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what good is a bowie knife? (Read 22568 times)
Jabames
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what good is a bowie knife?
May 7th, 2011 at 1:23am
 
I just bought a moderately sized bowie knife from wal-mart today,  low-priced,  but I heard some good reviews aboot it,  its adequate enough,  but the handle material is cheap.  Its called the Winchester Bowie,  it feels good and sturdy and it probably wont let me down as long as I dont abuse it,  like battoning which I dont like people using a knife like that or somethin
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« Last Edit: May 7th, 2011 at 3:04am by Jabames »  

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Bikewer
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #1 - May 7th, 2011 at 10:07am
 
As to the "usefulness" of such knives.... Bowies are purpose-built fighting weapons intended to be heavy enough and properly shaped for slashing, yet still allow thrusting.

The large guard (often built as "lugged" for trapping another blade) is a clue.... renders the blade rather awkward for more domestic chores.
Most all contemporary "fighting" or "tactical" knives are either a variation of the Bowie design or are straightforward stilleto-thrusting designs.

A big one would make a passable machete, but that's likely abuse.   The cheap Pakistani-made models make good throwing knives when you strip off all the hardware.  Or you can just throw it till it all falls off....
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kuggur slingdog
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #2 - May 7th, 2011 at 1:33pm
 
I don´t like the bowie type generally, like said in the post above, impractically big knifes. It´s a knife for fighting, and if I´d feel I´d need to carry that kind of hardware for self defense I would personally choose something else.

As for the quality of the knife you bought, the fact that it was cheap does not necessarily mean it is bad quality; hardening and tempering a good steel is not expensive (the knifes I like best and carry on me at all times are cheap and good, mora and opinel).

But if you ask me "what good is a bowie knife" I´d answer "not very".
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Thearos
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #3 - May 8th, 2011 at 11:13am
 
What's batonning ?
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David Morningstar
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #4 - May 8th, 2011 at 12:07pm
 

Beating on the back or tip of a knife blade with a lump of wood, usually for splitting firewood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlhXuweBj4

Its fairly abusive so you need a tough knife to do it with.


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snowcelt
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #5 - May 8th, 2011 at 2:32pm
 
Quote:
I don´t like the bowie type generally, like said in the post above, impractically big knifes. It´s a knife for fighting, and if I´d feel I´d need to carry that kind of hardware for self defense I would personally choose something else.

As for the quality of the knife you bought, the fact that it was cheap does not necessarily mean it is bad quality; hardening and tempering a good steel is not expensive (the knifes I like best and carry on me at all times are cheap and good, mora and opinel).

But if you ask me "what good is a bowie knife" I´d answer "not very".


By this criterion, you might ask "What good is a sharp longsword?" or "what good is a sling?" Ultimately a tool is designed to do a job of work. It is possible to do courses to learn to fight with a bowie knife as that was what it was used for as well as being a general purpose cutting/thrusting weapon, much like the modern machete. Such courses can be even more fun if you learn to use the bowie in one hand and a tomahawk in the other! Obviously you'd use a blunt for training but you could try practice cutting with a sharp version on tatami or pool noodles or water bottles. As stated above there are also incorrect ways to use such a knife but you can still have fun with it.
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #6 - May 9th, 2011 at 12:32am
 
You can learn to do most camp chores with a Bowie knife (just as you can with a small hatchet), but some things will be harder. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away they were general utility knives as well as fighting knives. I have one that I like to use for camping that is probably too small to really be called a bowie but it's just big enough that I don't worry about bending or rolling the blade. With a bowie knife and a pen knife you can do more than with just a normal sized knife, but I'm not sure you'll ever be in a situation where a bowie is necessary.
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #7 - May 9th, 2011 at 8:24pm
 
maybe for roughing out wood shapes? i used a cleaver for my bow, and i could cut out the shape in 30 minutes or so, hacking out the shape, then using a smaller knife to carve closer in. the bowie knife is a little thicker and not as wide, but it might work.
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kuggur slingdog
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #8 - May 9th, 2011 at 9:05pm
 
snowcelt wrote on May 8th, 2011 at 2:32pm:
By this criterion, you might ask "What good is a sharp longsword?" or "what good is a sling?" Ultimately a tool is designed to do a job of work. .

Well, you kinda illustrate my point. Both a longsword and a sling are pretty useless tools for me, for obvious reasons.
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #9 - May 10th, 2011 at 2:52pm
 
I've always preferred a large knife.  I can't explain it, and no, it doesn't make up for an inadequacy elsewhere, kuggur.    I've just always preferred the feel of a bigger blade.  I can't be alone in that they make so darned many of them.
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Jabames
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #10 - May 10th, 2011 at 2:57pm
 
ha after handling this knife for a few days all my other knives feel too small hhaha
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Rat Man
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #11 - May 10th, 2011 at 3:14pm
 
Around town, like when dog walking, you just can't carry a big blade.  The cops would undoubtly frown on it.  When camping or fishing, however, I always carry a big survival knife.  I think that the blade is 9".  I just like the feel better than my smaller knives I guess.
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Jabames
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #12 - May 10th, 2011 at 3:22pm
 
around heres i dont think theres any law against carrying a big blade unless ur in a bank or somethin like that,  you can basically walk into a safeway store with a holstered pistol or somethin like that,  I dont think theres anythin more temptin to obama to give us more restrictive weapons laws
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #13 - May 10th, 2011 at 3:47pm
 
When the knife becomes big enough one may need a small knife beside it for small work and the weight and bulk may compare to a small axe (hatchet/tomahawk/whatewer) which for many tasks often performs better than a big knife.
Then it comes down to personal needs and preferances.

Myself I have far too often been out there with a small and big knife, and an axe Cheesy.  And then the big knife is not used a lot.

Fortunately I got some light but very practical and useful 8 and 9" Same knives for when I insist on carry a big knife Smiley.

I can therefore leave the big and heavy knives at home when the urge comes. 

As long as bear defence is not an issue a small folding saw usually outperforms any big knife or an axe anyway for camping use Sad.
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kuggur slingdog
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Re: what good is a bowie knife?
Reply #14 - May 10th, 2011 at 8:15pm
 
Rat Man wrote on May 10th, 2011 at 2:52pm:
I've always preferred a large knife.  I can't explain it, and no, it doesn't make up for an inadequacy elsewhere, kuggur.    

Huh? Where did I imply that ?!
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