Caring for Bowie Knives
February 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
A Bowie knife needs to be kept sharp and dry, free of corrosives and in a stable storage environment. If all of these conditions are met, these knives can last for many years. A very high-quality knife can easily last generations. Caring for these blades is generally quite simple, given the quality of steel available today.
Stainless steel, as the name says, is resistant to the types of corrosion that frequently ruin other knife blades. Even though this is the case, even stainless steel needs to be kept dry. Any fluid with which the knife comes into contact may damage the blade. Acidic liquids may pit and scar the blade, water may cause rust, and so forth. Always wipe down the blade before sheathing it.
Depending on the design of the Bowie knife, there may be other delicate parts that need maintenance, other than the blade. The handle, for instance, may be made out of a sensitive material such as wood or bone. Traditionally, a Bowie has a hand guard and that must also be kept clean and dry, particularly if it is made of metal. The type of knife one has will dictate much of the maintenance procedure. Some knives are built to be almost maintenance-free and others require a good deal of attention, even if they’re given little use.
The military Bowie knife designs are usually among the easiest to maintain. The finishes are dark, the hand guards simple and the design minimalistic in the extreme. Collector’s style Bowies oftentimes have ornate hand guards, lustrous blades and decorative handles. These require very specific types of cleaning, depending upon the materials used. The most utilitarian Bowies require only basic cleaning and a good sharpening now and again to keep them going.
Sharpening Bowie knives requires the right equipment and knowledge. These blades can be difficult to sharpen, even for a very experienced hand. To make the procedure easier, there are many products on the market that allow users to employ guides to maintain the correct angles that make a blade sharp. There are also products that make it easier to accommodate very large knives, such as Bowies. These sharpening techniques take time to learn, but the skill is one which never loses value.
Brian is a business consultant for an online bowie knifes store featuring survival knives.
Restrictions on Carrying a Bowie Knife
January 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment
One of the great joys of having a Bowie knife is showing it off. Bowie knives are elegant weapons, versatile tools and represent one of the legendary items associated with the American Frontier. In fact, it is not exaggerating to say that the Bowie knife is as much an American legend as is the claymore a Scottish one.
Carrying a Bowie knife in public is legal in certain states. This would mean, of course, that it’s perfectly fine to walk around any city in Arizona with a Bowie strapped to one’s leg, one might assume. One would be wrong. City laws may trump state laws, in this case, and one may still be committing a crime by carrying a Bowie in certain areas in Arizona.
Federal property is always off-limits. Never carry Bowie knives into post offices, court houses or onto any other official property. Schools and hospitals are always off-limits, as well. Even though American society allows individuals to bear arms, it is easy to see why society has declared such areas to be weapon-free zones. On private property, make sure that the owner has no prohibitions on weapons before entering. This is polite and good practice for following the law.
A Bowie knife may also be prohibited by any private property owner. In a bar, it is generally illegal to have any sort of weapon. The bar and the state will generally prohibit carrying weapons. Always observe these rules, even if able to legally carry the Bowie in a concealed fashion. That final aspect of carrying a weapon addresses a whole other feature of weapons laws.
In some places, the legality of carrying a Bowie knife will depend upon it being visible. While open carry of any weapon may be permitted, concealed carry will be illegal. Oftentimes, this is found in small towns where outdoors activities such as hunting are very common. Individuals in these places oftentimes go about their business with knives on their belts, especially around hunting and fishing season. The best advice is always to ask local law enforcement. Keep in mind that carrying a Bowie knife will almost always garner attention and, in some settings, may just be poor manners. In the right settings, however, it’s likely to draw a lot of questions and a lot of curiosity about the knife.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring the original bowie knife as well as humidors for storage.
Identifying Bowie Knives
January 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment
When James Black made his first Bowie knife for the legendary frontiersman in the early 1800s, he likely had no idea that he was creating a legend. This knife is renowned for its utility, its durability and, when self-defense is the issue, its lethality. This knife was designed to be an all-purpose tool and a deadly weapon. Since it was first designed, it has famously served both roles. This knife design went into battle with US troops from the Civil War on. It also was used widely by those heading into the unknown frontier of the nation.
Bowie knives always have clipped points. This feature is the end part of the blade where the center of the blade dips below the spine. Though this feature is attractive, it offers far more than looks. In a fight, this narrow portion of the blade is lethal in its ability to penetrate deep into the body with little effort. This creates what is called a false edge along the back of the blade. Some users sharpen this edge. Outside of fighting, however, this modification has little practical usage and may make the knife more dangerous to the user.
