Bowie knives are a multi-purpose tool that can be used for combating, cutting, slicing by civilians as well as by the armed forces.
These are of various brands and each brand based its tool on a specific purpose. Like few brands offer bowie knife specifically for combating against enemies and are used by military forces. Whereas some other offers for domestic purposes, for cutting hard ropes, for slicing during camping and such similar aspects. Since these knives are useful in various ways so one must keep a bowie knife to meet the needs of an emergency. Selecting the best bowie knife for yourself is a basic step that requires much attention.There is a review of top ten bowie knives so that you can get an idea about them and can choose easily. Have a look:
Timber Rattler
Bowie knives have become the dire need of today’s life. People are now more concerned about their protection as well as their outdoor activities and such knives are now used for these purposes too. This Timber Rattle bowie knife is quite huge, heavy and durable too.
It comes with a protective sheath that is mainly of leather and is very useful. The blade of this knife is made up of stainless steel that is of high performance that’s why the blade is very sharp. The blade is thick and is very solid. Usually, tough stable full tang blade makes it exceptional.
The tool is featured with a brilliant brass-plated guard that provides a secure and safe grip to this knife. The handle of the tool is very well made. It is of leather and is exquisite. This handle easily fits the sheath. Overall the tool is easy to walk with. You can carry it along with you while out home. Its price is reasonable that’s why one must prefer this knife on others.
This knife can be used in processing the wood during hiking or camping. This knife is designed beautifully and is of good quality. With a full tang, blood groove, a comfortable handle with a hook on the pommel to keep it firmly in your hand, makes it capable of doing all your required jobs.
- Comes with a leather sheath.
- Reasonable price.
- Full-tang blade.
- The blade doesn’t have the razor-sharp edge, bit dull one.
- Huge gigantic size.
KA-BAR
As I have mentioned earlier bowie knives are also used as combat tools. The KA-BAR full-size US Marine corps fighting knife, as the name shows can be used to fight against the enemies. This tool is proficiently used by Marine Corps. The knife consists of 1095 Cro-van steel blade that is 7″ square. The overall length of this knife is 11.87 inches.
It is made of the leather handle that is very comfortable to use as well as comfortable to carry. This knife has the honour of having the world’s most famous fixed blade knife design. The blade has a sharp edge thus efficient in working.
The knife comes with a gold-plated brass guard and a pommel. As it is made up of tough steel, it is more durable. The knife comes up with a leather sheath that is usually durable, rugged and strong too. The leather can be treated with Neatsfoot oil, this will make it more supple and water-resistant. This sheath won’t break.
This sheath keeps the knife protected and sharp. It was used in the Second World War, that’s why quickly gained fame around the war. For the people who carry personal knives, KA-BAR has become the first choice. You should also try this knife as it is great in corrosion resistance, edge holding ability and razor-sharp cutting.
- Edge arrives very sharp.
- Metal finger guard prevents slippage of the hand.
- The blade won’t crack or break with heavy work too.
- No drawbacks for this wonderful tool.
Ka-Bar Becker
For the people who used to enjoy martial arts and hunting as well as other outdoor activities, Becker made the combat knives that are highly ergonomic in design as well as have high-quality material. These knives perform very well in combat and field-craft chores.
The knife comes with a compatible heavy-duty polyester sheath. Its blade is made up of 1095 Cro-Van steel instead of stainless steel. But this Cro-Van steel is also very efficient and hard in function. The length of its blade is 9 inches.
However, the overall length of the knife is 14-3/4 inches. It has pride that is its usage in almost all military departments. So, the best combat tool used in fighting against emergencies. Its ergonomic handle is designed to make it comfortable to use as well as minimizes user’s fatigue. The overall weight of the tool is 1.05 pounds.
The price for this knife is quite reasonable and I must say you can feel that you get what you paid for. It has a full tang blade made of carbon steel with black coating, making it look adorable too. This is sharp enough that one can use it for chopping up downed tree limbs too. You must have a look at this bowie knife too, before getting a one. As it is everything one could need for a survival blade.
- Sharp, carbon steel blade.
- Polyester sheath.
- Reasonable price.
- Durable with ergonomic design.
- The handle can get slippery when get damped.
Ontario Knife Co
In the cutlery industry, Ontario Knife Company has built a high reputation. Its types of equipment are being used by people due to one of the most comprehensive, wide-ranging product lines in the cutlery industry today. It provides a tool with quality materials and components.
The SP10 marine rider bowie knife is made of 9.75-inch blade that is full tang and made of carbon steel with an epoxy powder coating. It is featured with a comfortable Kraton handle with a secure grip. The tool is provided with a Cordura sheath to protect the knife and make it more durable.
