Article by Dylan Sabot
The Bowie knife is one of the most remarkable tools to ever be created. This knife serves equally well during camping, fishing, hunting or as a form of personal protection. While most people are familiar with the general shape and form of a Bowie knife, understanding what actually qualifies a knife to claim that particular name can be a little difficult.
Why is this? First, it's because of the enormous popularity of these knives. Their widespread use and popularity has spawned any number of new designs and styles based off the "traditional" knife pattern. So, what qualifies a knife as a Bowie knife?
The blade should be at least six inches long. It can exceed this length, though. You'll find Bowie knives with blades as long as twelve inches, or even longer. The blade should be at least one inch wide, though longer knives might be up to two inches in width. The blade should only have a single edge, running along the bottom of the edge. These may or may not have a Spanish Notch - an area supposedly designed to trap an enemy's knife blade, but more likely used in a utilitarian manner.
The tip of a Bowie knife is a special case. All knives tied to this particular heritage should have a clipped point. That is, the point of the knife should be located well below the spine of the blade and should connect with the spine via a curve that runs back toward the hilt and up to the spine. Any knife that does not have a clipped point should not be considered a Bowie knife (even though some very early versions of the original did not have this feature). The false edge of the tip can be sharpened or left blunt (sharpened edges indicate that the knife is a Sheffield Bowie).
Finally, the knife should have only a single edge, though some versions with saw-teeth on the spine have been produced, based on a military design that saw use during the Vietnam war (and featured in films such as the Rambo series). Of course, the status of a particular knife will vary with each person, depending on whether they are purists or just knife lovers.