Are these any good?

These guys seem to like them: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/542960-Is-Western-s-W49-bowie-a-user

Yours is apparently an antecedent of the W49 being discussed there.

For what?

• Chopping branches off trees,
• separating the pelvic bone or the rib cage on a big game animal, damn straight they are.
• Same as for a fighting knife.

I had one in the very early 1980s and liked it a lot and had no problem putting an edge on it and the steel had a good temper to keep the edge...Like them far better then the later made Case Knives version...It burnt up in a house fire six years ago.

A little big for EDC and you'll find it will jab you in the ribs every time you sit down and not the greatest thing for a general purpose knife (far too big of a blade at 9½") since just about everything can be accomplished with around a 4"/10cm blade.

Price you paid is slightly higher then what they were retailing for in the 1970s (IIRC $45) or so and they are pretty good knives all around...You'd see lots of them at Fur Trade rendezvous or CAS matches.

For an inexpensive knife (back then) they were good value for the money for someone looking for primarily a chopper and for that "Oooh, what a big knife you have." for re-enactments and if you use them as such you'll enjoy your new purchase--Wear Well!

Bit of trivia from Wiki:

The Western Knife Company was a manufacturer of hunting knives which began operations in Boulder, Colorado in 1896. The company is probably best known for its "Bowie" style hunting knives. The company was purchased by Coleman (the famous manufacturer of outdoor equipment). Camillus Cutlery Company purchased Western from Coleman. In February, 2007, Camillus closed as a result of bankruptcy due to the harsh competition from companies making cheaper knives in other counrties.

Click to expand...

They used to make these here in Longmont? I wonder where?

I own a Western Bowie, and think it is one of the prettiest things in the world! I actually honed it on the bottom of a ceramic serving plate, there is a ring of exposed and unglazed ceramic on the bottom that gives good edge. I love that knife.