What are bowies good for?

Swede79,

You are correct, Sir. The Kukri, Katana, and Bowie will never go out of "style."

I respectfully beg to differ with others on this thread that believe that the Bowie has passed it's time or usefulness. Yes, "time-wise," this is the 21st century C.E. We are not, however, living in benevolent times... Unfortunately, there will always be those who would deprive us of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. The Bowie, as well as the others listed above, and the myriad countless other weapons, of ALL kinds, are tools that can provide methods of self defense. Our Second Amendment is not confined to firearms, but tacitly conotes any and all weapons. When the leftists and politically correct crowd go against firearms, they are just a scant distance away from other weapons, in the instance of this forum, edged weapons... We are not safe from "do-gooders," nor are we safe from our own lack of interest. Robert Heinlein said, "Politics is only slightly less important than your own heartbeat." So true then, now, always... The Bowie is a self defense tool or weapon. Is it more deadly than a new SpyderCo folder with a 1 1/2 to 2" blade? Is it as more deadly than a baseball bat, or a crowbar? You make the call. I, for one, believe that it would be better to be judged by twelve, than carried by six. The Bowie may not be as efficient beyond a 10 foot radius, as my SA XD-40 Tacticals, but I don't see myself "carrying"- unless circumstances so warrant or dictate. Presenting a firearm may dissuade a crime, but may not stop an assault. A Bowie, properly wielded, will certainly end it... Conversely, if ever "invited" to a knife fight, I just might show-up with one of my Benelli M1014s...
One can never be "over" dressed for such an occaison...

Please don't count out the Bowie. There are "rigs" out there for carry, though my favorite is still on the belt, or IWB. If you have the need for a Bowie, don't settle for less- you may not live to regret it...

Regards and Respects,
Carter, oldpaladin, out...
 
Bowies are a lot easier to carry and/or conceal than most people think, and I know quite a few people who do so on a regular basis. The old style belt stud sheath, like the ones that come with Bill Bagwell's customs, is the key. For overt carry, simple stick it behind the belt in any position or angle. For concealment, put it IWB, either strongside or crossdraw. While Bill Bagwell is considered by many to be "top of the line" (myself included), both Greg Covington and Matt Lamey are two makers who truly understand the instrument and will give you outstanding value for your dollar.

Brownie,

Bring your Belle when you head this way and we'll dress her up.
 
In regards to function a Bowie is just as useful as ever. The only problem with is that society frowns upon knives, especially larger ones.
 
"What are Bowies good for?" Perhaps a better question would be "What AREN'T they good for?"

Many here have already expounded it's defensive use, so I won't go into too much detail on that. I will add that I also used to think it was fantasy to carry a defensive/offensive knife into war, for example. After reading and listening to a score of firsthand accounts though, I consider a Bowie to be pretty cheap insurance. Why not carry it? It really could save your life.

I carry my Bowie daily, and more importantly USE it daily. Just this weekend I must have pulled it from its scabbard a hundred times. On the farm, this time of year the weeds really try to take over the place. When we wanted to get out the manure spreader, a different loader bucket, & a wagon, we had to actually find them in the jungle first. The bowie made the path much less itchy. It also worked great on a big mass of baling twine, and in the winter really helps open up frozen straw bales.
When I went squirrel hunting, I had to go in right thru a big patch of brambles. (or walk a half mile out of my way) Again, the Bowie cleared my way. While in the woods, after I was actually done hunting, I cleared some smaller troublesome underbrush on my way out. This knife will fell a 3" diameter Boxwood or Pawpaw with one effortless swing. Though I didn't see one dang squirrel, I've used my big Bowie in the past to clean them. I don't know how other people butcher small game animals, but it sounds like they must be performing heart surgery with all the control they claim to need with their 2" blade. I only need to make 2 easy cuts, and lop off the head and feet. The Bowie works just fine. This fall when we start thinking about deer season, the Bowie will be tucked into my belt (yeah, this method works) for clearing small trees and limbs to open firing lanes, and may be needed to remove a sapling so we can carry the stand in. The Bowie was also used to help process my deer last year, and made quick work of the quartering. Lastly, my Bowie is also my hunting knife. This knife isn't even finished yet and it's got a possum. My last Bowie claimed 19 coons and 6 possums, and the POS I used before that had 11 coons and 6 possums, and I didn't keep count before that. The same things that make it good for defense also make it great against determined animals.
 
