| The term Bowie Knife which is commonly used | | | | designed to do both jobs well, and is still popular |
| today refers to any large sheath knife but it also | | | | with hunters and sportsmen even in the present |
| applies directly to the specific original design by | | | | day. |
| Colonel James "Jim" Bowie and originally created | | | | The curved portion of the edge, toward the point, |
| by James Black. | | | | is for removing the skin from a carcass, and the |
| The historical Bowie knife was not a single design, | | | | straight portion of the edge, toward the guard, is |
| but was actually a series of knives improved | | | | for chores involving cutting slices. The blade is |
| several times by Jim Bowie over the years. | | | | generally long enough and heavy enough that the |
| The model most commonly known as the | | | | knife can be used as a hatchet or machete, but |
| historical Bowie knife was somewhat large and of | | | | not so heavy or long as to be cumbersome. Most |
| massive construction, as knives go, having usually | | | | such knives intended for hunting are only |
| a blade at least six inches long and 12 inches was | | | | sharpened on one edge, to reduce the danger of |
| not uncommon, with a relatively broad blade that | | | | cutting oneself while butchering and skinning the |
| was an inch and a half to two inches wide and | | | | carcass. |
| made of steel usually between 3/16" and 1/4" | | | | Starting in the 1970's a version of the Bowie Knife |
| thick. The back of the blade often had a strip of | | | | with sawteeth on the back side of the blade have |
| soft metal (normally brass or copper) inlaid | | | | been very popular with knife collectors, probably |
| intended to catch an opponent's blade, a concept | | | | due to the knife being displayed and used by |
| borrowed from the medieval Scottish dirk, and | | | | Sylvester Stallone's character in the original |
| also often had an upper guard that bent forward | | | | "Rambo" movie. These knives are still popular |
| at an angle, also intended to catch an opponent's | | | | today and are sold as survival knives in many |
| blade. The back edge of the curved clip point, also | | | | cases and are manufactured with a hollow handle |
| called the "false edge," was often sharpened in | | | | that could carry small survival items. |
| order to allow someone trained in European | | | | The actual usefulness of sawteeth on a knife is |
| techniques of saber fencing to execute the | | | | debatable, not to mention the hollow handles, |
| maneuver called the "back cut" or "back slash." A | | | | which may be prone to breaking if the knife is |
| brass guard was attached to protect the hand, | | | | poorly constructed, and many contend that the |
| usually cast in a mold. It is likely that the blade | | | | sharp teeth endanger the user when used to gut |
| shape was derived from the Spanish clasp knives | | | | and skin a large animal carcass such as a deer or |
| carried in Spain and the Spanish colonies in the | | | | elk, as well as making the knife much less useful |
| Americas. | | | | as a weapon as they make it prone to getting |
| Bowie was known for his many knife fights which | | | | stuck. A proper Bowie knife is long enough and |
| is why the original Bowie Knife was designed | | | | heavy enough that the user can usually chop |
| primarily as a weapon. The shape and style of | | | | through wood with it much faster than he could |
| blade was chosen so that the Bowie knife could | | | | use the saw teeth. |
| serve usefully as a camp and hunting tool as well | | | | Avid fans of the Bowie knife say that for a knife |
| as a weapon. Many knives and daggers existed | | | | to be called a "Bowie", it has to be long enough to |
| that could serve well as weapons, and many | | | | be used as a sword, sharp enough to use as a |
| knives existed that could serve well as tools for | | | | razor, wide enough to use as a paddle, and heavy |
| hunters and trappers, but the Bowie knife was | | | | enough to use as a hatchet. |