Let’s get straight to business… What is Bowie Knife used for? Well…Hunting…Survival…Defense…Collecting…Let’s start with…
Hunting. This is believed to be the most popular use of Bowie Knife; however, it comes with mixed reviews.
There are several hunters out there who are able to use their Bowie knives for skinning and cleaning animals quite successfully. But there are also people who felt that the Bowie knife blade is long and heavy. You’ll find these knives to be 8 inches long (blade size) and 3 inches wide. So if you are out there in the wild, camping or sleeping under the open sky, a Bowie knife does come in handy, it is a good knife for survival and camping. Maybe for a little flare, you can try getting your hands on a Damascus steel Bowie knife. Then there is…
Survival. It seams together quite well with hunting.
Going out for a hunt with a knife in hand is useful, but also building up a house out of twigs and branches, then to peel the bark of the tree and all to make a blanket, a knife would be useful. Here is your survival at the best. On to the next…
Defense. Originally this knife was meant for hunting, but later Jim Bowie used it for defense as well.
It was actually a short sword. Bowie knives are great for hacking into things, and as a defense tool, it is quite intimidating. But still, you have to be careful. Finally, we have…
Collecting. Another area where Bowie knives excel.
These knives are definitely awesome to look at as well as to handle. They look beautiful in a display, and there are quite many Bowie knives that are considered antique and rare, and these range at $15,000 or even more. You are probably thinking it, so we’ll just ask it…What makes a Bowie knife a Bowie knife, and not just any other fixed blade knife? The Size and the Tip shape!
Size
You’ll find varying shapes, lengths, and tips of a Bowie knife, small to large. However, a Bowie knife generally is no less than 8 inches long, and there are even some that have a length of 24 inches. These forged Bowie knives are very much like a short swordstrapped to your waist. The blade is supposed to be heavy, with the width of 1 and a half to 2 inches.
Tip
In a traditional Bowie knife, the tip is a clip point. A clip point is quite a pointy tip that is combined with the length and weight of the knife. This makes it great for stabbing and close combat.
Something general…
These knives were named after Jim Bowie, whose intention for the knife was to protect oneself from a wild animal and the wild west men. Hence, we believe it is a good idea to have a scary, huge knife at your side for backup!
