Hiking Backpack Zone

Posts Tagged ‘bowie knives’

Bowie knives can be expensive purchases, when one opts for a high-quality blade. Knives require special care that means the difference between an item that can last a lifetime and a knife that will end up rusted and dull all too fast. Learning this care is an essential, and enjoyable, part of owing a quality blade. It is also a process. Some things, such as sharpening, take a lot of time to master.

Stainless steel, as the name says, is resistant to the types of corrosion that frequently ruin other knife blades. Even though this is the case, even stainless steel needs to be kept dry. Any fluid with which the knife comes into contact may damage the blade. Acidic liquids may pit and scar the blade, water may cause rust, and so forth. Always wipe down the blade before sheathing it.

For a very high-end knife, high-carbon steel or high-carbon stainless steel is usually used in the construction. The former was more common in the past but has been superseded in popularity by stainless steel knives. High-carbon steel is particularly vulnerable to rust and corrosion. All knives should always be kept dry, but this is particularly important in cases where the knife is made of a material with a low resistance to environmental damage. Stainless steel knives need the same attention given to them, but not nearly to the degree that non-stainless knives require.

A Bowie knife should be kept in its sheath most of the time. Most Bowies come with a leather sheath and, so long as the knife is taken out every so often, this should suffice. For long-term storage, however, and especially in humid environments, leather attracts moisture. This can corrode the blade over time, even if it happens to be a stainless steel model. Knives which are made of non-stainless, high-carbon steel will be especially susceptible to moisture-related corrosion while they’re kept in storage. A good case will provide adequate protection from the elements for long term storage needs.

Without maintenance, the investment one places in a Bowie knife is forfeit. These knives have endured so long because of their durability, in great part. The heavy blade, sharp edge and no-nonsense, practical design betray a great deal of thought having been put into making these knives last. A good Bowie can be sharpened and cleaned over and over again, and always be ready for the next adventure, no matter what that may bring.

Brian is a business consultant for an online bowie knifes store featuring survival knives.

Some knives are legendary. The daggers of Europe, the flint knives carried by Apache warriors and the knives carried into the battles of World War 2 all carry with them fearsome reputations, and justly so. Bowie knives are among those blades which have become the stuff of legend. Like a samurai’s sword or a Spartan’s spear tip, these Bowies have characteristics that make them easily identifiable and unfailingly deadly.

Bowie knives have a blade design which will be familiar to anyone who enjoys studying fighting blades. The clipped end of the blade places the spine of the blade above the tip near the end of the knife. This design is intended to provide better penetration. In a thrusting attack, these knives are nearly as efficient as spears. The clipped end also makes them very agile knives and reduces the weight, increasing the user’s accuracy. At the base of the blade is another hallmark of a Bowie knife.

A Bowie knife always has a hand guard. Traditionally, this guard had a forward-swept quillion on the top of the handle. Today, this hand guard may be modified somewhat, and the knife to which it is attached may still be called a Bowie. The famous Marine combat knife of World War 2 is clearly a Bowie-style knife, even though it has an essentially straight hand guard. The curved hand guard provides better protection in blade-to-blade combat and, thus, was favored by Bowie when he designed the original knives.

Daggers tend to be double-bladed weapons, as do many other fighting knives. Bowie knives have a single edge. This sets them apart in many ways. One might think that this amounts to having half a weapon versus a double-edged knife, but this is not at all the case. There is another characteristic of Bowies that more than makes up for the lack of two edges. The single edge actually makes practical work with the knife much easier. These knives were designed to be tools as well as weapons, after all.

A real Bowie knife always has a wide blade. In fact, this is a defining characteristic of these knives. When these knives were designed, the frontier conditions meant that any tool had to be versatile and tough. The heavy, wide blade of a Bowie meant it could stand up to a great deal of punishment and that it could perform chopping tasks, in addition to cutting tasks. Before steel was of a modern quality, softer metals such as brass and copper were sometimes used to reinforce the blades via a strip along the spine.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring SOG bowie knives as well as humidors for storage.

Bowie knives are hunting knives, aren’t they? This is a common question. However, bowie knives aren’t technically hunting knives - they are multipurpose tools. Hunting knives are usually very specific in their intended use. For instance, a gut hook knife is intended for an obvious purpose. Likewise, a skinning knife is used for skinning and doesn’t perform very well for other uses. Bowie knives, on the other hand, can be used to skin, gut, chop, cut and numerous other things.