A limited lifetime warranty is also provided with this tool, so you can get your tool repaired and replaced during that period. The weight of the SP10 marine bowie knife is about 1.41 pounds. The blade is amazingly sharp, In fact, have a razor-sharp edge. This well-made full tang knife is a highly recommended tool that can be selected without wasting any time. Its sheath is functional one and certainly satisfactory.
It is also a multi-purpose tool that can be used as a camp, utility, chop, defence knife. With it’s reasonable or you can say less price, it is a perfect tool and one couldn’t surely find anything remotely close to this quality. The blade style is excellent that gradual forward sweep in the blade combined with weight makes it a very heavy chopper.
- Ability to hold an edge.
- Full tang sharp blade.
- Very comfortable and grippy handle.
- Very acute point od blade.
- Pretty small lanyard hole.
Buck Knives
People used to believe in the tools of good repute brands or of those having experience of many years. Buck is also one of those companies that have 100 years of experience and are quite popular in this field.
They provide knives with excellent or proficient performance as made up of high-quality material. These knives have full tang construction for strength. The presence of aluminium cross guard and aluminium pommel is an additional feature found in this tool.
This knife comes with a genuine leather sheath that is provided to protect the knife blade and make it last longer. Its razor-sharp blade is made up of 420HC steel that has excellent strength, edge retention and corrosion resistance. The overall length of the knife is of 11-3/4 inches. The weight of this tool is 13.3oz. the knife is solid build and has a smart design.
Its full tang construction with Integrated Finger Guard and a Deep Choil help make this knife one of the best options for the serious hunter who values quality knives. Its Black Micarta handle has curves and palm swells for providing easy grip. This arrangement makes the tool easy to hold and handle too. The integrated belt loop comes up with the tool that makes it capable to hang with your belt and thus you can move out easily with this tool too.
- Safe and secure grip handle.
- Convenient carry due to belt loop.
- Reasonable price.
- Forever warranty.
- It’s a big bowie, gigantic size.
Schrade
For all outdoor adventure loving people, Schrade is providing professional tools that you can carry while hiking, camping, chopping, cutting, slicing and many other purposes too. This knife is a strong tool that you need to deal with heavy-duty tasks. This SCHF45 knife is made durable and sturdy too.
The blade of the knife is made up of reliable 8Cr13MoV Titanium Coated High Carbon Stainless Steel. This steel is of high performance used to make a hard blade and due to carbon presence, it is corrosion resistant and has edge retention. The blade is also coated with titanium layer making it more resistible.
The handle of the tool is made of black thermoplastic elastomer that makes it easy to hold. The tool comes with a thermoplastic sheath that prevents the heat effects and makes the blade stay protected and work effectively for a longer period. This sheath is ideal for every day carries along the belt. The tool is fully secured so one can use it confidently as the blades will not slip with the security of finger guard, choil, and grooves.
It does have a small lanyard hole and full tang construction. It is a highly recommended tool due to its good reputation in the market. The company is well-experienced and made tools with ergonomic design. Thus, Schrade is a trust-worthy name for you all. Go, rush and grab this tool.
- Thick versatile blade of high performance.
- Thermoplastic elastomer handle.
- Easy to carry.
- Durable.
- Not razor sharped blade.
Ka-Bar 1278
It is a perfect tool for all your outdoor activities, that is used by the travellers while camping, cutting the ropes or chopping the tree limb. This heavy-duty knife can be used to complete heavy jobs with ease.
It is designed with a blade of 6 ¾ inch length, made up of high performance 1085 carbon steel making the blade corrosion resistant. Since the blade is made of good quality steel it doesn’t get fable or rust. A black durable handle is featured in this knife. This handle is made up of black Kraton G, provides a comfortable and easy grip to the knife.
A leather sheath also comes with the tool that protects it from any damage. The blade easily fits into the sheath and protected well. The overall length of this ka-bar knife is about 12 ¼ inches. The weight of the knife is 1.6 pounds that are not very heavy, so one can travel with this knife daily.
At a very less price, you are getting a lot of functionality. It is a bit heavy tool but not unwieldy by any means. For those who are looking something little more substantial than a combat-style knife, this is a great option indeed. This knife has a sharp, thick blade along with a cool dangler sheath. One must have this lucky tool.
- Sturdy and well-made design.
- Sharp out of the box.
- Full-tang blade.
- Durable handle.
- Heavy-duty leather/Cordura sheath.
- The sheath is of mediocre quality.
Cold Steel
This beast tool is given by Marauder’s also named as Galahad assault units. This knife is widely used as a combat knife by survivors. This knife is incredible in its functioning. The founder of this knife is inspired by formidable combat knives used in world war two thus tried to make a combat knife that falls in the category of the best knives.
