What Are Bowie Knife Handles Made Out Of?

Choosing bowie knives from the plethora of designs and construction materials on the market today can be quite confusing. You'll need to choose the right blade material, as well as the right blade size. However, you will also need to know what type of material you want in the handle. Bowie knives feature a number of materials used for handle creation and each offers unique benefits (as well as costs). What are your options?

You'll find that steel is one of the most commonly used materials for bowie knife handles. While metal handles are frequently added to "modern" evolutions of the bowie knife, you'll find some knives based on the original design that feature these types of handles. Metal is a good choice for excellent grip, for durability and for longevity. However, be aware that improper storage of bowie knives with metal handles can lead to rust in some cases.

Metal - Metal is a popular choice for bowie knife handles, particularly for those based on militaristic themes. You will find metal handles offer excellent grip, thanks the patterning they bear. You will also find them available in a wide range of colors, from black to silver, blue and many other colors, as well. Of course, the metal used in the handles varies from knife to knife, ranging from steel to stainless steel and other options.

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.