Therefore, you’ll find that bowie knives differ from hunting knives in several different ways. How do they differ? As mentioned, bowies are used for many different things. While they have long held a place in hunting, as well as camping, fishing and general use, they also serve a purpose in self-defense. Hunting knives, while they can be used for purposes other than those intended by the knife’s creator, usually don’t do an adequate job in these different areas.

The largest difference is that your bowie is a multiuse tool. It can be used for skinning or for gutting. Likewise, it can be used for chopping vegetables, wood or even slicing through meat or fruit. Bowie knives are far more versatile than general hunting knives. You will also find that most bowie knives are far larger than hunting knives. The average hunting knife is only five inches long, or less. A bowie, on the other hand, is usually no shorter than six inches in length, though they can surpass twelve inches in many cases. So size is certainly one of the differentiating factors.

However, bowie knives have a uniquely shaped blade that allows them to function just as well whether you’re using them to skin, gut, clean or cut fruit. So, bowie knives, while a well-known factor in the hunting world, are not used solely for any one particular purpose. This means that the purchase of such a knife will ensure that you have numerous benefits.

Therefore, bowie knives differ from hunting knives in size, design and intended usage. While a hunting knife is usually only a single-use tool, you’ll find far more benefits with a bowie. This is because a single knife can be used for multiple needs, ensuring that you don’t need to carry several different blades with you all the time.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring every bowie knife for sale as well as lighters for camping.

Choosing a bowie knife can be a difficult process. There are so many different options from which to choose that it can be quite confusing. You will need to decide if you want a traditional blade, or one of the more modern derivatives. You will need to determine what sort of handle you want, whether you want a full tang or a rattail tang. You will also need to determine what size blade is right for you. The bowie knife is available in sizes ranging from a modest six inches all the way up to more than a foot in length. What’s right for you?

Let’s take a look at what a longer blade offers. Long bladed bowie knives are quite popular with those who simply want an impressive knife for display. They are also popular with those who need a good knife for utilitarian purposes. What might such a knife do? Longer blades are ideal for chopping things, such as light brush or vegetables. They’re great for chopping meat, as well. A longer blade gives you greater resilience and greater force, but less control.

Shorter blades, on the other hand, are a different matter all together. You wouldn’t want to use a six-inch blade for hacking through underbrush. You would, however, want such a smaller blade if you were doing something that required precise control, such as cleaning a freshly caught fish or skinning that stag that you just brought down. Larger blades can damage whatever you’re cleaning or skinning, simply because you cannot control them as well. Shorter blades offer better precision and better control, at the cost of brute power, though.

As another example of the need for a specific size, you’ll need to determine if you actually want to carry that knife with you when you go out. While a lot of states allow fixed blades of up to five or six inches in length to be carried openly, many states prohibit anything larger. You will also need to consider your own comfort when carrying your knife. Longer blades tend to be less comfortable when strapped to your hip.

You will also find that longer blades are thicker and hold up to the abuse better. Thicker, longer knife blades are perfect for tasks that do not require precise control, but do require considerable durability and resilience. So, your intended use will determine just how long that bowie knife actually is.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the Cold Steel bowie knive.

Choosing a bowie knife will require that you make several choices. You’ll have the choice of blade length, and even blade style. For instance, you might opt for the classic style blade, or you might go for an option that is derived from modern military designs. You will also need to choose from a wide selection of handle materials. What are bowie knife handles made of? What options do you have in the market? You’ll find that quite a few different materials are used for this purpose.

First, you will find that wood is one of the dominant choices on the market today. These handles can be utilitarian, but they can also be beautiful. Some bowie knives feature solid wood handles, but most make use of a two-part handle, made of wooden scales held together by rivets run through the wood and through the tang of the knife. Knives that make use of wooden scales are usually “full tang,” while those with a solid wood handle use what’s called a “rattail” tang. Full tangs are preferable to rattails, as they provide better stability and longevity in your knife.

Another type of material that you can choose for your bowie knife handle is wood. This is probably the most popular type of material used, as it’s inexpensive, widely available and stunningly beautiful. Wood can be carved and shaped, patterned, stained any number of colors and can provide a unique handle for your bowie knife. You will also find any number of different types of wood available in these knives, giving you the greatest range of options possible.

Yet another material used for bowie knife handles is bone. You’ll find antler and other bones used to create these handles, though these are often very decorative. While bone handles are quite functional, you might find that you don’t want to take the knife out to use it. As a note, some bone is unsuitable for handle construction, though antler is often a great choice that will provide years of use, as well as considerable good looks.