Marauders Bowie is a rugged, restless and reliable tool. This knife is variant in its functioning and can be used as a hunting knife, cutting through brush, performing camp chores and dispatching game effortlessly.
The blade of this knife is made up of Japanese Aus 8A stainless steel that is of very high performance and makes the blade hard or sturdy. The blade is quite thick of about 4.7mm. Due to this high-quality steel, this blade is extra broad razor sharp. It has a continuously curved cutting edge and the formidable clip can cut, hack, shear, chop, slice and pierce with much ease.
A very comfortable double quillion sub helt Kray-Ex handle is present with the knife. The secure sheath covers the blade to protect it from any kind of damage. The weight of the tool is 1 pound, thus quite light in weight. The extremely sharp blade is fixed in the knife. The handle provides easy and sturdy grip thus, it doesn’t slip.
- Lightweight.
- Super sharp, full tang blade.
- Durable
- Good quality steel.
- The clip isn’t much sharped.
- Sub hilt and the guard is a bit uncomfortable.
SOG Super
As you all know, people nowadays are willing to choose the tools of the brands having an honourable position in the market that is obviously due to their high-quality products. SOG is also one of those companies that provide innovative tools.
Known for their uncompromising style and performance, these knives and tools show innovation, durability and a unique style that is recognized worldwide. This super bowie knife has a fixed blade that is made up of Aus 8 metal and has a clip point shape with a black TiNi finish.
This blade delivers a quicker and deeper puncture, sharpens easily and makes quick work of any task. The tool featured with an ergonomic contoured balanced handle having a brown finish made up of leather washers to provide a natural look and fits your hand comfortably. The blade thickness is of 0.25-inches. The weight of this tool is 17.4 ounces.
The overall length of this knife is 12.88-inches. The plus pint of SOG knives is that these come with a limited lifetime warranty that protects against defects in manufacturing and materials. The tool also has a black leather sheath that is used to protect the blade from any damage. The tool comes with a belt hook attachment so that you can carry the tool along with you on an everyday basis. The knife is gorgeous from the tip of the blade to its handle too.
- Durable.
- Super sharp blade.
- Leather sheath with belt hook.
- Limited lifetime warranty.
- The sheath doesn’t fit the blade.
Cold Steel 39LABMS
The most common type of bowie knives that can be used for any sort of mission like it may be for chopping, cutting, slicing, piercing, combating or fighting against enemies. These knives are made up of 0-1 high carbon steel that makes them strong, sturdy tools. The blade of these knives is quite sharp and due to heat-treated carbon steel, have much strength, toughness and edge retention.
The blade of these knives is of 8 mm thickness. The ergonomic handle of this tool is 5 3/8” long and is polished with black Micarta. This handle provides a very comfortable and easy grip, that doesn’t slip from your hand. The blade is clip point style.
The weight of this knife is about 1.63 pounds. The knife-like all others also comes with a protective sheath that is for protection of the knife. This sheath helps the blade not to get damage at all. The blade easily fits into this secure-ex sheath.
It is the most comfortable knife that a person can use as a utility knife as well as a combat knife, in both cases, it works efficiently. The knife has a big blade and has a historic look. The brass fittings are tight and the wood is smooth. Both the brass fitting and the wood is polished. Overall the product is a very good buy, for the quality or blade or handles both of them is satisfactory.
- Multi-purpose.
- Easy, comfortable grip.
- Sharp, balanced blade.
- The sheath is the only downfall of this tool.
Buyer’s Guide for Best Bowie Knife
While going through all the stuff that has been mentioned earlier, one can get a whole idea about the benefits of a bowie knife. These knives are quite innovative and efficient tools that can be used for various purposes. If you are having a bowie knife, then there is no need of getting separate utility or combat knife as the bowie knives are all in one tool. One can use it for combat against enemies or can also use this tool while doing outdoor activities. So, one must buy a bowie knife for him/herself to get complete benefit through it. Now the important step is choosing the best bowie knife out of all. For that purpose, one must go through all the key features of all type of knives. Like you have to look at the tool price or its warranty or even the blade shape, things like that. So, before buying a knife for you, go through all the characteristic features of that tool. Some people want good quality knives at a low price, for them, I would say make your expectations not so much high, and just do thorough research on all the types to get a one that suits your taste as well as your pocket.
Warranty
As I discussed earlier different brands offer different sort of warranty according to their tool requirements. One must prefer a tool that is provided with some better warranty option. Like SOG knives are provided with a limited lifetime warranty, so you can check their knives too. This ensures the damage repairing as well as replacement of the tool in case of any manufacturing mistake or material.
Price:
The price of a tool is a key feature that you must notice. Since all of us can’t afford very high price tools. That’s why the majority of the people wants to buy a good quality tool in a reasonable amount. Must look at this feature too before getting a knife for you.
