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 their new Natchez Bowie with a suggested retail value of $599.99, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Fortunately 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 Natchez Bowie:

1. The blade steel is top of the line. Cold Steel is using VG-1 San Mai III in its Natchez Bowie knife, which is folded and rolled Japanese steel.

This steel has an inner core of VG-1 stainless steel that 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 a faint lamination line can be seen running just above the edge of the sheet.

2. The handle of the Natchez Bowie is made of Micarta. This material is made of multiple layers of a blue denim-like substance that is compressed together with the resin.

The result is a smooth yet rock-solid handle that should last a lifetime. The knob and hand guard are made from 300 series stainless steel.

3. My Natchez Bowie had shaved hair right out of the box. The knife blade is almost 1 foot long (11.75 inches)!

What I don’t like about Natchez Bowie:

1. The top edge (clip point) is not sharp. Many Bowie knives feature a sharp clip point, but the angle is fine enough that you can sharpen it yourself.

2. $600 is VERY expensive for a knife. If you don’t know where to get a good deal, you’ll spend an arm and a leg on this knife.

Usually: Cold Steel’s Natchez Bowie is worth the huge price. Every piece of material that is used in the knife is TOP quality, and it is one of the most impressive looking knives I can think of.