Bowie knives without the characteristic hand guards do not deserve the name. The hand guard is angled down on the bottom and up on the top. In romantic assessments, this was used by the wielder to trap the blade of another fighter. In reality, this is a popular guard design on many fighting knives as it easily deflects, not traps, the blade of an opponent. This design is also seen on some swords. The downward-pointing lower hand guard ensures that blades are safely deflected away from the user’s hand, which is a primary target in any fight with bladed weapons.
Bowie knives are always single-edged knives. The back of the blade is sometimes altered to provide more utility. On some knives, there are saw portions or a sharpened section along the false edge of the blade clip. These are user customizations, however, and this knife is always a single edged weapon when manufactured to traditional standards. While double-bladed knives may be a bit more deadly, they are very impractical for any kind of work and oftentimes endanger their user when pressed into service for such mundane tasks as cleaning game.
Bowie knives are useful tools but, in many jurisdictions, they are illegal to carry. These knives, after all, are weapons and are designed to be lethal. Before heading out of the house with one’s Bowie strapped to one’s leg, check local laws to make sure carrying such a fearsome knife is legal.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring Cold Steel bowie knives for sale as well as humidors for storage.
Do I Need a Permit to Have a Bowie Knife?
December 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Do you have to have a permit or a license for bowie knives? You should certainly know the answer for this important question. Actually, you will find that you do not have to have a permit or licensing of any type to own bowie knives. That said, this applies only to your own home. Taking your knife outside of your home might change the rules just a little bit. How do you know what laws apply to your area? How do you know if you can safely take your knife out of your home without worrying about facing criminal charges?
Bowie knives are rather special cases in many states. You’ll find that quite a few southern states still have laws on the books that cite these as “illegal” weapons. That means that you cannot carry them openly or concealed outside of your home. However, many other states do allow you to carry these knives without a permit. No states require that you have a permit to carry one on your person in an unconcealed capacity, though (in those states where these knives can be carried in public).
How do you know if you can carry bowie knives in public? The Internet is your most powerful tool in this case. Every US state has its own website, where you will find listed the laws governing firearms and bladed weapons. These laws will give you a broad overview of your rights and responsibilities where bowie knives, balisongs, dirks and daggers are concerned. However, your state’s laws are not the only consideration that you will have to make. In some states, the laws of counties or cities supersede those of the state in some instances.
Take Arizona for example. Arizona state law allows you to carry bowie knives on your person in public, so long as the knife is not concealed (concealed carry requires a permit). However, the laws of many Arizona counties and cities prohibit the carrying of these knives, as well as many other weapons. Therefore, you should check the laws of your local area (a quick call to the sheriff’s office will suffice in most cases).
As you can see, while you don’t have to have a permit to own bowie knives, you do have to take care to ensure that you remain on the right side of the law when carrying and using these tools. A little research can go a long way here.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring the Cold Steel training knife as well as butane lighters for camping.
What Lengths Do Bowie Knife Blades Come In?
December 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Purchasing a bowie knife is an excellent way to gain a powerful tool that can be used around your home, on camping trips, hunting expeditions, fishing trips or even adventure exploration. These famed knives have been in widespread use for almost 200 years and during that time, numerous modifications have been made to the original design. One of these is the blade length available. What blade length options do you have for your new bowie knife?
Smaller bowie knife blades, such as the four to six inch range are perfect for most utilitarian tasks and make wonderful all around knives. These are small enough that they are not conspicuous when worn, and are still large enough that you can use them for a variety of different needs. Whether cleaning a fish or slicing rope, these are excellent blade lengths.
Six to Eight Inches - Six inches seems to be the magical number. This blade length is long enough for a wide variety of different tasks, but is not too long for tasks such as cleaning and gutting fish, skinning game or whittling. However, you will find that blades with this length blade are not the ideal solution if you intend to chop things with them (bone, sinew, muscle, wood, etc). For jobs such as this, you should opt for something a bit larger. The eight-inch range is an ideal option for those seeking personal protection, while still ensuring that they can make use of these blades for utilitarian purposes.
Twelve to Fourteen Inches - These are enormous blades. You’ll find that a bowie knife with a blade in this size range is truly formidable. Whether used for clearing brush or for personal protection, these knives are more than handy. However, you will find that jobs requiring precision cutting are not so easily accomplished and that you might need to carry more than one knife with you for the different tasks that you will encounter. However, bowie knife blades in this size range are quite sturdy and provide tremendous resilience for hard use.
Blades larger than about twelve inches are a bit more unwieldy than smaller blades are. However, they are ideal for heavy chopping and can even be used to clear brush in a pinch. However, because of their immense size, carrying these blades can be a bit difficult though you will find that they are more than eye-catching when worn.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring the cold steel bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.
