The Bowie knife. Made popular by Jim Bowie. It is one of the most famous knives in America. It was first made by a mane named James Black. All though the bowie knife was not just one design but many designs that evolved over the years. The store of how Jim Bowie and his knife first started when he was involved in the sandbar duel in 1827. I fight started and Bowie and his knife killed a man named Norris Wright. Even thought he was wounded with a rifle shot he drove back Wrights party and he and his knife became instantly famous. After this event every one wanted a bowie knife.
The first Bowie knives where at least 6 inches long and normally about two and a half inches in width. There is really know set size that these knives have to be but that is what they are all about. There are some that are bigger and smaller. Now the actual design of the bowie knife is very sound design the curved top part of the edge is for skinning a carcass. While the strait part of the edge is for straight cutting. It is said that the bowie knife is long enough to use as a sword, sharp enough to use as a razor, and heavy enough to use as a hatchet. Later the United States Air Force put saw teeth on the back side of the knife. The reason for this is to saw thought acrylic glass canopy of a crashed aircraft. The United States Army also gave this variation of the bowie knife to its helicopter crews for the same reason.
There are many variations of the bowie knife. Some use this name to describe any large sheath knife. In the Civil War Confederate soldiers made huge knives called D-Guard Bowie knives. Even thought they where more like short swords. Bowie knives are still very popular with collectors and there are many spin off like the Ka-Bar. It is a knife that is based off the Bowie design. Ernest Emerson used the Bowie as a logo on his folding Bowie knives.
Jim Bowie was inducted into the Blade Magazine in the 1988 Blade show in Atlanta Georgia for his huge impact on the knife making industry. Now the Bowie knife is illegal in many states. Even in the state where Jim Bowie died (Texas) Where Jim Bowie and his knife fought and died in the Alamo to help make Texas apart of the United States. It is also illegal in many other states.