I really don't have much experience carrying a true "Bowie", but I do carry that sized blade pretty often (a BK5, about an 8 inch blade) and I kinda think it's versatility has been way understated.

I carry my Becker pretty often, and it gets used ALOT. Sure, it's not as good a weapon as a handgun, but.....it sure was handy when I had to cleave a 1/4 inch steel cable in a hurry. Also has been very handy for taking care of the small stuff during tree and brush removal around the yard. a few days after I'd gotten it and used it for the steel cable I wound up using it cut down some small trees and dig up some frozen gravel when me an' my buddy got his Chevy truck stuck out in the middle of no damn where, with very little winter gear available in the truck. No doubt, it also would have earned it's keep to start a fire if we hadn't gotten the truck unstuck. The knife also handles well for food preparation, and also aint half bad for more finite tasks. (nice thin edge) Bear in mind, these aint rugged outdoor adventures, I'm talkin' just another day in my suburbanite life here.

Defensively speaking, well...no...if I were knowingly walking into trouble, I'd rather have my .45...hell...maybe even my shotgun or a battle rifle! But...fact is I'm a pretty happy go lucky sorta dude in an area with a low crime rate, so I still favor the knife for it's forementioned versatility. Also, circumstances always change. Against a shotgun I'd be screwed with a bowie knife (aobut as screwed as a person would be with a wide array of weapons). Against a mouse gun of some sort, all of a sudden the knife looks more useful, Especially at contact distances. It comes out of the inverted shoulder rig in a freakin' hurry, and does not telegraph very strongly. Consider the can of bear spray I carry weak hand when out walking, and it REALLY gains appeal. Against other impact and edged weapons, it looks better by the moment. worth factoring as well is bystanders in some situations.

Also "bowie knife" is and always has been an ambiguous term covering a very wide range of knives. some "Bowie knives" are damn near useless (Frost Cutlery, etc) while others are extremely rugged and usable.

So...while it's not something to shove into the waistband every time ya' take the wife and kids out for ice cream, it still does the same things now as it's always done, provided a measure of personal defense, day to day versatility, and emergency use in one single package. Inconvenient to carry? maybe...but on the other hand, I know folks that think a Delica is too inconvenient to carry. For me, it'll always be useful, and worth carrying.
 
The large Bowies are very handy... Now, the GIANT one in the pic is a whole 'nother story.

I don't think any serious knife user only packs one bladed instrument.
 
The Bowie design is very useful. Bagwell's designs are the ones I'm talking about- you have a serviceable point for fine detail work, and can still chop, draw cut, push cut, etc.
I find it one of the most useful designs out there. I do not carry one daily, but it is what I would want in an outdoor or survival situation. I have Bowies on order from Mr. Bagwell and Mr. Lamey. Can't wait to get my paws on either.
Until they arrive, my Bowies are a Cold Steel Laredo and the Western M49 I've had since I was ten. I could carry the Laredo to work IWB if I wanted to, but I have so little need for a knife other than a box opener.
 
I really think they are good for cleaning your fingernails in public.
naughty.gif
 
Wohooo! I get to brag about my knife! :)
Bellamy17-
I designed and made this knife myself. It is an improved version of my old Bowie, and just to give you a rough idea of the overall shape, here are some pics of my old knife. Bowie pics (scroll down the thread for the pics)

They share similar lines, but my new knife is 24" long rather than 21", the guard is less massive, the end of the handle swells considerably more for a secure grip, has a wider (more efficient) false edge, and my new Bowie also has a bit more belly to compensate for all the sharpening, as well as improve cutting power a bit. I don't have access to a digicam right now or I'd post some pics of it.
It weighs 28 ounces, but don't let that scare you. I put in some distal taper and hidden counterwieghts on the tang so the blade is quite lively in the hand. When I sent it to the heat treater, even he was impressed how light and quick it felt for such a large knife. I am currently in touch with the heat treater again, as I fear there may have been some problems in the heat treat. The blade was supposed to be Bainite at 56 Rc, but I've noticed some things during use that don't seem right. Will keep you guys updated on that.
 
What a neat sounding knife. I'd love to see a photo of it.

At the moment, I carry the large (8" blade)Puma Bowie with stag scales. Someday soon, I plan to have a custom Bowie made - when the money is right. I've been quoted in the range of $1200.

Do you all think Damascus would be a good material for a carry knife like this?

