Appropriate Uses for a Bowie Knife

Bowie knives were originally designed with the intention that they were tough enough and agile enough to perform as both a camp tool and a self-defense weapon. However, while a Bowie knife can be used for some rather tough purposes, they will eventually take a great deal of damage from such usage and, probably, will be eventually destroyed. The owners of these knives will do well to make sure they use their knives for appropriate purposes.

What makes a Bowie knife tempting as an all-purpose tool is the fact that the blade is very thick and very wide. This lends it an air of durability that may actually not be a reflection of reality. The strength of the blade on a Bowie depends largely upon the metal of which it was made and how resilient that metal is to being repaired from any damage visited upon it. A bit ironically, the cheaper blades are a bit tougher where abuse is concerned than are the expensive blades.

Generally, a Bowie knife should never be used for anything other than cutting. Activities which involve pounding or hacking are particularly likely to cause severe damage to the blade. In some cases, an individual may be tempted to use their knife as a pry bar of sorts. This can cause myriad problems. If the blade is able to handle this sort of abuse, it's likely that it will be bent by the effort. If it is not, the blade will likely snap in two.

Using the blade on Bowie knives as a screwdriver is a very bad idea. For starters, it will ruin the bevel on the edge of the blade. Once this happens, the knife is essentially destroyed until the bevel is restored by a professional. The blade on Bowies is also prone to slipping when used for this application, as are all knife blades, and this can result in a serious injury. Remember that Bowies were designed as fighting knives and that they can inflict a serious wound, even accidentally.

While a Bowie knife was originally designed to be a frontiersman's best friend, they are not designed to take the place of a hammer, chisel and a hatchet. They may be able to perform such functions in a pinch-which is part of the reason they have endured for so long-but they cannot perform any and every task demanded in the home or at the campsite without becoming damaged and, eventually, destroyed.