Other materials featured in the handles of bowie knives include leather, composite materials and even cloth (though specially treated and hardened). Your choice of handle material will determine how long the handle bears up, as well as how easy the knife is to grip and even quite a bit of how attractive that knife actually is.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring the Cold Steel rubber training knife.

You might think that due to their heft and size, that bowie knives would make an ideal throwing knife. You might even have chanced to watch some of the many YouTube videos that show people using bowie knives as throwing knives (sometimes with some very mixed results). However, the fact remains that bowie knives are not designed to be thrown. They are handheld tools, designed for cutting, cleaning and any number of other uses.

For a knife to have any hope of being accurate, it has to be correctly balanced. This ensures that the knife flies through the air properly. Bowie knives are not balanced for throwing. They’re balanced for hand usage. Hold a bowie knife in one hand and a throwing knife in the other and you will feel the weight difference. Balance each in turn on your hand and you will immediately notice the different centers of gravity. This means that bowie knives are not a good choice for throwing.

For instance, if your knife hits the target slightly askew, the point might stick, but the sideways motion of the blade and handle might bend the tip, or the blade. You might also notice that bowie knives are so heavy that you are forced to stand closer to the target in order to hit with enough force for the point to stick at all. While this might not seem problematic, it can be an issue. For instance, it takes very little for the knife to bounce off and come back in your direction. While the knife will likely not have enough force to cause damage, or even to reach you, the potential remains.

Yet another reason that you shouldn’t use bowie knives as throwing knives is the simple fact that you can achieve better results with knives designed specifically for that purpose. You’ll find throwing knives are quite affordable and can be purchased in numerous places, both online and offline. Keep your bowie knife for the uses it was actually designed for and pickup a throwing knife or two for your target practice.

However, the fact remains that general purpose bowie knives make poor options for throwing. If you are interested in throwing knives, it’s highly advised that you purchase knives designed for that purpose. This way, you will be able to continue using your bowie knife without fear of damage and you will not void the warranty. When cared for properly, these knives can last a lifetime; however, that will require that you know what to do and what not to do with them.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring the western bowie knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.

Bowie knives are some of the most popular blades on the market. These knives have been around for almost 200 years and during that time, they’ve gained a well-earned reputation for quality, durability, ruggedness and much more. However, all that ruggedness and durability goes out the window if you do not maintain your blade correctly. What should you do about maintaining that blade? How do you know if you’re doing it right or not?

Proper knife care for your bowie knife actually starts with proper use. Remember, your knife is not a screwdriver. It is not a hatchet or a hammer, either. While you can certainly use your knife in these capacities in a pinch, it’s really not recommended that you do. Using your knife correctly will ensure that it holds up better and lasts much longer.

You will also need to make sure that you clean that blade after every use. Whether you choose to use that bowie knife to gut a fish or skin larger game, you’ll find that the blade can quickly become fouled with dirt, waste and liquid. The unfortunate side effect of this is that the knife blade will start to rust or corrode. You’ll also find that a dirty, rusty blade does not slide free form the sheath or scabbard very easily, which can lead to accidents and injuries. Therefore, make sure that the blade is clean and dry after every use.

Another area of concern with bowie knife sharpening is proper storage. Carrying your knife in a leather sheath is fine - these are excellent options, particularly for those who don’t like the feel of a hard scabbard or sheath. However, leather tends to attract moisture, so storing the blade for a long period of time in a leather sheath might not be the best idea. Choose a well-sealed storage environment to help protect your knife from corrosion by moisture.

Other considerations when caring for bowie knives include oiling the blade when in storage (to protect against moisture), or proper use of the blade. Remember, this is a knife, not a hammer, screwdriver or pry-bar and should not be used as such if you can avoid it.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring a Cold Steel bowie knives sale.

Bowie knives are renowned for their versatility as general purpose knives. You’ll find that the blade can be used for a wide range of things, from skinning and cleaning game and fish to cleaning branches and much more. However, you will find a lot of uses that bowie knives are not suited for. These uses will not only damage your knife, but can possibly even break the blade, ruining your knife and possibly even leading to an injury, should sharp pieces of the blade come into contact with your unprotected skin.

Screwdriver - Your bowie knife is a precision tool, for all of its heft and length. However, many people simply cannot understand why you should never use a knife as a screwdriver. After all, if you can fit the tip of the blade in the slotted head of a screw, why can’t you turn it? The problem here is that your knife is a tool designed for cutting, chopping or slicing. It is not intended to do the job of a screwdriver. If you attempt to use it as such, you’ll find that you can damage the tip very easily.

