Bowie or not bowie, that is the question...

D

Dmitry.M

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Jun 13, 2006
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I made a knife for one good man. It was not an order, just a gift. He wanted bowie. And I am not a huge specialist in the shapes and names of knives. So I did something that I think is a bowie.
I NEED HELP. Tell me if it is bowie or not. I fit is not ... man I would need to make another... :o

Specs are as follows:
Blade 7" X 1/8", flat ground. Guard is from the same steel as blade is. The tang is 2-1/4" and riveted with brass pin. There is no butt cap as I saw on other bowies, it is carved instead.
Filework is probably Ok with the bowie style as well as matching esign on the sheath.

People, I really need an advice. Good or bad, I will take it all.
 
I thought Bowie had Clip Points similar to this
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The test for a Bowie knife is:
Do you want to hold it point up over your head and shout "Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie". (I guess you would need to remember the tv show)

It's a Bowie to me.

Dino in Reno
 
The term "bowie" covers a pretty broad range of blade styles but I think traditionally it refers to a large clip point blade. Although in my reading the very earliest knife that Bowie used is believed to have been a simple, large, kitchen type knife. I'm sure there are many here who are better versed in the history of the "Bowie knife" but I would think that most would agree that the term is open to interpretation.

I think that that knife you have made, in my humble opiinion, qualifies as a Bowie knife. Quite a nice one at that.

SDS
 
SDS said:
The term "bowie" covers a pretty broad range of blade styles but I think traditionally it refers to a large clip point blade.
Click to expand...

Does it mean that the "clip" should be of any specific shape? And term "large" is rather inaccurate. For the TSA officer a 2' blade is large, a 2ft blade might be small for jungle trip.
I did not find any specific data on bowie shapes and sizes.

Thank you Dudley!
 
It looks like one heck of a nice bowie to me as well. Actually, looking at the pics you posted, it looks to have a very subtle clip design to it, with the clip starting far up the blade. I personally don't like a strongly clipped blade. I always fall for the subtle clips like you've got going on. Understated MEAN! I would gladly own that blade and call it a bowie, as I think most here would. You're good to go. Your customer will LOVE it!

--nathan
 
silver_pilate said:
It looks to have a very subtle clip design to it, with the clip starting far up the blade. --nathan
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It has a clip starting approximately 2" from the guard and it is down from the straight line 1/4"+ at the tip. So technically it IS clipped, but it does not look like clipped much.

It is not for a customer. I do not feel that the quality is high enough to sell. It is my first knife in this style and I would like to learn much more before I will do bowies for sale.
 
While I personally prefer to think of a Bowie as being a clip point blade, if you do any kind of historical research you'll find that pretty much any large bladed fighting knife from the 1830's to 1900 was called a Bowie, it didn't matter what blade shape it had.

From everything I have read, and this is far from gospel, it appears that in the pre-civil war period fencing salles were losing students and money because the sword was no longer being carried by "Gentlemen" in favor of the big fighting knife. Therefore fencing masters began to adapt sword techniques to the use of the Bowie. Among these techniques was saber fencing which incorporated a move called the back cut which, in some styles, used the back of the point for a circular ripping style strike. When applied to the Bowie Knife it was found that the clip point was one of the more effective shapes for this move. Even today the Keating style bowie technique emphasizes this move and it is quite effective. I have sparred against several Filipino style knife fighters and it has worked well.

I think that your piece is actually a quite admirable example of what I think of as a Bowie. From the picture it appears to have plenty of point to back cut with. But even better is your pistol grip style horn handle. In our training and sparring we have found that the pistol grip not only enhances the back cut but also all the more usual moves such as thrusting and snap cutting.

I would be quite proud of that knife if I were you!
 
"Bowie" knife blades range from a bigger Mediterranean dagger to a jungle chopper. A big clip is not required although many have one. Heck big clip, small clip, sharp back edge, spear point, all are found on Bowie knifes. 4" to 18" of blade, it could be a Bowie. The definition of what makes a Bowie is like the definition of pornography that a justice of the US Supreme Court used..."I know it when I see it". For historic blade and grip shapes look for big auction catalogs with color photos. I have a Greg Martin catalog from April 24 2006 that is real useful for this.
I like the one you made, it's a Bowie to me.

Dino in Reno
 
I've seen a couple of knives on display at The Alamo and Texas History Museum owned by Rezin Bowie (Jame's Brother). They looked like large kitchen knives but not as wide as a typical butcher knife. I stick to the definition in most dictionaries. Basically, they define a Bowie as a large single edged knife.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
bowie knife /ˈboʊi, ˈbui/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[boh-ee, boo-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a heavy sheath knife having a long, single-edged blade.
[Origin: 1830–40, Americanism; named after James Bowie, for whom the knife was designed, either by James or his brother Rezin P. Bowie (1793–1841)]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
bow·ie knife (bō'ē, bōō'ē) Pronunciation Key
n. A single-edged steel hunting knife, about 15 inches (38 centimeters) in length, having a hilt and a crosspiece.


[After James Bowie.]

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
bowie knife

noun
a stout hunting knife with a single edge

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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The definition for a Bowie knife can also be found in the laws enacted during the same period from such states as Texas, Arkansas and many others , whereas "Bowie" and "Arkansas Toothpick" are used synonymously. We can tiresomely toil over archaic laws and court cases to eventually come to the conclusion that a Bowie knife is a.....

... BIG KNIFE!:eek::eek::eek:
 
Thank you Fred, it is too much to call it beautiful, but if YOU say so, I'll let it be. :)

So the score PRO/CONTRA is 10:3 wich makes it more the bowie than not...
But I understood that if I am going to make next "REAL BOWIE" it has to be BIG, it has to have distinctive CLIP and it has to be single edged.

Today I'll try to give it to the owner. Hope he will not beat me up.
Thanks everyone!!!!
 
That is definitely not a bowie. Don't disappoint your friend. I'll give you a few bucks for it so you can build him a real one - ok?
 
Dmitry.M said:
Today I'll try to give it to the owner. Hope he will not beat me up.
Thanks everyone!!!!
Click to expand...
If you're giving a gift to someone who might become angry and violent, maybe you should not be giving him a knife.. :D. Maybe you should start with something softer, like a pillow or a beach ball...
Nice knife, by the way. I'd call it a Bowie knife, too.
 
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