Parts of a Bowie Knife
Your bowie knife is a quintessential element in much of your life. Those who use these knives for any period of time quickly find that they are indispensible. They serve general usage needs, are vital when hunting, camping or fishing and make astounding fighting knives (as they were designed for self-protection). However, understanding the features of the blade can be a bit of a quandary. What do all of those specific areas do, anyway? You’ll find that different bowie knife models feature different uses.
Clip Point – Your bowie knife has one defining feature; it has a clipped point. This is the end of the blade and it looks like someone cut a section out of the tip. This is an important feature and serves several purposes. First, it serves to narrow the point of the knife, giving you greater control during use. Second, it ensures that the bowie knife has better penetrative (stabbing) power. As you might imagine, these benefits come in quite handy.
Saw Teeth – You will undoubtedly encounter other bowie knives that feature a saw-toothed design on the spine of the blade. Ostensibly, this is used for sawing wood, or scaling fish. However, most users find that it actually gets in the way and can even injure the knife’s wielder if they are unwary. If you choose to purchase a knife with this feature, be very aware that the saw-tooth portion might not be as handy as you first think.
Spanish Notch – Some bowie knife models include a Spanish Notch, while others do not. The true use of this feature seems to have been lost to the mists of time, but today, it serves as a guide to show where sharpening should begin. Some people attest that the notch was placed there to help catch an opponent’s blade, but most collectors and historians are skeptical of these claims.
You will find a bowie knife that offers features that fit your needs with a bit of searching. Make sure that you understand the different uses of all the blade areas, prior to making any purchase decision, though. This is the only way that you can ensure you get the right bowie knife for your particular usage needs.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the jim bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.