Let’s look at using your bowie knife as a pry bar to get an even better feel for why these versatile knives should not be used for such tasks. When prying on something, it generally means that the item is either rather heavy, or it is jammed and stuck. While your knife might fit quite well under whatever that object might be, you can rest assured that you do not want to put the blade there. Even a small amount of pressure can actually bend the blade of your bowie knife, leading to some serious problems.

Now that you know a bit about why you shouldn’t use your knife for situations such as this, you should know a few other things. First, using your bowie knife in such a way will instantly void the warranty on the blade. As you’ve probably spent a pretty penny to purchase a high quality bowie knife, this is not a good situation to be in, particularly if an issue comes up for which you need that warranty protection.

Punch - Punches are used in a variety of different areas, from leatherworking to stonework. However, your bowie knife is most certainly not a punch. While it might do an ok job on leather or cloth, you’ll find that anything harder than this will leave your knife a ruined mess. Therefore, do not use your bowie knife as a punch.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the Cold Steel bowie knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online butane lighters store.

You are using your bowie knife for a particular project when it suddenly drops from your grasp. It lands point first on a rock and when you pick it up, you realize that the tip is bent. Or perhaps you lent your bowie knife to a friend who, for reasons unknown to you, decided that it looked like an ideal replacement for that screwdriver he or she lost a week ago. When the knife comes back, the blade is bent. What do you do about a bent blade on your bowie knife? What are your options?

What should you do, should you realize that the tip or blade of your knife is bent? How do you repair bowie knives with bent blades? The very first thing you need to do is scrutinize where the bend is located. The most common area of damage is to the point of the knife. This might be because you dropped the knife point first onto a hard surface, such as a rock or cement. It might also be because someone attempted to pry with the blade or use it as a screwdriver. Bowie knives should not be used thus.

Many people will attempt to bend the blade back into shape on their own. You might be tempted to try using a pair of pliers, or even a vice clamp. However, what this usually leads to is a broken blade and possibly quite a lot of blood from where the blade fragment gashed you. This does not sound like a lot of fun. You might try to bend the tip back into place, as well, though this usually results in a broken tip and a disfigured knife blade. If you cannot repair the blade yourself, what should you do?

What should you do, then? Your best option is to reheat the blade tip and then reshape it. This will require some serious heat, a hammer, an anvil and some pretty specific knowhow. In fact, you might not be able to accomplish this task on your own at all. It’s a better idea to find a cutler who can repair your knife. Why should you opt for professional help with bent bowie knives?

A cutler will ensure that the blade does not lose its heat temper and will also be able to ensure that the blade regains its proper dimensions. Conducting such repairs at home, on your own, can be an excellent way to ruin that knife blade through incorrect repair techniques.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring Cold Steel training knives. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online lighters store.

Are you searching the bowie knives market for a new blade? If so, you’ll find that you have an amazing array of options available to you. You can choose a traditional style knife, or you can opt for something a bit more modern. You will even find options that are derived from popular films of the modern day, such as Rambo and Predator. Of course, if you’re more of a purist, you’ll find detailed replicas of Bowie’s first knife that can be purchased. However, what sort of metal do you want in that blade?

The choice of blade material is never one that should be made hastily. Different types of metals have very different properties. Even the many varieties of steel out there provide very different benefits and drawbacks that will play a significant role in how that metal performs for your specific needs. What’s this all about? For instance, you’ll find stainless steel, high carbon steel and surgical steel on the market. Each of these is a type of steel, but they are very different. For instance, stainless steel is well known for its stain and rust resistance. However, high carbon steel holds a better edge for a longer period of time. Surgical steel has a number of benefits, as well.

As you can see, the choice of metal for your knife blade is very important. What should you choose? What are your options? You can break your decision down into a few different categories to make it somewhat easier. You’ll find steel (surgical), stainless steel and high carbon steel. Some knives offer carbon fiber blades, but these are gimmicks that should be avoided, as they either don’t hold up well, or are so expensive as to be prohibitive.

Bowie knives are rugged, durable and provide tremendous versatility, but you’ll need to choose the right metal for the task. As an example, someone who will use their knife as a general camping or hunting tool will not require the same benefits as someone who does solo exploration in the wilds of northern Canada.

Determine what you need from the blade and then compare the benefits and drawbacks offered by the different types of steel out there. You’ll even find user forums online that can help you decide which bowie knives are right for your needs.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring the Cold Steel original bowie knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online lighters store.