What is the exact definition of Bowie?

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FirstFreedom

Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
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Is there a minimum/maximum length, specific must-have design features, minumim/maximum angles here or there on the blade, what....has anyone defined it well, definitively. Or is this pretty much up in the air/ open to interpretation. When is a bowie not a bowie? When does a non-bowie become a bowie. Thanks. (knife knoob here).
 
There is no exact definition. A bowie knife is just a knife with a big, heavy blade - usually but not necessarily a clip blade. There are a million theories about what Jim Bowie's knife looked like but they are only theories. Take care.
 
3 entries found for Bowie knife.
bow·ie knife ( P ) Pronunciation Key (b, b)
n.
A single-edged steel hunting knife, about 15 inches (38 centimeters) in length, having a hilt and a crosspiece.


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[After Bowie, James.]

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Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Bowie knife

\Bow"ie knife`\ A knife with a strong blade from ten to fifteen inches long, and double-edged near the point; -- used as a hunting knife, and formerly as a weapon in the southwestern part of the United States. It was named from its inventor, Colonel James Bowie. Also, by extension, any large sheath knife.


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Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


Bowie knife

n : a stout hunting knife with a single edge [syn: Bowie knife]


Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
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Larry S.
 
Typically Bowies have double guards, and camp knifes have a single or no guard. But it's usually a Bowie if the maker calls it one. :)
 
It depends on whom you ask. I'd say an iconic Bowie has a clip blade (with a false edge or sharpened swedge) that is both long and wide relative to the handle, which is usually fairly neutral (coffin shaped). It does not necessarily have a guard or cross piece.

The tradition as I understand it is that the knife should balance perfectly where the handle and the blade meet, and it can be thrown with some degree of utility.

The idea of the design is that it's big enough to do anything, it has a well reinforced single edge with a sharp tip, and it facilitates multiple grips for a variety of tasks and situations.
 
I don't think there is a definition. So many mid to large sized knives are called bowies that it is impossible to restrict their definition to a set style.
 
We need to get Danbo on this thread. He knows the most about fixed blades, especially forged ones of any forumite I know.
 
Given that no one really knows what the original looked like there can be no definition.
 
BSEbook.jpg


Guardless James Black inspired Bowie hammered out by our own Bruce Evans (beknives)

Sadly I lost my 'favorites' in a computer upgrade. There is alot of good Bowie reading on the web.
Searches should include
James Black
Old Washington Forge
Searles
Samuel Bell
Sheffield
 
JDBLADE said:
Given that no one really knows what the original looked like there can be no definition.
Click to expand...

Sorry; The original IS know to exist. Does no body here do any research? Look up Bill Williamson and his collection and writings. A. G.
 
I go along with DeadManWalking's description of the Bowie.

It has become an American icon, regardless of whether Jim or Rezin's design is really correctly represented.

Who knows for sure?
 
FirstFreedom said:
Is there a minimum/maximum length, specific must-have design features, minumim/maximum angles here or there on the blade, what....has anyone defined it well, definitively. Or is this pretty much up in the air/ open to interpretation. When is a bowie not a bowie? When does a non-bowie become a bowie. Thanks. (knife knoob here).
Click to expand...
Hmmm...I think you just know one when you see one! :D
 
B-Boy is that a Big knife!
O-Oh,my,what are you doing with THAT?
W-Why do you need a knife that large?
I-I'm callin' the Cops!
E-everyore should own at least one. :eek:
 
Blue Sky said:
Since Mr. Russell generously pointed the way but chose not to share a link,quote]

Well how about this link: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=robert+abels+bowie+knives

Robert Abels was a knife dealer in the 1950s and 1960s and published at least two books (catalogs really) on Bowie knives. All early and now super valuable.

The above link could take a long time to follow all of the links and you might be able to find a copy of his book and share all of the pictures

all the best, A. G.
Click to expand...
 
BlueyM said:
I go along with DeadManWalking's description of the Bowie.

It has become an American icon, regardless of whether Jim or Rezin's design is really correctly represented.

Who knows for sure?
Click to expand...


Good point Bluey... I didn't realize it when I typed that.

That is the "iconic" Bowie as I described it. That may not necessarily be the historical Bowie.
 
My bad A.G., I searched for Bill Williamson, is it Robert Abels? JDBLADE said no one knows what the original looked like and you replied "it is known to exist", while chiding him and the rest of us for being lazy and not doing the research. Well, if you are going to make the claim, where is it? Who has it? Who's seen it? Please share something more with us than a Google page that leads nowhere but to references to a man who wrote books about bowie knives from the mid to late 1800's (in other words, copies of the original). I hope that's not what you consider "research". As far as I can tell, JD's comments still hold true.
 
knifedaddy84 said:
Hmmm...I think you just know one when you see one! :D
Click to expand...
Apparently Texas law sees one if it's longer than 5 1/2 inches! http://www.utsystem.edu/pol/weapons.html

The section on Bowie knives is about halfway down, "H" under definitions of various weapons.

I find it terribly ironic that it's illegal to carry a Bowie knife in Texas (unless you're hunting/camping in the woods), since this is where Bowie fought and died so we could be free of tyrants!

Matt in Texas
 
Blue Sky said:
My bad A.G., I searched for Bill Williamson, is it Robert Abels? JDBLADE said no one knows what the original looked like and you replied "it is known to exist", while chiding him and the rest of us for being lazy and not doing the research. Well, if you are going to make the claim, where is it? Who has it? Who's seen it? Please share something more with us than a Google page that leads nowhere but to references to a man who wrote books about bowie knives from the mid to late 1800's (in other words, copies of the original). I hope that's not what you consider "research". As far as I can tell, JD's comments still hold true.
Click to expand...

Blue:

I have no argument with JD or anyone else, lot of people know more than I do.

Bill Williamson bought a knife from a small museum in Miss or Ala that owned the arms and acostumes of the Edwin Booth famous actor and the brother of John Wilkes. Amoung the arms of Mr Booth was a rather crude "butcher knife" in a well made sheath and engraved on it was "to Edwin Booth, James Bowie and the date. This appeareed in an article some time in the past 25 years.

Why is it so much easier to call me a lier than to do a little study. I am unsubscribing from this thread, it is obvious that I can be of no further help. A. G.
 
Gosh, you fellows ran A.G. off, and he was just trying to help you. The knife he spoke of is the Edwin Forrest(he made a small mistake on the name, that's all) knife. Edwin Forrest was a premier actor of the 1800's, and an arms collector. He was also best friends with Rezin Bowie. Bowie, as a token of their friendship, presented Forrest with a knife he said was the actual one used in the sandbar fight.

Fast foward about a 150 years, William Williamson the premier collector of Bowies starts poking around for the Forrest collection, he finds it in Penn. He also finds the Bowie knife.

The knife, its self, is a large plain knife with a straight back blade, about 9 1/2" long. It also has checkered wood handle. The scabbard is a plain leather affair with a silver throat and tip.

Sadly, there are no pictures of it online.
 
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