Unlike many other Schempp designs, the Bowie's blade is almost all edge, with no large choil area. I'm surprised more people aren't praising that feature, after all the complaints about the Barong, Tuff, etc.
After carrying and using the Bowie most of this week, I'm very impressed with the design. As JudasD mentioned, the liner lock is very easy to operate, neatly tucked into the bolsters visually, but still very accessible. The shape of the bolsters doesn't really cause any ergonomic issues for me during use. The thumb can comfortably rest on the top of the double guard, like a thumb ramp. Or with the index finger in the choil, the thumb can rest on the blade spine to give very nice control of the blade. I find the top guard doesn't really get in the way at all using this grip.
The bolsters are nicely beveled and rounded, and are not as sharp as they appear in pics. So far, the "points" on the double guard have caused no issues, either with wearing pocket material, getting in the way when clipped inside a pocket, or causing discomfort during use. The wire pocket clip works well, keeping the knife in place, and discreet in the pocket.
The blade angle makes for comfortable cutting, and the blade shape works very well for my needs. Not too much belly, and a very nice, sharp point. I really like this design in use.
I will say, after using it for a few days, the inside edges of the liners are quite sharp, and could use some attention to knock them down a little. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I definitely plan to do that.
Overall, this design is working much better as an EDC than I ever expected. I knew I had to have this design, as an interesting ethnic series addition, and a Schempp design for my collection. But I expected it to be an occasional carry piece with some quirks. It's turning out to be an unexpectedly good EDC knife for my uses. And it just looks cool. I like the juxtaposition of the traditional and the modern that the CF and brass create in this knife. I find it looks better in person too.
:D