Hunting Versus Bowie Knives
December 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Bowie knives are hunting knives, aren’t they? This is a common question. However, bowie knives aren’t technically hunting knives - they are multipurpose tools. Hunting knives are usually very specific in their intended use. For instance, a gut hook knife is intended for an obvious purpose. Likewise, a skinning knife is used for skinning and doesn’t perform very well for other uses. Bowie knives, on the other hand, can be used to skin, gut, chop, cut and numerous other things.
First, standard hunting knives tend to be designed for a single use. Take the skinning knife for example. These have long, slim, razor-sharp blades. They are powerful tools when used for their intended purpose (skinning animals). However, how do you think that blade would hold up if you tried to chop with it? What if you encountered a bone or tough sinews? Would the skinning knife be able to handle the increased pressure and abuse? Chances are the knife would not be suited for any purpose other than skinning.
Bowie knives also come in a wide range of different sizes. You will find these run the gamut from a modest six inches to a massive foot and a half. You obviously will not want to use an 18-inch blade to gut a fish. However, that blade would work quite well in clearing brush, for protection and for general-purpose use. Bowie knives have an immense number of uses and their size will certainly play a role in the uses to which they are put. One of the reasons that hunting knives are so limited in the scope of their uses is their blade design. If you look at a gut hook knife, it’s hard to imagine using it for any other purpose.
However, bowie knives have a uniquely shaped blade that allows them to function just as well whether you’re using them to skin, gut, clean or cut fruit. So, bowie knives, while a well-known factor in the hunting world, are not used solely for any one particular purpose. This means that the purchase of such a knife will ensure that you have numerous benefits.
Bowie knives provide versatility, durability and longevity. This is a tremendous advantage over traditional hunting knives. With the right bowie, you can carry just one knife with you, rather than having to pack and carry several different types of knife to deal with any situation that might arise.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring every bowie knife for sale as well as lighters for camping.
What are the Different Parts of a Bowie Knife Blade Used For?
December 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Bowie knives are fantastically versatile, enabling you to accomplish numerous different tasks with a single knife. However, what exactly are all the features of the blade used for? This can be hard to understand, as you’ll find bowie knives with different features from another. Part of the confusion is simply due to the modern evolution of the knife, while other models try to remain historically accurate. Here are a few features that you might find and need to understand.
For instance, some knives include a saw-tooth edge along the spine of the knife. This is a modern development and hails from the Vietnam era military knives issued to helicopter pilots and foot soldiers alike. The saw teeth can help cut through wood, plastic and other materials, as well as being used for scaling fish or sawing through bone. However, novice users should beware these bowie knife models, as the saw can often get in the way of general use. Injury to the knife owner is not uncommon.
False Edge - The false edge of a bowie knife is the portion of the point that curves inward and upward from the point to meet the spine of the blade. This has little use unless sharpened (these are called Sheffield Bowies). When sharpened, the false edge allows for back cutting, but also provides better performance when skinning, gutting or stabbing, as it increases the tip’s cutting surface significantly.
Your bowie knife might also include a runnel or blood groove. These are not found on all bowies, but serve a purpose nonetheless. The runnel, or blood groove, serves to release blood pressure from around the blade of the knife when the knife is inserted into an animal. This ensures that the blade does not become trapped and can be easily free on the reverse motion of the stroke.
Guard - The guard, or quillions, of the blade serve several purposes, as well. You’ll find that traditional blades have angled guards, with the upper guard angled forward toward the point and the lower guard angled back, toward the butt. These provide protection for the hand, as well as allowing the wielder to trap an opponent’s blade (the upper guard only). The guard also serves to keep your hand from running off the handle and onto the blade when stabbing with the knife.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the jim bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.
What Can A Bowie Knife Cut?
December 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Bowie knives are renowned for their versatility and their durability. However, if you’re in the market to purchase a new blade, you’ll likely want to know what bowie knives can and can’t cut. What limitations are there to these knives? Actually, the limitations are created by the knife itself - its size, construction material and even the keenness of the edge will play a role in what you can and can’t cut (or what you want to cut and don’t want to cut). What does all that mean?
While the answers to these questions are undoubtedly important, they cannot be answered specifically for all bowie knife designs. You will find that quite a wide range of factors must be taken into account in order to determine just what can and cannot be cut. What are these factors? You’ll find three factors of immense importance. These are blade material, blade size and blade sharpness.
