The DREADED Bowie Knife! What You NEED to Know
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- The Bowie knife, one of the most famous knives in American history. The favored weapon of James Bowie, knife of choice for the frontiersman, and the sidearm of choice for American volunteers. But what is a Bowie knife, and what is the bowie knife exactly designed to do? Its more complicated than may be expected. In order to fully understand where it came from, we dive into the history and myths of the bowie knife!
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Bowies, Big Knifes, and the Best of Battle Blades
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The Bowie Knife: Unsheathing an American Legend
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![The BANNED Italian Switchblade! [What You Need To Know]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/aJ68i9KeLoE/mqdefault.jpg)
Man, musician, actor, activist
And blade maker!
David Bowie did it all
You forgot to mention "fruit loop"
and Mariner.
😂 💀
@@brawndothethirstmutilator9848 and septic tank.
I heard he used his time machine to go back and create it. Dude's a genius!
I was told by my hunter safety instructor that large knives were a total waste and that he could gut a deer with his tiny Swiss Army knife. I told him that might be true, but he would have to stop and sharpen his several times. My Bowie knife can easily gut two deer without stopping. The length of the sharpened edge is the key.
A hunter safety instructor can’t see the utility of having a large knife? You need to find a different one cause clearly he was incompetent.
@@John-doe955 .why do you americans always think bigger is better?
Length and what the blade is made out of is important, as you want good edge retention a swiss army knife is made out of stainless designed more for corrosion resistance than edge retention a good knife is made of high carbon steel as that has the best edge retention same as a sword and ofc the bowie has alot of mass which makes cutting easier as well.
Also this instructors a moron seems he doesn't like large blades for some reason.
You should probably specify the deer you are working. I have been told the deer in Texas are on the smaller side. I have seen and used an old timer 152 sharp finger to gut and skin an entire elk.
Love a Bowie very good do all knife.
I was at Ft Bragg in the early 2000's and one of the things that blew my mind was finding out that some knife fighting expert instructor taught a full bowie knife fighting course to Special Forces soldiers. It was featured in an article of the Sine Pari magazine i saw complete with pictures.
That would have been Bill Bagwell. He has passed away since then, but his work was part of my references for this video.
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel Also one thing I distinctly remember was at the Smoke Bomb Hill mini mall there was a man off to the side in his 50s or 60s who ran a permanent knife sharpening lil station and despite obviously as an expert on the safe handling of edged weapons at a powered station, somehow he managed one day to deeply slice himself across his midsection and if I'm not mistaken almost die, right there besides the food court. The soldier that came to his aid and worked on him in the interim to the ems got a Soldiers Medal out of it ..
I only subbed because I just bought a CS 1917 Bowie, I have A Thor, a Modern Bowie & a CS Leatherneck. I sold most of my CRK's and other folders.
I don't ever expect to use these knives but they bring me so much joy just appreciating the beauty and history.
I'm saving for a 1917 myself should I get it?
@@JohnLemon-xq4pd Its a nice knife and well made. I have mine in my office. You never know. It is made in India, by Windlass Steelcraft, who are very well known for making swords and daggers. It is made from 1080-85 steel, and takes a very good edge. So yes, get one :)
@longrider42 First I'm saving for a von tempsky
According to books written a long time ago that reference Rezin's knife, they state that Jim used Rezin's knife at the Sandbar Fight and while he was laid up healing from his wounds gained there, he drew and whittled a bigger, better version. Rezin's knife was just a hunting knife made from a file and had a bolster and the blade came down like a chef's knife so the hand wouldn't slip down the blade. Rezin had sliced his hand to the bone while cutting a deer's throat and was said to be annoyed about how the knife's design allowed the hand to slip from the handle down the blade. Hunting knives of that time did not have guards, they were just "butcher knives." Jim took that design and added the guard, the clipped point with the sharpened back edge and increased the size all around, creating a fighting knife and not just a hunting one. He was said to have taken the design to James Black in Arkansas where he crafted a masterpiece. Legends say that Black had rediscovered Damascus Steel and used it to forge Bowie's knife. By all accounts, the "Bowie" knives that were sold commercially were never the same as the one that Bowie himself carried. His was a monster and identified him among other men dressed the same and carrying big knives. Of course all we have is hearsay and while some claim the real Bowie still exists, we know that Santa Ana ordered the bodies burned and he would have either taken the knife himself or burned it with the body.