Blade sharpness:
The blade of the knife should be sharp enough that can meet the requirement of a job. Some Bowie knives are provided with razor-sharp edge blades. These knives are more effective in their functioning and perform their functions with more precision. Since not all blades have the same sharpness, so must note this point too while getting a bowie knife for you.
Blade shape:
Some knives come up with pointed shapes while some come up in straight edge form. This feature is also noticeable as it affects the blades ability to perform various functions. Usually, people prefer the knives that have clip pointed shapes as these can reach deeper and can perform their functions speedily. So, yes you should also have a glimpse over this important feature of the bowie knives.
Blade material:
The material of the blade affects the activity of the blade or its sharpness. Different bowie knives have blades of high carbon steel as well as some others od Japanese steel and many more other options. The material of the blade decides whether the tool has a solid, strong blade or a dull, brittle one. So, pay equal attention to this feature too.
The handle of the knife:
The handle of the knife should also be noticed. As some handles have ergonomic designs that provide an easy and comfortable grip while others provide an insecure grip in which there is a fear of slipping the tool from your hand. That’s why one must look at the shape and material of the handle if it is made of leather or some other material.
The sheath of the knife:
Almost all the knives are provided with a sheath cover that protects the knives from any sort of damage. But in certain cases, the sheath doesn’t fit the blade properly or the sheath gets torn apart after little use. In such cases, you can’t do anything after you have bought the tool. That’s why these are the features that one should notice while purchasing a knife. Certain knives are provided with thermoplastic, heat-treated sheaths that avoids heat effect on the knife. Similarly, different knives are provided with the sheath that has a belt hook attachment for everyday carry. This additional feature should also be noticed while getting one.
The reputation of the brand:
The reputation of the brand should also be checked before getting their tools. It has a major role in your choice of getting a bowie knife for you. As the knives of good repute and popular brands are expected to be of good quality. As these brands are more concerned about their reputation in the market, their level of the products, their quality standards. That’s why one should prefer a tool from a good repute brand that is probably recognized worldwide.
The durability of the tool:
The durability of a tool is a key factor that we all are concerned about. Since nobody is willing to have a tool for a very small period, nobody is ready to spend money again and again on a similar tool. So, one must look at the life of the tool first. That means one should make a deep research on a knife’s durability before buying it.
Size and weight:
The size and weight and weight od the tool determine if the tool can be carried or moved easily or not. Since bowie knives are bought to carry with you either daily or in outdoor activities. So, one should prefer a small or reasonable size and lightweight knife to get it moved easily without any irritation or more effort.
Protection and safety:
The protection and safety of a person is the foremost priority. Nothing could be more valuable than that of a person’s security. One should check the security measures of a tool before getting one. Like in case ofbowie knife one should check the sheath of the knife, the material of sheath, the size of the sheath if it fits the blade properly or not. If the sheath fits perfectly then there is no risk of slipping the knife from the sheath. So always take care of this point too.
12.Additional features of the tool:
Since you are going to spend your money on a tool, you should first make 100% surety about all the features. Additional features of a tool include the presence of a belt hook attachment or finger guard. So must check the additional features of a tool too while getting a one for you.
13.Proper maintenance of the tool:
The proper maintenance of a tool is very important to get your tool work for a longer time with more effectiveness. People are not much care about their tools and ultimately lose them. Anything that does not care properly will end up soon. To make value your money, you should put some effort and try to maintain your tool for longer life period. For that purpose, one should take care of his/her knife. One must clean the blade of the knife regularly soon after its usage. Similarly, you should put your tool inside the sheath when not in use. This will ensure the protection of the blade.
Important FAQs
yes, you can sharpen your blade with any sharpening tool or stones. Usually, the blade of the bowie knife comes in sharpened form but still for further use you can get it sharpened.
Yes, in most of the cases the blades provided with the bowie knives have full tang construction and quite sharp. They are designed to be balanced and lightweight.
The bowie knives are designed to be used as utility knives as well as combat knives. These knives come up with sharp blades and comfortable grip handle, to make them applicable in all circumstances. Even some brands provide the bowie knives specifically for fighting against the enemies, you can also go for them.
It depends on the type of knife you are having or going to have. Different knives have different blades that have a variable thickness. So, you have to specify the type of bowie knife to get confirmed value.
Not exactly all bowie knives made in the US. Bowie knives are being used all over the world, so different brands from different countries are making them. You need to specify a type of bowie knife to ask about its manufacturing information.
Conclusion
At last, bowie knives have become easy as well as an important option for all of us. Those who don’t have any such knife should try one of them. This will help you in certain situations. This little incredible tool has raised much importance in the present age. Everybody must have at least one bowie knife to tackle all situations. Next try to choose the best one for you and then take care of your tool too.
