In this day and age,,,

[aarondhgraham]

In this day and age,,,
Is there really a practical use for a large Bowie type knife?

I'm really not trying to troll here,,,
I fully understand the desire to own a finely made iconic knife.

But it just seems to me that a knife like the Buck 119,,,
Or a folder like the Buck 110 could serve any practical need that arose.

My favorite knife is the Schrade Sharpfinger,,,
But that's for a purely nostalgic reason.

That's the knife my grandfather carried when hunting,,,
Skinned my first rabbit using it.

I am just curious is all,,,
Not trying to start a war of large knife justification.

Aarond

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[Mk-211]

I look at it more like this, choose the proper knife for the job.

There will always be a need for a large knife sometime in your future, same goes for a smaller folding knife. That's why most guys will carry multiple knives with them.

 

[aarondhgraham]

There will always be a need for a large knife sometime in your future,

I guess what I'm curious about is,,,
What would that need be?

Aarond

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[Mk-211]

Do you go camping? Forget an axe, need to baton wood for a fire? Chop down a small tree for wood for that fire?

Need a prybar? That big knife with a 1/4" thick body can come in handy.

Plenty of uses for those big choppers.

 

[Fiv3r]

If we are honest with ourselves, I would guess that upwards of 85% of what we own and purchase is not needed.

I like the options that a large, sharp blade offers over a hatchet or axe. I look at it this way as well, every single knife of every size I have purchased I have used in some capacity. All were purchased with some use in mind. They have come in way more handy and been of a practical use beyond any firearm I have in my clutch of a collection since I dont hunt

 

[theotherwaldo]

I bought a theatre knife in a bowie pattern yesterday.

I doubt that I'll be using it for much except as a display piece.
Still... .

 

[JShirley]

OP, no reason.

Hey, I have some things to do. Would you chop the logs out back into firewood, and then, cut down those saplings growing around the edge of the cabin? Oh, and be careful. We've had a couple of aggressive wild dogs around here lately.

What's that? Oh, nah, I'm sure your Sharpfinger will do just fine. If you have time, slice that watermelon for me, too...

Hey, I eat soup with a fork. Why would anyone need anything else?

 

[kBob]

"I can drink drink borcsh from a boot and eat beans with a bayonet"

Old Russian Army Song "Oh Mama. Oh Papa"

What folks have said, heavy camp chores. I wore a big bowie on Scout campouts when a Scout master and honestly used it for batoning wood for fire building. Took some kids a while to catch on that having wood of the right size and type and using in order was ADTUALLY IMPORTANT.

I have also used an old big bowie for yard chores and even a little digging.

I always wonder if those wags that say "The bigger the Knife, the Bigger the Greenhorn" would have said that to Jim Bouie's face back in the day.

-kBob

 

[aarondhgraham]

I haven't been rough camping in over 45 years,,,
But when I did camp I always had a hatchet to use as a "chopper".

Way back in time (late 50's) I was a Boy Scout,,,
What we always used (after passing the safety tests),,,
Was that small pocket knife, a good hatchet, and a small saw.

I guess a heavy Bowie would make a decent firewood tool,,,
It's just that what little training I had was in using different tools.

Again, I'm not being snarky here,,,
I'm actually trying to gain some new insight.

Aarond

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[Rexster]

I have tended to carry stout fixed-blade knives, lately. Not necessarily Bowies, but 6”-plus, and sturdy. Why? Feral humans, feral dogs, and feral hogs. Hatchets are wonderful for camping, but occasionally, one may require deep, in-line penetration, in a situation where a firearm may be unavailable, impractical, or illegal.

This happened one county to the east of us:

https://abc13.com/feral-hogs-kill-woman-in-front-yard-of-chambers-county-home-/5716849/

Within this county, a feral hog, being pursued by feral dogs, smashed through the wall of the detached garage at my mother’s home.

 

[Kingcreek]

In all honesty, I don't have any use for a large knife. A fixed 3-3.5" blade will do almost everything I need to do. And a sharp hatchet is a better tool for chopping.
I have my grandfather's circa 1900 marbles ideal with a big blade (7"?). I have used it just for nostalgia purposes.

 

[SharpDog]

IMHO It really depends on your needs:

If only one blade: Then you need at least a 6" knife. I did originally choose an A.G. Russel Sandbox Bowie (top):

https://agrussell.com/knife/A-G-Russell-Sandbox-Bowie--RU-U712BKOD#:~:text=G. Russell Sandbox Bowie. The blade measures 8",were deployed. Measures 13-1/4" overall. Weighs 12.8 oz.



but have since replaced it with a Spartan Harsey Difensa for this purpose.

If you will carry everything on your back then I chose a combination 4" Canadian, Drop Point Hunter or Bushcraft style with a light long knife like a Buck Hoodlum. The reason for thje hoodlum is that it is a lot lighter than any other comparable length knife. It also makes a great fighting knife if needed.



The combined weight of the two knives, sheathes, 2 sharpeners, firetool and magnesium fire fuel is just over 2 lbs which is maybe a half lb more than most tomahawks without sheathes.

https://www.chuckhawks.com/grohmann_1_knife.htm

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015643830


If I am camping with the truck then I add a medium axe and short shovel.