The description of the Bowie was that it was long enough to almost be a short sword, heavy enough to chop wood, wide enough to paddle a canoe and sharp enough to shave with.
You just demonstrated how little you truly know about blades. A blade sharp enough to shave with, would break upon chopping wood. Blades which can chop wood are sharpened to a 20-35 degree angle, much more dull than is required for shaving. There is no blade in existence which can be used to shave AND chop wood without taking significant damage. "Shave sharp" refers to blades in the 10-15 degree range, creating much too fine and fragile of an edge. A machete could fit three of your described uses minus the shaving, however.
@@Aethelvlad my bowie can shave and chop wood. When its crafted correctly it can do these things. Dont get uppity just because you bought cheap steel.
@@Aethelvlad How wrong you are. My grandfather was a lumberjack and his double-bit axe was sharp enough to shave with and he used it every day. Any time you grabbed that axe it was ready for shaving or chopping. He kept a razor edge on that badboy.
That being said, I have a World War II Navy Ka-Bar that will shave and chop wood if you baton it through the branch and it won't take any edge damage. It won't split wood like a chop axe, but it will split small chunks if you hammer on the back of the blade.
Steel quality is what matters. I've gotten my machete shave sharp, but like you said, it won't stay that sharp. However my katana is shave sharp and it retains its edge even if I go out and chop through tree branches.
Rezin designed it , was made by Jessie Clift.
@@Aethelvlad Wrong.
Excellent video! One comment I have is: Bowie rhymes with Louie. (pronounced Boo-wie) That's how Jim Bowie pronounced his name and that's how all Texans do too. It's a Scottish name and that's how it's pronounced. David Bowie is British and for some reason that's how the Brits pronounce it. Ironically a lot of the historic Bowie knives where made in the UK. So I suppose both are correct although the Brits pretty much do everything backwards anyways. 🙂
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've had a number of comments along the same lines. The Scottish origin of Jim's name is the first actual evidence someone has provided me for that pronunciation. Thank-you for sharing! I've noticed that typically Southerners refer to the knife as rhyming with Louie, and Northerners pronouncing it the same as the British singer. Based upon another comment, it appears the Australians also make use of the "British" pronunciation. I'm of a like mind with you both are probably correct, very similar to the civil war Minnie ball and its French pronunciation, or the Indonesian Kris/Keris. Thanks for the comment!
I’ve talked to some of Jim’s descendants. They told me that the name was mid-pronounced even before Jim made it famous.
If you are calling a knife by the name of the man that made it famous, you should pronounce it the way he pronounces his name… “Boo-wee”
👍🏼👍🏼
@@arctodussimus6198 man you must be getting on in years then
Agreed.
Im aussie, its david bowie!
Literally watched this because I was curious about the use and application of the back cut, totally random and viewed as a suggestion on another unrelated video. I love how much focus and explanation was put into this specific aspect of the bowie in this video and I discovered all I wanted know about it. So crazy, seriously. I just randomly thought about it when I saw the thumbnail, and then this dude spends a solid couple minutes explaining the practical application and history of the back cut clearly and succinctly. I'm just so gobsmacked right now that I can barely see straight lol.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video and got what you needed from it. I hope to see you around the channel again!
A good video. Thank you.
The Bowie knife is simply what friends referred to as a bush knife. It was very handy as a sort of multi-tool on farms and when hunting in the South.
My father served in the US Marines during WW2 and so I prefer the Kbar.
During the early 1960's, "Boo wie" was the preferred pronunciation.
The military personnel used combat knives. I do not know of anyone directly or indirectly, except during the frontier period, who fought another person with a Bowie knife.
every pre-industrial culture has some sort of big knife used as both a farm tool and a weapon. machete, bolo, barong, parang, golok, kukri, saex, etc.
@@joesmith6199 Ah yes, you know of the Saex. Not many do.
I bought my first Bowie knife for the grand price of eighteen shillings and sixpence at the grand age of thirteen in the 1960s before such things were frowned on. Unfortunately it was stolen more than twenty years ago, but since then I have bought various blades from the same manufacturer in Sheffield (Still going been going since the days of Jim Bowie) every blade is individual and different.
I'm sorry to hear it was stolen! I'm looking to eventually add one (as many as I can) of the classic Sheffields to my collection.
As a fellow Brit, I'd be frightened to put a soup spoon in my pocket in case I'm arrested for carrying an offensive weapon. I exaggerate for comic effect, but not by much.
what is the Sheffield maker?
