I've always believed that the only practical reason I'd ever need a Bowie knife was if I was going to 1) kill rampaging Indians, 2) protect the honor of my clan, or 3) fend off a wounded bear.

Still, that being said, I've always been intrigued by them. Over the years, I've picked up a few. Some large. Some not so large. I don't ever plan on going hand-to-hand with any of Santa Ana's soldiers or stabbing a leaping cougar in the jugular, but I still think there's something neat about them.

Maybe it's the twelve-year old boy that's still somewhere inside of me that dreams of taking his trusty Hawken rifle, Bowie knife, and pack horse and venturing into the high lonesome.

Or, maybe, more likely than not, it's just a 67-year old duffer with a hint of nostalgia.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Nevertheless, I like Bowie knives. Here are a few Bowie patterns that I've had over the years. Like I said, some are big, some aren't. And, rest assured, if the time ever comes when I have to defend my home against invading pirates...I'll be ready.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Here's my first sheath knife.
It's a Sears Buffalo Hunter.
I've had it a long time!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I have always wondered just what makes a knife a Bowie knife. What I see in common is a clip point and a double guard. By that measure, a USMC Ka-Bar and a Buck 119 or 120 could be considered Bowie knives.

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Not in jail.

I have a couple of Bowie knives in my collection. The first one is my oldest, a Buck Frontiersman (Model 124):



The second one is a EK combat bowie:



The next one is a Bear & Son bowie:



The last one is a Randall model 12-9 bowie:

I like the big blades to.
Check out Cold Steel's "Natchez" neat
lookin blade. That is next for me.
Here are a couple of mine.
A Voorhis and Deleon.
About the only place to snag a Voorhis is
on ebay or maybe a gun show. Same with Deleon.

Marble's

Couple modern day Bowie's..Randall Model 14 and a Chris Reeve Green Beret.

You left out the most practical use for a heavy Bowie--whacking the tail off salmon! A hatchet works a little better but doesn't look as scary to the enemies of your clan.

Actually any knife will field dress a deer. I used my Rigid Bowie on a couple. My uncle who was as fast as anyone with only his Case trapper was not impressed. However, I maintain I would have been better off than him if a cougar had jumped me trying to steal the deer.

Starting from the top down your knives number 1 and 3 are small enough that I'd call them camping knives. They'd work well for making a sandwich or kindling. That's enough reason to own them. Number 5 looks like it would be handy around the yard. Number 6 I don't know about. Maybe it's for skinning elephants. Numbers 2 and 4 are definitely Bowies. Santa Anna's troops starting marching south immediately after seeing them posted.

Here's a Loveless pattern humpback fighting blade made by NM ace Hank Kubico.
It features a double concave grind and top edge.
Hank didn't have that CNC equipment, he ground this on a regular belt grinder!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

The study of the knife type and it's history is fascinating. Here is an outstanding scholarly study.

https://www.historicarkansas.org/_li...nife_Revisited

We attended the 2013 exhibition of the Bowie, the largest collection of the historical knives, including "Bowie #1" which many believe may have been one of the first.

Knife Gallery

Here is an OUTSTANDING video on the collection.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Fellow I know likes Bowie knives. He just didn't like the sheaths they came with.






Not a Bowie but still a big knife.

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Keep on Chooglin'

Closest thing I have to a Bowie is a Gerber BMF from way back. It is the non-serrated version which I like much better.

I, too, collect Bowies. In my mind, my last stand against the un-holy hordes will be made with a Bowie and Tomahawk. I will take scalps.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I just started photographing some of the high end, custom Bowies this afternoon. These are all one of a kind, hand made knives. Most are laminated steel or Damascus steel

Here is an excellent video on the Sandbar Duel that initially propelled Bowie (and the knife) to fame.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Here's a far-from-elegant,homemade D-guard Bowie.



f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

And colt_saa, those are just fantastic examples of the knife makers art. I don't think I'd be fielding any of them, though...

Here's something a little different, a "Cherokee Rose" by Himalayan Imports, usually known for their fine kuhkuris:

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Just for the fun of it, I recently got an extremely cheap big Bowie on-line to someday keep my Remmie NMA company when I get around to acquiring a belt and holster for that. It's a Timber Rattler, 16 1/2" overall, made in Pakistan, comes with a cheap leather sheath and is probably everything that a well-bred knife enthusiast hates. But, dang, for $23 it's a lot of fun! Budk sells them. I can admire nice knives, I just can't afford them!

I was raised in TX. I am an amateur student of early TX history, as such I collect documentaries, movies, and bowie knives. I probably have 12-15 bowies. Some are awesome, some not so, but all but one is well made and would last the course if needed. I collect other types of knives as well. Once you get started in something like this, you can't stop, nor do I want to.