Smaller blades like those mentioned previously are designed for precision and are usually more capable of holding a razor edge. If you were to attempt to chop bone or heavy wood with these, that edge would wear out quite quickly (and the chance of you injuring yourself is great). However, if you were to use these blades for something like skinning the carcass of a deer or elk, their value quickly becomes apparent. Smaller, sharper blades are much more suited to cutting through material where delicacy and exactness are important. This might be a tomato, or a freshly caught fish, a chicken breast or a large buck.
So, what can you cut with a bowie knife? It all depends on your particular knife. While you most certainly can use that gigantic blade to gut a fish, chances are quite good that the blade will be so large that you’ll muck up the job. It’s quite difficult to make a precision cut when the blade is twice as long as the fish! Now, you can take that in the opposite direction as well. You might not have much luck using a six-inch bowie knife to cut through thick brush or cut kindling for your fire.
How do you know what your bowie knife can cut? The trick is to buy a knife that is suited to your purpose. Knife blades that run in the middle ground can be used to cut a wider variety of materials, but you’ll find that, while they are good “jacks-of-all-trades,” they’re not good for very specific tasks where a long or short blade should be used. So, the first trick is to buy a bowie knife that fits your needs. This will require that you know what those needs are. Of course, buying more than one knife to fill those needs is always an option, as well.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring rubber training knives and butane lighters for camping.
Do You Have Your CCW?
December 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Recently I was talking with a friend about the CCW class she was taking at a local gun and licensing shop. I was surprised to find that her experience was a negative one. She told me that the instructor seemed to be concerned only with teaching them the bare minimum knowledge they needed to get their permit.
She went on to say that she didn’t even feel like she deserved the permit because there was so much more that she should know about concealed firearms. She was also felt like there should have been more emphasis on state laws in Ohio CCW classes.
I had heard complaints like this before. The thing that surprised me here, though, was that she was complaining about the store I regularly used to purchase ammo or shoot on their range, instead of some seedy, back-alley shop somewhere. I had always assumed this popular shop would offer good classes.
I suppose it should be said that the line between good Ohio CCW classes and the bad ones can be a little hazy and hard to spot from a distance. There are, of course, a few questions you can ask to find the best ones.
How knowledgeable is the instructor? The best way to judge his or her knowledge base is to find out how much experience they have had both handling firearms and teaching classes. If they have had more than a few years doing each, you will likely have a better experience.
What have other people around you said about the class and the instructor? Take some time to talk to people you trust about their experiences in the class. Do they feel like it was a worthwhile experience? These types of recommendations can go a long way toward helping you find the best classes.
Has the class or shop kept its licenses fully up-to-date? Always work with the programs that consistently keep up with all the state requirements for Ohio CCW classes. Make sure they are fully versed in the local laws and regulations.
Finally, take the time to evaluate whether or not your CCW classes are consistently providing your value for your money. If you don’t feel like it is fulfilling your expectations, let them know by withdrawing from the class and asking for a refund. Don’t waste time in classes that won’t help you in the long run.
Amber Shipplen is a professional author who specializes in Ohio gunsmiths and CCW classes Ohio information.
Can Bowie Knives Be Used as Throwing Knives
December 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Throwing knives with any degree of accuracy is a feat of accomplishment. It requires skill, dexterity, dedication and practice. It also requires the right knives. Are bowie knives suitable for this? The answer to that question is “no.” Bowie knives are designed to do many different things. You will find that these knives are ideal for myriad uses when camping, fishing, boating, hunting, exploring or just poking around in the back yard. However, one thing they are not designed for is throwing. Why is this?
For a knife to have any hope of being accurate, it has to be correctly balanced. This ensures that the knife flies through the air properly. Bowie knives are not balanced for throwing. They’re balanced for hand usage. Hold a bowie knife in one hand and a throwing knife in the other and you will feel the weight difference. Balance each in turn on your hand and you will immediately notice the different centers of gravity. This means that bowie knives are not a good choice for throwing.
Second, you might notice that only some of the throws are successful. While a couple of individuals might have been able to hit the target with sufficient force for the blade to stick, you will also see a very large number of people bounce the knife off the target. This is because the knife is not weighted for throwing - it’s designed to be held in the hand. This means that it is quite well weighted for many different uses, but flying through the air with any degree of accuracy is not one of them.
Yet another reason that you shouldn’t use bowie knives as throwing knives is the simple fact that you can achieve better results with knives designed specifically for that purpose. You’ll find throwing knives are quite affordable and can be purchased in numerous places, both online and offline. Keep your bowie knife for the uses it was actually designed for and pickup a throwing knife or two for your target practice.
Do yourself a favor and buy a throwing knife for throwing and keep your bowie knife for the purposes it was intended. You’ll enjoy your knife for a longer time and you won’t have to worry about damaging the blade through misuse.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring the western bowie knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.