@@tourmalines Jack Adams, Jack Adams himself passed away a few years ago, but his sons keep up the business, they are a pleasure to deal with.
I was "forged" in sheffield 😅😅😅💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🙏🏻👊🏻
Dude, you just perfectly condensed like 2 months of mountains of research I've done down into 11 minutes. Instant subscriber! Loving this channel, the in-depth accurate history and the bullshit-busting information. SO SO SO much info about knives these days that gets repeated is just flatout incorrect and I love that you're setting this stuff straight. Same thing with your video on Switchblades.
I'm glad you enjoyed the videos! I have some others you might enjoy on the Kukri and the Fairbairn Sykes dagger! Stay safe!
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel Excellent, I'll definitely be checking those out!
absolutely love the educational approach towards the topic. I've seen several videos and most having a overly-fan-fiction approach or opinionated theory approach.... but your well versed information along with citations and additional readings give credibility.... and as a person living in San Antonio, 9 minutes away from THE ALAMO itself, i appreciate the work put into this video.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I love learning about knives and do my best to present the most accurate info for you guys. I hope to see you around the channel again!
the Bowie, the Parang, the Bolo, the Kukri, the Karambit, the Machete; ever notice how culturally-oriented knife making can be? the Bowie is uniquely American as so many other knives are "uniquely" associated with people & places.
@@LIONTAMER3D you are right, looking at a culture's knives provides an interesting insight into that culture. I'm currently editing a video for the Kukri, which is essentially the Nepalese equivalent of the Bowie. A very effective blade with a different school of thought to solve essentially the same problems. It's why I love working on this channel.
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel going back to the Roman kingdom times (800 BC or so) there were writen descriptions of a blade called the "Iberian Falcata": a forward-curved blade with a thick spine & 30-45 degree forward angle on the cutting edge. the Romans said it could cleave through any helmet & crack any shield. the surviving examples are dead-ringers for Nepalese kukris; pre-dating them by at least 1500 years.
We will be going back to the Kopis from classical Greece as a possible ancestor. There are a couple theories on the evolution of the Kukri and I talk about several.
American Bowie Knife
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Very well spoken , those Big Blade are some of the best blades especially if it's a battle blade.
Its hard to image life with a knife.
Knife Life 101
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Bowies are among my favorites. I need to see about collecting the Bill Bagwell battle blades.
The correct way to use a Bowie in a knife fight is to hold it upside-down. The clip is used to break the wrist of your opponent, disarming him. This is followed by a stab to the gut and cut in a single upward motion. This is often over looked in discussions about this knife.
that's but one technique, and a very good one, but just one.
LOL
Unless, of course, it's a d-guard, as one of mine is.
In your opinion. In mine the hammer hold is preferred with the knife chambered at the waist as opposed to held out in a forward pose. Your front hand should be defensive the rear hand is an attacking hand like a jack hammer hit withdraw hit withdraw repeat as quick as you can
@@sanderson9338 the best hold is on a S&W
I have held a bowie knife made by Rezin Bowie and owned by his brother Jim (this was confirmed by the museum and not heresay). It fit the description given by Rezin in this video. It had a small crossguard and was solid. Nothing fancy, just made for business.
Were you an archivist or employee there?
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel neither. I am a zooarchaeologist and my wife knows someone that worked there.
Not hearsay? Amber Heard's lawyer begs to differ!
One of Bowie's brothers and a close family friend Ciaphas Ham said the knife Bowie had at the Sandbar Fight was mad by Jesse Clift.
@@jdgoade1306 interesting. I am pretty sure this wasn't that knife.
bowies will always have a special place in my heart, my great grandfather used to own one, and one night while he was out at his cabin, 4 guys came along to rob the place (my great grandfather was a fur trader and always had a full sack of coin), he took out his knife instead of his gun to avoid spooking his horse, and killed all 4 thieves, many many years later, i inherited the knife from my father, and it has 4 notches on the handle and an inscription on the blade "luck favours those who do not steal from a man holding a sharp knife"
Very cool story! Thanks for sharing!
@Laurence O'Connor well maybe some of us folks are just a tad more interesting than folks callled Laurence
The legend of how the Bowie knife came into existence is that Jim Bowie got into a knife fight which he almost lost. Swearing never to be in that type of situation again, Bowie went to a smith and had a larger than normal knife made. It is said that after having the knife made Bowie never had any issues winning every knife fight he got into.