You are not alone..........................................................

For some strange reason...... or no reason at all...... for the last 30 some years ...... I've owned at least one "big knife" with a blade longer than 7".

Never had a "need" for a knife longer than 4" and the biggest knife I've carried on any regular basis is a 5" mini-K-bar as a fixed bladed utility knife...


But if the Zombies ever come....... my family is ready to go all "Walking Dead" on the first herd we encounter.... with our Hogue and Cold Steel "fighten knifes"!!!!!!!!!!!!

colt saa,
That is an impressive collection you have there.
I could not begin to afford those beauties.

I like to gather up WWII US edged weapons and have two V-44's. The V-44 started out as a survival knife for air crews and was adopted by the Marine Raiders as well. First Pic is a Collins&Co. V-44 with original leather scabbard, the thin leather of the scabbard was rather fragile and did not hold up well in the Pacific Theater and I was very happy to find this one. I bought the scabbard and they threw in the knife! Second pic is also a Collins&CO along with a Ruger Bisley. It had the markings ground and polished off that I got for a song, turned it into a "Cowboy Bowie" and had a custom scabbard made for it.

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Stay safe people!

jinx,
Thank you for the kind word. Unfortunately, these are not my personal possessions. These are inventory. We buy and sell all types of high end knives. We have 2000+ pieces in stock

By coincidence I have three buyers looking for largs Damascus blades in a couple of foreign countries right now so I started photographing more yesterday (I am behind in my photographing.

Here are the ones photographed today. Sorry they are not all Bowies
I will be photographing more tomorrow

Without a Randall Raymond Thorpe.

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colt saa, stop it! I suggest you continue your photographs in the For Sale foum with prices on them, cuz I am wanting them! What art! This thread has reminded me of the one about guns being weapons or tools. Make no mistake, a Bowie knife is a weapon, it is a fighting knife, that's what ol' Jim had it made for, and he used it that way. Quite proficiently, as the stories go. I don't care if you hang it on the wall, whittle with it, or carve your roast, it will always be a fighting knife.
Remember the Alamo!

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I consider the Cold Steel Black Bear Classic is perhaps the best factory fighting knife of all time. While not strictly a Bowie per the classic definition, it is of equal size and better in most regards. Its razor sharp San Mai III steel blade and the extra finger guard on the linen micarta grip makes it a perfect fighting life. Mine came with the now unavailable leather scabbard. I have handled quite a number of old, original Bowies, and I think Cold Steel has most of them beaten. Everyone has an opinion; thanks for listening to mine. Y'all keep my days interesting and informative.

I have a couple but no pictures. I'll have to remedy that and post some pix.

I wish someone could actually define what a Bowie knife is.

"The distinctive characteristics of these knives are that they are guardless, with coffin-shaped handles of burled walnut, wrapped in coin silver, often with plating on the ricasso. Flayderman says “...there is no dissention that the knife [his own guardless coffin illustrated on page 446] and others of its style are among the very earliest known....” Such an early knife was copied by American knifemakers and, especially by cutlers in Sheffield. The coffin- shaped handle remained very popular throughout the heyday of the bowie knife. The silver wrap became a popular feature of many knives. Even the plating of the ricasso can be found on American and Sheffield examples."

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Possum—The other white meat!

One of earliest known examples.

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Possum—The other white meat!

a pair of Old Armies with moose antler by Grashorn and a scrimmed Bowie:


Mike Leach Bowie (hippo ivory) and a 2nd Gen Walker:


OM Blackhawk in 45 Colt with a Randall #23 (My hunting rig=both stocked in water buffalo):


Uberti Dragoon and home-made Bowie (buffalo horn):


Colt OM with Boker Bowie:


Colt Officer's acp and Randall #1:

A couple of stag-handled beauties.





f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I photographed a few more big knives today, so here they are

Sorry wbraswell

What a treat to behold!!! I visited the Alamo 3 years back and got to see a couple in a glass display case. Not sure of the history but recall the blades had scenes and etching. Believe they were made long ago. Thanks for showing a fantastic collection

I have two Bowie knives; a Randall Smithsonian and a Randall Confederate. If you count them as a Bowie knife, I also have a few Randall No. 1 and No. 14. I also have a Randall No. 1 made in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Some of these posts and pictures are so good that we ought to be able to "like" them two or three times, don't you agree?

This has always been what my idea of the Bowie Knife should be, probably because as a kid the movie "The Iron Mistress" was one of my favorites. I was a Alan Ladd fan as well.

Made by Buffalo Waller. Elk antler and buffalo horn.
[IMG][/IMG]

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

Acquired this DAVIS knife a number of years ago in a trade -- value at that time was supposed to be north of 4 bills, I really don't know. Shes big though.