Not many knives are worth $600. For that price, you can get a nice set of kitchen knives (or even 2).
So when Cold Steel released its new Natchez Bowie with a suggested retail value of $599.99, I had to see what the hype was all about.
Luckily for me, I was able to get a really good price and didn’t have to pay anywhere near $600.
This is what I thought:
What I like about the Natchez Bowie:
1. The blade steel is top of the line. Cold Steel is using VG-1 San Mai III in their Natchez Bowie knife which is folded and laminated Japanese steel.
This steel has an inner core of VG-1 stainless which is hard enough to stay razor sharp, but also somewhat brittle.
To counteract this, there is a layer of softer 400 series stainless steel on each side. The three layers of steel are laminated together and you can see a faint lamination line running just above the edge of the blade.
2. The handle of the Natchez Bowie is made from Micarta. This material is made from multiple layers of blue jean denim-like substance that is compressed together with resin.
The result is a smooth but rock solid handle that should last you a lifetime. The pommel and hand guard are made from 300 series stainless steel.
3. My Natchez Bowie was hair shaving sharp right out of the box. The blade of the knife is almost 1 foot long (11.75 inches)!
What I don’t like about the Natchez Bowie:
1. The upper edge (clip point) is not sharpened. Many bowie knives feature a sharpened clip point, but the angle is thin enough so that you can sharpen it yourself.
2. $600 is VERY steep for a knife. If you don’t know where to get a good deal, you will spend an arm and a leg for this knife.
Overall: Cold Steel’s Natchez Bowie is worth the massive price tag. Every piece of material that goes into the knife is TOP quality, and it is one of the most impressive looking knives that I can think of.