I recall a stupid movie from the 1950s, in which it was claimed Bowie made his first knife from a meteorite which had fallen to earth.
@@raypurchase801 - The irony to that is with no actual historical data on Jim Bowie's first knife that movie may be telling the truth. 🤣
@@socipathicgaming5914 Bowie's original knife still exists.
It's had three replacement blades and four replacement handles.
Otherwise it's all original.
(Joke.)
@Socipathic Gaming Thats pretty funny, and also true. Got a good laugh out of that.
Fairbairn who had many more knife fights than almost any other human ever took a different view, he invented the fairburn-sykes dagger which prioritised stabbing capability over slashing hacking. He was proven right over time a 6in stab is more effective than a 6in gash. A fighting knife should aim for penetrative damage with a double edge.
I was a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division during the 80's (Sandinista Wars) I had an EK knife bought in Fayetteville NC, when I got to Central America I discovered the Corona #152 Machete... I was later assigned to the Green Beret's and learned knife fighting their way which included this magical spring steel blade. Speed, reach, cutting power, leverage. There is noting better than a Corona #152
I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
Been using one as my primary knife since childhood. We could use the large oak handled ones we got at gun shows for everything from chopping down small trees to make short term fences/corrals in the woods, make shelter for a week of fencing deep in the wooded back acres, chopping up game etc. Best paired with a small detail knife, either a jack knife or even a 2nd, smaller fixed blade. These days I tend to carry a more simple lg bushcraft knife unless I'm specifically hunting, then it's back to the trusty bowie for sticking hogs and such.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing!
On his way to Texas, James Bowie had carved a blade shape from wood and stopped at James Black's Forge in Washington, Arkansas. He paid Black to make this blade for him. Black did this commissioned work, but he also did some improvements on a blade of his own design; which included the back sharp edge. Jim Bowie liked Blacks improvements and used the improved version as the new "Bowie" knife. It was rumored that Black used a meteorite in part of the steel processing. When the blade was found in Mexico, it had been used for many years to cut corn stalks and never needed sharpening.
The name "Bowie" came from Scotland and the family there made large knives from broken swords, so the design of the fighting knife is probably centuries old before James and Resin Bowie were born.
The "Resin Bowie" is pictured in many depictions of an ebony handled and silver appointed straight back blade (butcher knife type) which was used at the Sandbar Fight and returned to Resin eventually.
Nice story, and I'm sure partly true. But the only "Bowie Knife" is the one made and carried by Jim Bowie.
Good video. The Marine Raider Bowie issued to Marines during WW2. The marine bayonet and the kabar are both modeled after the Bowie knife.
I can't believe you didn't even mention James Black.
Great to hear Bill Bagwell referenced. I loved reading his articles in Soldier of Fortune magazine back in the 80's. Peter G. Kokalis too.
James Keating was also kind enough to share his knowledge and proof watch this video for me. I try to find the best info I can.
GR8 times
JAMES KEATING .. the modern master of fighting with a Bowie knife.. this guy is awesome he's the real deal 👍
Keating is very cool. I'm hoping to get him on the channel for a livestream.
You can't be a cowboy without a Bowie knife.
Cowboys of RUclips, take note!
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel Also need spurs that jingle jangle jingle.
You can't be a cowboy period without the Spanish Vaqueros, who always used knives for work and defense.
From my understanding of the Bowie, it was basically the bushcraft knife of its time, except with a focus on creature killing - be that animal or human. It was the primary cutting tool for all large tasks when portability and weight was the name of the game for an individual.
That is a good description.
I'm only 58 years old, but the best balanced Bowie I've ever held was a Western brand. Really wish I would have picked one up when they were reasonably priced.
Its hard to find a good bowie these days that won't break the bank.
I purchased a Bill Bagwell Bowie knife made by Ontario Knife Works and it is a great quality knife! I used it for Show Only while I was a member of SAS and I received many Fond Compliments and many Offers to buy this knife from me! I never will sell this Knife!
I'm jealous of your Bowie! I wanted to snag one for this video. Had to make do with the 1917 Frontier though...
Interesting topic the Bowie knife. My family is from New Orleans and I’ve heard all types of stories growing up. My age is 63 years old. I’ve always loved knives and still have several from a young age. Things were different when I was young and my father commonly would buy me a pocket knife at the hardware store I would have been eyeing, I still have a large western Bowie from when I was 16. I sharpen the clip immediately after bringing it home. I recall beautiful knives my cousin had in New Orleans. I’ll look forward to your next video.
