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie as mentioned is produced in India !?!? 1) the blade The blade is really ............. trash. Difficult to sharpen. After closer inspection also found out the blade is not symmetrical. The manufacturer has real problems to machine correct fullers. The fuller on the left-side showes a ridge in the middle of the fuller, the full lenght. The right side was ok. This machined flaw was first hard to detect, because the blade was dipped and covered with a thick black stuff/goo for anti-corrosion purposes. When rubbing your thumb over the left fuller you will feel the ridge in the fuller. 100% sure when this thick black anti corrosion goo is removed, the flaw can be clearly visible. I did not adress this problem and to KnifeCenter, but directly to Cold Steel. Knife Center is only retailer and has nothing to with knife production. Cold Steel will receive this knife back for investigation. I not even want a refund for this knife, but let Cold Steel judge themselves where they want to go with their QA policy. 2) Sheath The best I have ever seen. The real English/Indian craftmanship you can expect. 3) Advise If going for a Cold Steel Bowie, take any they sell in every price range. All other Cold steel Bowies are produced immaculately sofar. The Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie is a real blasphemy for what Cold Steel stands for.

Thunder Phoenix
Netherlands

Apr 05, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Cons: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

revised view + update

I owned many Cold Steel knives in the past for my field tasks as an operator. All of them performed good. This Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie as mentioned is produced in India !?!? 1) The blade is really ............. trash. Difficult to sharpen. After closer inspection also found out the blade is not symmetrical. The manufacturer has real problems to machine correct fullers. The fuller on the left-side showes a ridge in the middle of the fuller, the full lenght. The right side was ok. This machined flaw was first hard to detect, because the blade was dipped and covered with a thick black stuff/goo for anti-corrosion purposes. When rubbing your thumb over the left fuller you will feel the ridge in the fuller. 100% sure when this thick black anti corrosion goo is removed, the flaw can be clearly visible. I did not adress this problem to KnifeCenter, but directly to Cold Steel. Knife Center is only the retailer and has nothing to do with knife production. Cold Steel will receive this knife back for investigation. I not even want a refund for this knife, but let Cold Steel judge themselves where they want to go with their QA policy. 2) Sheath . The best I have ever seen. The real English/Indian craftmanship you can expect. 3) Advise if going for a Cold Steel Bowie, take any they sell in every price range. All other Cold steel Bowies are produced immaculately sofar. The Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie is a real blasphemy for what Cold Steel stands for. Since I still needed an intermediate Bowie in a good price range, I ordered a Cold Steel Marauder from Knife Center. One of my colleagues ownes a Marauder. That was a real confirmation ..... While the Cold Steel Marauder shines and shows quality, Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie is really an insult for the all Cold Steel Bowie-type knives. Better equip the Marauder with a steel/brass hand guard and ask 10$ more, but take the Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie out of the production line or let it be produced in Japan or Taiwan.

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Reviews and Ratings for Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie Fixed 12.25" 1085 Carbon Blade, Rosewood Handles

Price: $124.95

Customer Reviews

Excellent quality knife!

Fantastic knife for the connoisseur on a budget

Thrust or Cut

Most have

KING of all BOWIE knives!

A great bowie from Cold Steel

Excellent knife in every regard...

Now that's a Knife!

Most Attractive finish EVER

Outstanding Old School Bowie Knife!!

cold steel frontier bowie

Great Fixed Blade

Big Knife

Massive Bowie!

1917 Frontier Bowie

Good value for the price.

not bad

It's a knoif

This is what I want when the Zombies attack

1917 Frontier Bowie

All in all, not a bad knife!

1917 Frontier Bowie "Operator"

well...

How can this be?

good

Eye candy, but just that.

Not what I expected

Decent, nothing more.

gooooood knife!

Look elsewhere.

Factory Defect

Cold Steel 88CSAB 1917 Frontier Bowie go or no go ?? a real No-no

revised view + update