Thanks from... Doug
 
And, don't forget how good a nice pointy bowie can be at cleaning the wax out of your ears! :D
 
Doug-
For a BIG Damascus bladed Bowie, I'd expect to pay around that price or more. (depending on handle materials, embellishment, maker, etc.) I'm sure there are guys out there who would do it for less just to get their name out, but then there could be a risk that they don't have that big name yet because of less experience and so on. I feel that anyone can grind a hunter out of ATS-34 and have it heat treated by Paul Bos, but on bigger knives that will see heavy use, design and heat treatment are exponentially more important. It is very easy to make a big knife too heavy. Not trying to scare you away from the smaller makers here; just make sure that you establish a relationship with your chosen maker in advance so you know what he can do, his philosophies on design and heat treat, etc.

Would I use Damascus for a big knife? Hell yes! If I could afford it. I chose 5160 for my Bowie since it's just a "beater", and there's no point in going to all the extra trouble from a performance standpoint. Damascus is still *steel*, nothing more or less. There's certainly nothing wrong with Damascus, and I actually believe it is the better choice for a using knife since it stays pretty longer. My 5160 blade is now scratched, stained from sap, and even got a few small rust pits when I couldn't clean it in time. The etched surface of a pattern welded blade would hide these stains since it is already darkly colored. In fact, Damascus would only become more beautiful with use, since the higher layers would wear first, and the lower layers would collect grime, leading to an even better contrast. Lastly, the irregular surface of Damascus will hold oil better. During use, the oil would be wiped off the higher layers, but leave it in the valleys. Just rub the blade with with your finger afterwards, and you can get some of that oil spread back out across the surface.
 
possum - thank you for your reply and advice. I don't understand why it's so much easier for me to go out and buy a gun (if I have the money) than it is for me to part with the cash to have a fine custom knife made?? Probably because I feel waaaay out of my depth in the knife field.

Right now I'm considering two different knife crafters: Richard Orton in Riverside, Cal - whose whole operation recently burned to the ground, and Todd Beggs in Seattle. Any insights on these two men?
How about referrals to others?

I really appreciate all the help I get on this forum. Thank y'all again! from... Doug
 
How about referrals to others?

I like Bagwell, if you want it custom made it will take a couple years though...
 
Referrals?
Forumite Bruce Evans (JS) makes a nice bowie.
I have three ;)
You can see them on his website:
Here
In album 10 the fossil ivory coffin handled Natchez on the cowboy shirt is mine.
:cool:
And in album 7 its the S guard frontier damascus. 10" blade, balances on the outer edge of my index finger. Moves with a thought.
I don't know where the ebony and ivory coffin handle went to....its on a table among poker chips...

Anyway,
Great guy, great knives
Enjoy the hunt, it is at least half the fun :)
 
Doug-
I've been kinda "out of the loop" the past 2 years since I let my subscription to Blade magazine slip. (if I was a serious maker though, I'd renew it instantly to keep on top of things) I have honestly never heard of either of these gentlemen, so I can't say anything about them one way or the other. If their work looks and feels good to you, then by all means research their work futher. Ask them how they test their knives, and compare it to the performance of other known smiths.

Personally, the first place I'd start searching for a maker would be here on the ABS site. This is a listing of the current master smiths, any of whom can by definition make a great knife. Same for the journeyman guys. Pick up the latest edition of Ken Warner's "KNIVES" and turn right to the section on Bowies. Pick out a few makers who work in a style you like and go from there. And, yes, keep in mind the term 'bowie knife' encompasses a large variety of styles these days, so don't ask a maker specializing in Sheffield repros to produce a modern fantasy piece, for example.
 
Thank y'all, again. I admire the artwork in fanasy knives, asas well as the craftsmanship - as long as the knives are made by dedicated bladesmiths. However, due to my limited resources (read: broke all the time) I won't be investing in one for the foreseeable future.

I'm after a finely crafted knife that will be eye pleasing in its' simplicity and quite functional... oh. yeah... it would be nice if it were sharp!
 
Originally posted by Doug Wilson
However, due to my limited resources (read: broke all the time) I won't be investing in one for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
Why not grab one of those Becker Combat Bowies for $50 (I just ordered one). It's good enough for soldiers, blade quality is probably better than bowie's made in the 1800's (Cole Younger would have loved to own one), and you get to have it right now to satisfy your Bowie fix while you save for the one for the wall!
 
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