Glad you enjoyed it, and I look forwards to seeing you on the channel again!
Fascinating and very informative video! Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this video online. Not a subject I would normally look into, but your very professional presentation combined with the absorbing American Frontier history, make this a video that glues the viewer to the screen to the very end. VERY well done.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I have another video on the Italian Switchblade you might like, and I'll be releasing one on the Kukri here soon. I hope to see you around the channel again!
A very well put together and detailed video of the Bowie knife for the amount of time allowed. Very well done!
I also like the use of video examples you chose ;)
Thank-you! If you get more bowie footage in future, shoot it over to me. More bowie b-roll can't hurt.
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel You know it. I got more.
@@thaynealexander8986 Good clip of you Thayne.
@@christopherfisk1706 Hey, thanks Chris! I got to try and look as good as James Keating ;)
Groovy and gut-wrenching, in both the metaphor and literal sense's, as most historical facts or legacies often fail to solve long unanswered queries. Thanks for this allusive and often account of just how these treasures went from the implements necessity to merely simple status symbols of an early Civil War Volunteer in the Armed Forces.
I love the Seax both the straight seax and the later curved blade seax. I think the shape of the seax and other features are very similar to the Bowies.
I've gotten a number of similar comments regarding the seax.
Plus the seax is probably a bit more useful in the utilitarian sense.
Yes I also enjoyed this video about the origin of bowie knife it was interesting and informative. Over the years I have owned a few different versions of it. Back when I was in my early 20's I trained in some hand to hand self defense technics that also included the use of a long blade knife. I am now in my mid-50's and I would say for myself I have got fairly proficient with said blade. Not two long ago I lived in a state out west were it was legal to open carry a long blade and I did so and I'm certain that the mere sight of it on my belt kept me safe while I was out on the streets. I highly recommend that if anyone feels capable of using a knife for self defence then learn how. Find out if it's legal to carry one were you live and do so it will keep you safe.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I actually have two videos pertaining to this: one on the selection of a good self defense knife, and another interviewin Mike Janich on MBC theory and self defense with a knife.
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel Thanks I will check them out.👍
I'm certain there is an optimal knife size for knife fighting (much bigger and it either becomes unwieldy or one must learn sword fighting) but a big damn knife probably offers a lot of intimidation value.
The bowie guys typically say around 10 to 12 inches is about right. Larger ones like the confederate D-guards get be be unwieldy.
I know Bowie knives were common and popular just about everywhere in the US as a whole and even world wide. However, they did become pretty deeply a part of Southern culture especially by the 1850's and 1860. For all the Southern States from Virginia and Kentucky to Georgia, Florida, and Texas. I've even accounts read where slaves used to remark on the big knives carried by white Southerners. There's an interesting book called Spying on the South, it's a dual story of a historical account as well as the modern guy following in his tracks of a Northerner who traveled through all the Southern States in the 1850's recording his observation of life and culture in the Old South, starting first in Virginia then Kentucky then travels all the way down to Texas and roundabouts through Florida and Georgia. He mentions two accounts in particular which I thought was interesting of how Southerners in Kentucky and Louisiana in particular openly carried Bowie knives in sheathes on their back and their hip. I highly recommend it.
I'll take a look at it. Norm Flaydermann references a number of accounts. The bowie was very pervasive throughout the US, but particularly in the South.
Is there a collection of Olmsted's writing without Horwitz's modern day "anthropology" appended to it? I don't care about Horwitz's thoughts on modern day Southerners, but I'd be interested to read about Olmsted's experiences.
And now u are not allowed to carry things for protection.Sickening.
@@susanmccormick6022 Where are you not allowed to carry things for protection? I live in Kentucky in the South and you can carry openly or concealed anything you can legally own for self defense including Bowie knives.
@@dustincarner7427 I now live as an Inlander in UK after making a dumb decision.Although knife crime seems to be a daily happening in places like London, authorities frown on guard dogs,guns etc.And crims who get caught don't seem to get much encouragement to change their ways.Animals don't seem to have protection & children have little.A couple whose cruelty cost their child his legs,r to b released after 5yrs!Lad's around 7 & says he wants to b a policeman & rearrest them both.And as for anti social behavior,the authorities couldn't care less.The true ferals & their spawn get away with everything!It's crazy.
