How to Compare the Quality of Bowie Knives

A bloody knife fight on a sandbar on the Mississippi River near Natchez, Mississippi, in 1827 focused attention on Jim Bowie's unique knife. Since then, the knife has become the most popular fixed blade style for hunters and military alike.

  1. Blade

    • A full-tang carbon steel blade is essential for durability in a Bowie knife's versatile use. A full-tang blade runs the entire length of the handle to prevent breakage and is 3/16- to 1/4-inch thick. The tang in quality knives is usually apparent as a strip of metal running through the two halves of the handle.

    Guard

    • The hand guard is the crosswise piece of metal at the base of the exposed part of the blade. Designed to keep a combatant's hand from slipping onto the blade as well as to deflect an opponent's knife, quality Bowie knives have hand guards made of brass.

    Handle

    • Hardwood handles, such as oak or maple, are traditional on high-quality Bowie knives to resist splitting under pressure. Brass rivets attach the two halves of the handle to the blade tang, being set smoothly into the wood to prevent friction to the bearer's hand.