The Bowie Knife

I've read (probably on the forums somewhere) that the proper technique for fighting with a Bowie was to hold the knife edge in, and only slash with the sharpened back edge. that way when you block you don't notch up your nice cutting edge.
I don't doubt that these things served as general utility knives as well.

Then you have the ridiculous case when Texas got the Bowie banned. Saying that a sword could be parried, a musket could be dodged (thus it would be another minute or two before it could be fired again), but there is no defense against a Bowie knife.:D

Also, a buddy of mine got a musket for his birthday a few years ago (powder packing flint striking style). It took us about five or six tries to fire one shot. I'm sure someone who used those things on a daily basis would be more proficient with it, but there sure are a lot of things that have to go right for it to work.
 
Always been a big fan of the bowie myself. Got to be one of the most versatile blades in the business. One of my favourites is the Cold Steel Trailmaster. I have two - San Mai and SK5 - and there is plenty you can do with these knives.

Whether chopping wood for fire or shelter, slicing meat and veg or clearing brush it is a versatile tool.

Of course, the bowie is also a formidable weapon. Any big knife can be but that clip point is specifically intended for nasty back cuts. Check out Jim Keating's books and vids for more detail if you want to know how to wield that thing properly.
 
Here's one of my fav

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Svörd - Von Tempsky Bowie

And Mike, those are some monstrous bowies!
 
I'm not sure exactly who it was so I won't guess,but,one old time custom bowie maker supposedly skinned a mouse with his to prove it's versatility. I think his last name was Dennehy.--Darn, i went and guessed anyway!:D--KV
 
It is generally accepted that the orginal Bowies, as were made for Rezin Bowie, did not have a clip point but were more like a large butcher knife. I'm not sure when the clip point was introduced. Makers in Sheffield England were very quick to start making Bowies and exporting them to the U.S. after fame spread of the Sandbar fight. I supect that the Sheffield Bowies introduced the clip point which does make a more stylish knife.

Two of those I posted were actually modeled after authentic civil war bowies. The "Kodiak" knife has the same blade size and shape of a Confederate civil war D-Guard Bowie, only without the D-Guard.

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The "Grizz" Bowie with the more pronounced clip point was modeled after a Bowie made for Confederate troops at the College Hill Arsenal in Nashville, TN until Nashville was captured by Union soldiers in April 1861.

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The King Kong was the biggest knife that I have made and the customer ordered a matching toohpick.

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Lord have mercy, them are some blades! I especially like the Grizz knife there! Thanks for the interesting info on the bowie knife. I love those old stories..:)
 
Thanks. I have always loved Bowie knives and it is one of the reasons I wanted to become a knifemaker.

This is the very first knife I made in Gil Hibben's knifemaking class in 2003.

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Here are a few other I have made since

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kvaughn said:
I'm not sure exactly who it was so I won't guess,but,one old time custom bowie maker supposedly skinned a mouse with his to prove it's versatility. I think his last name was Dennehy.--Darn, i went and guessed anyway!:D--KV
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That would be Bill Bagwell writing in Soldier of Fortune magazine in the '80s.
There are a couple of threads with Mr. Bagwell's bowies in the custom forum.
I've handled one (Thanx again Joe!) and it was an awesome knife.
 
Ramm9 said:
... people took their firearms to a gunsmith to be loaded so there would be some reasonable chance that the thing would fire.
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It looks as though you have been reading Tony Knight's advertisements for his inline muzzle loading rifles. Much of it was disinformation for ignorant consumers.

Two things come to mind here, the first is that firearm owners need to learn how to use and maintain their weapon. The other thing is that one should not buy a cheap gun, you get what you pay for.
 
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Sixgun_Symphony said:
It looks as though you have been reading Tony Knight's advertisements for his inline muzzle loading rifles. Much of it was disinformation for ignorant consumers.

Two things come to mind here, the first is that firearm owners need to learn how to use and maintain their weapon. The other thing is that one should not buy a cheap gun, you get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

No, I haven't heard of Tony Knight. I would think buying a cheap gun is even worse than buying a cheap knife.
 
bowies were outloawed in many states in the 1840's-1860's, due to the pure devastating effectivness that they display in properly trained hands. You can, Indeed, strike someone before they can blink when the properly made bowie is used as intended.

They are also a hell of a tool, IME. I am not often on this forum, but i just happened to stop in....looking for the Bagwell Bowie thread, actually. I cannot remembeer where i read it, or who said it, but they were comparing bowie knives to other types for combat/surval purposes, "all else seems rediculuos upon comparison"
 
I seem to remember reading somewhere that as revolvers came into use, some people would take their Colt to a gun shop to be loaded correctly. As a owner of two cap and ball revolvers, I can attest to the unreliability of the pistols. Very jam prone. I think this is why many gunfighters carried two pistols and a large knife for backup ( ie. Wild Bill Hickock). One also has to remember that people looked at firearms as tools. They weren't fired very often. Possably not for years.
 
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They're great because they're invented in America.

Dude, [OP] that is a nice jabby stick that you have as well, can you borrowe a good camera and get on us with some more pics??
 
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Maker: Nick Wheeler, JS
Blade Length: 10 1/4"
Overall Length: 15 1/2"
Blade: Salt pot heat treat 52100 steel
Guard: 416 Stainless Steel
Handle: Desert Ironwood burl
Sheath: Paul Long


click image to enlarge



Nick makes excellent Bowies, this is one of the Joe Paranee / Nick Wheeler Fighting Bowies I was lucky enough to snag.

Doug
 
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