I have a Bowie knife and now I appreciate it after viewing this video.
ive got an outback, the crocodile dundee inspired bowie, i wouldnt call it a fighting knife per say its a bit heavy but its well balanced and sure is pretty, id love a bagwell style bowie, they are beautiful
Thanks for sharing! I too desperately want a Bagwell bowie!
A wise old man once told me "The loser of a knife fight dies in the fight; the winner dies in the ambulance."
There is a lot of wisdom in that statement. I would say it extends beyond just knife fights.
The Bowie Knife was first a tool. Its size and heft allowed it to be used to fell smaller trees with which to build a shelter. Well suited for skinning and cleaning fish and animals for food, clothing, as well as profit. As with any tool. It didn't take terribly long for someone to devise strategies for using it as a weapon.
Figures.Typical human behavior.I read some time ago,Davy Crockett begged for his life & Jim Bowie was a coward!Could not BELIEVE it!Why do people enjoy pulling heroes down?Is it jealousy?Wish it hadn't been allowed to put all those modern buildings around the Alamo.Developers have no ❤️.All they see is $!
@@susanmccormick6022 Agreed. I don't understand why some people want to tear down these historical heroes. I think their ignorance makes them feel good. I do not believe Davy Crockett begged for his life at all. And that goes triple for Jim Bowie.
@@thaynealexander8986 jealousy because they know they'd never cut the mustard?
@@susanmccormick6022 I'll be surprised if they can cut that. ;)
@@thaynealexander8986 Nice someone agrees.Being a history goof n doing archaeology makes some people yawn.Don't know what they're missing.Fascinated by Dino's too.In fact,from yr dot to about 1910.Then it gets boring for me.Although I love the 50s hair styles n clothes.I wonder if a time machine will ever b possible & will people meddle if it is.Which seems to be a strong possibility given homo sapiens track record with things.
I am so glad the RUclips algorithm recommended this to me. I love learning about history. My first introduction to bowie knives was via cartoons I would watch as a kid in Nigeria. I had no idea there was more to them. Great video.
Thank for the very anthropological history of the knife. It has always interested me as to the origins of this knife. One item that may not have anything to do with its history but is an intriguing idea is if you look at pictures of the Viking seax in its smaller forms the shape of the blades are similar to the Bowie. Thanks again.
Not sure if it's considered a Bowie, but you can definitely see the Bowie influence in the USMC's Ka-Bar knife
The K-Bar is a direct descendent of the Bowie. Its essentially a scaled down version.
I was waiting for a discussion of the WWI trench knifes, and WWII, with the Ka Bar. The Bowie is still a tool for the American fighting man.
The trench knife and K-Bar will be receiving their own videos in due time and with proper attention. But yes, the K-Bar is essentially a mini Bowie.
As a descendent of Jim Bowie, I gotta say this video has many errors. One being that the Bowie knife has several very distinct features shoot as blade length blade shape as well as the quickpoint on the blade. Several pictures you’ve shown in this video closer resemble the Texas toothpick knife rather than a Bowie knife. I’d also say that the Bowie knife originated in Texas however it is unclear whether it was Jim Bowie or his brother who made the knife. However yes it did that is the concept of the Bowie knife the shape and size did originate in Texas not from sword fighting.
I always heard it was his brother, Rezin, I think that's how his name is spelled, that made the knife, and gave it as a gift to Jim. Or that's what I remember reading in the book: Three Roads To The Alamo.
Been a long time since I read the book, so my memory isn't real good.
I absolutely agree with you...this guy is full of shit.
Sheffield of England added the cross-guard that wasn't on the original Bowie, and by all accounts Bowie 's knife had a straight back, not a clip point.
Sureeeee buddy and I'm trumps son
Well...finally a YT video on the Bowie that does not make me nauseous!
Well done!
I'm glad you enjoyed! I hope to see you around the channel again!
Awesome educational video. Well done bro. Cool to see Thayne rockin’ it out too!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks brother! Always highly appreciate your thoughts and comments.
David Bowie's original name was Jones.
For a Brit musician, conquering America was a major goal
and David said he considered the Bowie "the ultimate American knife".
So, he became 'David Bowie'.
Im using a bowie for literally any and everything
I use it as my primary cooking knife even!
Great Knife. For Outdoorsman activities, Self defense, Homelife, Carpentry, you name it a good bowie will do an A-Grade Job at it.
