New Knife - Joker Bowie 7.87"

As the attentive reader you are, you have probably noticed that I have gone from a single knife from Spanish Joker to broadening that part of the collection considerably. Now it is time for another one. A knife that somewhat follows the same aesthetic as a folding knife called Becada. There is actually a thought behind that. Something that I intend to develop at a later time.

The common denominator is, of course, the handle material that is found in that folding knife, but is also found in this model called Bowie 7.87".

The name is purely descriptive as it, of course, tells you what type of knife it is, but also informs you about how long the blade is!

Joker Bowie 7.87"

This is far from Joker's largest Bowie. This variant is available in a longer version called 9.45", which translated means a 24 cm blade. In addition to that, the Bowie Hunter and Crown are found with 25 cm blades. But I chose the slightly smaller version for two reasons. One is balance in aesthetics. I think that this particular ratio between blade and handle looks extra appealing.

The same goes for the handle material, which is stag horn. I have always had a soft spot for white handles. And since I believe that elephants, walruses and other animals should be allowed to keep their teeth, this is an excellent substitute.

If you don't like this material, there are alternatives. Other horns from cattle or buffalo, but also wood. In this case, walnut is used in this model. It must be admitted that it is also stylish.

The harmonious, beautiful lines are emphasised by the materials, deer antler in the handle and leather in the sheath.

Although this is not the largest of the Bowie knives, it is still impressive. As it should be, it has a clip point blade, and it is 200 mm long. The thickness of the material is almost five millimetres, 4.8 to be exact. The material, Böhler N695, is the same as that found in my previous Bush Camp Knife. This is perhaps not so surprising since it is actually the same type of knife, but with a different appeal in terms of form.

The blade has a nice but somewhat difficult to photograph shiny satin finish. The massive finger guard is polished to a shine, as is the part of the steel that makes up the tang. This is a full tang knife, by the way. This does two things. First, the balance is excellent. The balance point is found in the middle of the guard. Despite its size, the knife therefore feels smaller and lighter. The knife has a length of 323 mm and a weight of 415 g.

The other thing that is achieved with a full tang is durability. In combination with a steel that is at least theoretically a more impact-resistant version of N690, it sounds excellent. A knife this big attracts you to do slightly heavier tasks. That was also how they were used historically.

The package is rounded off with a lanyard made of leather that ends with a deer antler button. The latter can be placed inside the belt if you want to be extra sure of keeping your knife. Otherwise, the sheath does an excellent job at that. It keeps the knife in place without rattling or any other sound.

The material is solid leather of good quality, and extra work has been put into it by providing it with decorative elements and seams.

Incidentally, this applies to the entire knife. It feels both solid and well-made. In addition to the case, it is noticeable on the very sharp and even factory edge and not least on the handle, which is very well polished. Some comment I saw online remarked that the tang stood proud over the rest of the handle. That is not the case here. Everything is even and soft.

The combined expression makes me fall for this knife immediately. Of course, it can be argued that everything it can do can also be done with a different type of "camp knife" and perhaps better since they don't have large finger guards that could possibly get in the way. But in that case, it's actually about aesthetics. This IS simply better looking, any questions about that?

As usual, I will write a review when there is evidence for one.

Joker

/ J - goes full Bowie

#knivesandbikes #knivigtvarre

My Soulthrower Open 2026, part I

It's often said that a criminal often returns to the scene of the crime. Apparently, this also applies to knife throwers. Last year I missed this competition, but this year I had the opportunity to attend. It was finally time for the first of three competitions of the year for me, the Soulthrower Open in Arboga.

A competition that, when I participated in for the first time, offered strong international competition. Unfortunately, there would be significantly less of that this year. The state of the world and the economy of individuals are putting a damper on many people.

Unusually, I did not travel together with my dear wife, but this was a solo trip. This means that the 480 km long car journey from Småland to Västmandland was a little longer and tougher than usual. But with a couple of stops, it went well. A hearty cup of coffee always does the trick. The way up was pure transport, so the extra small roads were avoided. However, most of the holiday traffic was heading the other direction, so the roads were relatively free of vehicles.

There was one problem: it was over thirty degrees when I started, and our car does not have AC. It certainly has a button marked "A/C", but the only thing that happens if you press it is that a green light is visible. Nice but not particularly cooling. 

A much-needed break in the region of Askersund, more specifically, the Hammarsund Bridge. Many hours in a car, hotter than 30 degrees, take their toll

Once there, I checked into an Airbnb in the centre of Arboga at the home of an extremely sympathetic older gentleman who turned out to be an artist with a checkered past. He also had a provident little dog, which turned out to be the centre of my attention a while later.

The second stop was the Arboga sportkastingsklubb's indoor arena. After a bit of socialising and greeting people I hadn't seen since last year, it was time for something of a surprise competition. The weekend started with a jump start, which meant duel throwing more or less on a standing foot.

This is where the dog came into the picture. I had neither training clothes nor a belt on me. Two things that are good to have if you are going to throw a knife. Shirts tend to get tight around the arms when you throw, and without a belt, you can't wear a knife sheath, which is a requirement in this specific sport. So it was just a sprint back to the accommodation on the other side of town, which thankfully isn't that big, to make up for the shortfall. 

The only problem was that Lady, the family dog, aimed for the door when I arrived and ran out! Panic was what I felt. The dog was very wary of strangers, as she was a rescued street dog from Ireland. Luckily, I somehow managed to persuade the little one not to run away, and I was able to lead her back inside. She is so old that I had to help her up the stairs.

Two beards duel, Pehart vs. Karlsson

Then there was a mixed warm-up/workshop. The latter, especially for me, who does not have access to any machines for timing and has never practised "quick draw". The principle is not difficult, but there are many details to think about. Tips and advice are therefore welcome for a beginner like me. But generally it went well, both in the warm-up and the throw. It can be stated that I am relatively safe, but in this context, slow. I rarely miss, but I am not fast. So I had nothing to do with the lead, something I did not expect either. The final consisted of the battle between the beards. In fact, the podium was sorted by the length of facial hair. With this, I have also revealed that Mr Soultrower himself did not actually win the standings but came second. Rickard has the longest beard and Simon the shortest.

After the competition, we talked over a couple of pizzas and Chinese food. Various topics were covered, and I also managed to visit the company that is located in the same premises as Arboga SK, Bra Billigt. They are developing a range of throwing knives that I got to see and test throw. It was a variant of a Seax that I believe in.

One of the models recently developed by Bra Billigt together with ASK

But since people are nice and I have a hard time being in between, time flew by. It was time to head for bed and get ready for tomorrow's activities. It would be more than expected, it would turn out.

Saturday's schedule included Walk Back in both knife and No Spin, as well as various Games. I knew most of them, but there was also something called "Mystery Game", which, of course, aroused some curiosity. Otherwise, it was Mountain Man, Speed ​​Throwing, Double Bit, Silhouette Throwing and Plank. In addition, distance throwing in both knife disciplines and basic games in Coutanque will also be completed. A very substantial program, in other words.

Then, as usual, there was going to be an axe competition on Sunday, that's how it was planned anyway. However, the reality looked a little different.

/ J - your thrower in the ether