 

[rust collector]

Bowie knives were part of the lore and legend of the old west. Amazing thing is that no one knows exactly what Mr Bowie's knife looked like. "Bowie knives" are now more of a stylized art piece than a practical tool. I love the look, but question the utility of the pattern now known by that name. In most cases, neither the heft nor the size of the frontier bowie knife is necessary or welcome to someone walking the woods. Machetes and cleavers have better velocity for chopping. Hatchets and axes work better for heavy cutting. Froes work better for splitting. Many other indigenous patterns excel at vines, combat and cooking.

 

[SharpDog]

Bowie knives were part of the lore and legend of the old west. Amazing thing is that no one knows exactly what Mr Bowie's knife looked like. "Bowie knives" are now more of a stylized art piece than a practical tool. I love the look, but question the utility of the pattern now known by that name. In most cases, neither the heft nor the size of the frontier bowie knife is necessary or welcome to someone walking the woods. Machetes and cleavers have better velocity for chopping. Hatchets and axes work better for heavy cutting. Froes work better for splitting. Many other indigenous patterns excel at vines, combat and cooking.

You have to bring weight / cost into the equation. the "If you could only have one" rule. And then factor in your usage

 

[JShirley]

Whenever I suggest a big blade for outdoor use, I mention it can be:

Large knife (RTAK, Camp Defender)
Large indigenous knife (Kukri, bolo, machete, etc)
Hatchet, sharpenable shovel, or 'hawk

John

 

[sparkyv]

I'm fond of a hatchet as well, but have a large camp/bush knife also for when the hand axe is inadequate.

But when I did camp I always had a hatchet to use as a "chopper".

 

[theotherwaldo]

When I feel that I'm going to need a really big knife I reach for a bolo - or a kukri - or a Chinese chef's knife - or... .
I really don't care for over-sized bowies.

 

[hso]

But it just seems to me that a knife like the Buck 119,,,
Or a folder like the Buck 110 could serve any practical need that arose.

Interesting idea, but you're going to have to define what you man by "any practical need that arose".

I practice minimalist woodscraft and if the only knife allowed was a 119 I'd need to carry a saw or axe or other large chopper. That's a practical need for me if I need to make a quick shelter or get to dry firewood. My property is wooded and on a lake and maintenance of it doesn't always require an axe or chainsaw, but a large chopper that clears saplings and brush and limbs is convenient when walking the property.

 

[Old Dog]

Is there really a practical use for a large Bowie type knife?

Is there really a use for a .500 S&W handgun?

The forum rules prohibit us from talking about zombie apocalypse scenarios, so we won't go there. Sometimes I think practical doesn't enter into it ... maybe just because it's cool?

In another thread, I brought up the ESEE Junglas. It might not be practical, but boy howdy, when I'm camping or hiking, I find a use for it.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I’ve had a Bowie knife with a 10 inch blade for 20 years. Never have really used it. Doesn’t mean I won’t though.

 

[Valkman]

When I made knives I thought Bowies and Fighters were kind of outdated and useless, and then one day made up a Bowie-style fighter and it became my biggest seller. LOL It was a hell of a knife with a 7" blade (5" for Texas at the time) and IDK there's something about them people really like.

 

[rust collector]

Those have beautiful lines and finish is outstanding. Easy to see why people were drawn to them even though not used for bushwhacking.

 

[lemaymiami]

Don't have any use for a Bowie style blade - but when they first became popular I doubt there were many firearms that were more than single shot items (and no cartridges either - mostly...) so I can understand that someone out in the boonies might think it handy to have a big knife with them at all times... particularly a long way from anywhere on horseback or on foot...


Haven't carried a fixed blade in many years - but when I did they were small and meant as back-up for two legged animals (life on the street can get interesting - and not in a good way...). In general, though, my EDC is always a folder - but not a small one....

I do however have two working knives that I use for fish cutting... Both are big stainless steel butcher knives with curved blades, Forschners (Victorinox) one with a 10" blade (a breaking style blade) and one a 12" in a cimeter pattern. These days many of my anglers are "catch and release" types but when you need to cut fish, some of them in the fifty to sixty pound range - they're the tools needed to do the job... They're very carefully kept in my tow vehicle and not on my skiff... a salt environment needs to be respected... Both blades are more than forty years old and still in nearly as good a condition as when they were new...

 

[JShirley]

A small revolver or automatic might be the handgun one carries most of the time, but isn't useful for hunting. In the same way,
a large blade can do things than your daily carry blade would struggle, or fail to do.

When I was salt-water kayaking in WA in 2015, I took my ARK with me. It was great for doing things like slicing small fruits and veggies for dinner- but as the size of the food you're handling gets bigger, you lose efficiency with a small blade.

You might use a compact car 98% of the time, but 2% of the time, you NEED a truck or a van.

John

 

[aarondhgraham]

Thanks for your replies Gentlemen,,,
I hope I didn't stir up any harsh feelings about this.

I was simply curious about a knife I knew absolutely nothing about.

My questions have been answered.

Aarond

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