Bowies are some of the most versatile blades out there!
I have a Bowie that is 8 1/2” by 1 1/4”. It has a straight guard. Wooden handle and square nuts holding handle on. Overall length is 12 1/2”. The clip I think that is what it is called is 2 1/2”. My Great Grandfather was the chief deputy in Gonzalez TX. I’m wondering ho old this knife might be, and possibly the value. Not wanting to sell just curious.
I've seen original bowies go for several thousand dollars at auction. You should talk to an appraiser to get an accurate estimate of age and value.
I'd like to see a picture of it
Not only is the curved swedge better for backslashing, when you stick the torso, the tip moves (think of a ball bouncing once and staying up) and the swedge causes additional damage inside the torso, esp if you extract the blade with upward pressure on the tip. (If you're thinking about sharpening the swedge, check the state and local laws, first.) Even the mild curve in the Kabar's swedge is noted for this.
Good synopsis. Check out the Southern Comfort sheath for Bowies and large knives by Mike Sastre of River City Sheaths.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I'll take a look at that now.
Jim Bowie along with Travis are my 5th generation uncles. I own the most impressive knife that survived the Alamo and San Jacinto. I left it in numerous museums for a while and then sent it to Indonesia to be reproduced. A deal couldn't be reached and it was shipped back to Texas only days before the Tsunami hit. It was almost lost again. It appears that Phil Collins will be getting his Alamo collection back soon as the misfits in San Antonio have failed to build a museum for it within the time constraints. If this happens perhaps my knife will join his collection in the future. Perhaps I'll find a suitable manufacturer to reproduce it, it was sent to Indonesia because at the time the best quality blades were being produced there in very limited small quantities.
I have a great one it has a great saw on the back and great for cooking .
$19 bucks at Harbor Freight.
And as I was typing this your video ran an ad for Harbor Freight.
Crazy.
Bowie's are also great for cooking bacon
Glad you enjoyed the video!
If you want a fine point on a broad bladed knife, then the concave clip is the obvious way to do it. That fine point then makes the knife good for stabbing, and also makes it good for the many jobs around the campsite or on the trail where you might need something more delicate than a heavy chopping blade. Once you've got a blade with a concave clip there is a slight hook to the tip and it makes sense that techniques would develop to rip and slash with a back cut. Remember that of the thousands sold, only a few were ever used to kill a man, but many were used for splitting wood, butchering deer, etc. Most weapons ever made were never used in combat, but most tools get used for work. A practical tool that can also keep you out of a fight (by showing you're equipped to fight) and can be used in the fight if all else fails, is a versatile thing to carry.
Thanks for commenting!
Interesting presentation, I do like how you expIained the back cut with the top edge.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This was the second of your videos I have watched, the first being the switch blade history. I enjoyed them both and subscribed to your channel. I also commented on the switch blade history. I have been using and collecting knives for over 50 years and regret the many I've sold or traded. I find your views most informative, interesting and well presented. I look forward to watching those you've done in the past. Lately I came across a knife on Kent Rollins Cowboy Cooking Channel that he describe as a hash knife. I had seen pictures and advertisement for a very similar knife called at UTE. I purchased a lower priced model under the Benchmark brand name and tried in my kitchen. I works well. I plan sometime in the future to purchase Rollins version of this knife. He discribed it as being a blade commonly used by chuck wagon cooks. I would like to see you do a video history on the hash knife/UTE . Keep up the good work.
Three ways to start a fight that can rival a race riot:
"I've got the best multitool!"
"My EDC knife is the correct one!"
"My Bowie knife is the ORIGINAL pattern!"
(Laughs) Oh yea, I've got some of that going on in the comments now...
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel Yup! Good vid, though.
@@philupdegrave731 glad you enjoyed it!
😂 OMG You nailed it!
In the gun world to start all pistol arguments.
GLOCK is the best & only EDC to have.
Or you could start an AR vs AK fight, or 9mm vs 45...
Best knife channel on RUclips. Ill die on this hill.
Thank-you for your support! One of the coolest comments I've ever gotten!
New to the channel and love it. Can you do a video of the Arkansas toothpick? According to this video it would be a "Bowie knife " but they're used in the same point in time. The book crow killer (story about Jeremiah Johnson) talk's about both knives differently in the old times frontier.
