Criteria for Classifying Knife Type/Style?

[AlaskanHunter]

How do we define a knife type or style? What makes a knife a "Bowie"? It has to be more than just a fixed blade with a clip-point...right? What makes a knife a "hunter", "karambit", or a "quillon"? Are there resources that I have missed, or do we (knifemakers) simply have "an eye" for what the styles are after being around enough blades. According to Google, there are ridiculous numbers of variations of any given design. When does one draw the line between variations and a totally different type of knife? At what point do we refuse to call a "Bowie Knife" such due to its bearing no resemblance to Jim Bowie's original design concept? It appears that traditional Japanese designs are the only ones that adhere to a defined standard... or am I mistaken here as well?
Sorry if this sounds like a rant. I do not intend it as such:foot:
How do each of you decide what to call a particular knife?

 

[Frank Niro]

There are definite shapes for each type. Sorry i can't give you a place to go to see them.
Frank

 

[JG Custom Metal Works]

Knifemaking is an art and in that regard artists create their own interpretations of different blade patterns. There is no "set pattern" for a lot of the generic blade designs. With Bowie's you'll find dogbones, mortised tangs, full tangs, coffin handles, and on and on and on.

The ARE characteristics that certain designs should have imo. For instance, skinners need to have a very good "belly" because that trait lends itself, very well, to skinning. You mentioned the clip point of Bowie's. Imo that IS one of the main characteristics of the bowie and , IIRC, it makes for a smaller/pointier tip for stabbing. The bowie was often a fighting knife IIRC.

To find out what characteristics a certain knife needs to have, in order to be a particular design, just look at what the intended use of the blade would be