A pleasure to have you with us! The Arkansas Toothpick is a planned video for a little ways down the road. I need to decide how to approach it for the reason you mentioned: a Toothpick could be a Bowie. Nowadays we typically think of an Arkansas Toothpick as a large double edged toothpick, but back during the 1800's "Arkansas Toothpick" was in the same boat as "Butcher Knife" and "Bowie Knife." The terms are sometimes interchangeable, but other times there is talk about carrying a both a Bowie and a Toothpick... I need to talk with my connections in that area and do some in depth research so I can get you good information!
I was taught as a young man the Bowie knife was forged in Washington, Arkansas by a blacksmith name Robert Black.
There was no Jeremiah Johnson, it was based on the real John Johnston.
The Australian bully was always a good one. Now that's a knife.
I don't remember the name of the book, but I remember reading one when I was a young teen about the battle of "The Alamo", and how many famous American legends were there, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, etc. According to the book, Bowie was injured, and requested friends to just leave him in the infirmary, with a couple of his knives. Santa Anna's forces finally breached the fort, and when they broke in, his last act was to hurl one of his knives at them, piercing though and killing a soldier.
The rest then bayonetted him to death in revenge for their fallen comrade. I have been fascinated by the legend of the Bowie Knife ever since, regardless of whether that story was true or just poetic license.
Boo'-ee ...Boo'-ee...Boo'-ee please. James Bowie was of Scottish ancestry and his name was at the time and is pronounced Boo'-ee. (Not like the English rocker!) It's Gaelic /Scottish form is Buie and means "light" or "Yellow". Great information and interesting to get your take on the style and use of the knife, but it sure "grates" on my nerves and ear every time you say his name...and mispronounce it. Don't spoil your good information.
I'm glade you enjoyed the video! As a Northerner I'd only heard it pronounced the way I said it. A couple of people like you have pointed out the Scottish connection, which makes a lot of sense. Thanks for letting me know!
I carry a Mossy Oak brand Bowie, 14" in an under arm pit cross draw rig.
A knife is quiet, and you do not want to draw attention while you TCB.
I never took a knife to a gun fight, it's only good when you need to be quiet. I'm very quiet by nature.
bowie knives were distributed to some american military units in both world war II and vietnam ! those knives are highly collectible today !
They were! I didn't have time to delve into them, but there were a decent number of such knives, and ended up morphing into the KaBar!
Ive had mine since 74, always within
reach. Like a complete toolbox it has a place but heavy for everyday carry but always handy.
The Bowie is a handy best friend and tool.
First question - is there any difference between a Bowie Knife and an Arkansas Toothpick?
Second question - isn't it pronounced Boo-E and not Bow-E?
Third question - Isn't the James Black Bowie knife, made in Washington, Arkansas in 1830 considered the first actual Bowie?
First Answer - Yes and no. Like the Bowie there isn't really a hard set definition, especially for back in the day. But today we would typically consider a large double edged dagger an Arkansas Toothpick.
Second Answer - Honestly, its whichever you prefer. The Boo-E advocates say its a Scottish name and that's how its pronounced, but all the Scots I've asked contradict this. I had a Texan tell me that its just the way its pronounced because Texas has some weird pronunciations, but Jim Bowie was originally from Kentucky, then Missouri, then Louisiana. Short answer, if you are a Texan, than its a Boo-E. Other than that I usually hear Bow-E.
Third Answer - This is delving back into the myth and legend surrounding Bowie and James Black. According to Rezin's account, no. The first Bowie was the blade at the Sandbar Fight. A lot of people consider the James Black bowie to be the improvement upon the original. But here is another kicker; there are a number of blades that were supposedly made by Black, but they cannot be definitively tied back to him. So we don't even know completely for sure what Black's knives look like.
Hey Win, good questions.
1. In actuality many toothpicks and Bowies were indistinguishable. And some just called a Bowie, a toothpick. But there was some differences, one being the toothpick was a little thinner. More of a Dirk look to it, it also was fully double edged. It wasn't curved or had a belly.
2. It varies, many in the south pronounced it Boo-we. But most referred to it as Bow-ee.
3. The first official "Bowie" is unknown. The video does explain where the knife got the name Bowie. But the knife itself, is influenced by the Spanish and the Navaja first. But took other influences from German Messer, the Sax and the Bauernwehr.
Thanks for the answers. It's my understanding that James Black did indeed improve upon the Bowie knife, and did so for Jim Bowie himself before he left for The Alamo. Black also supposedly rediscovered some knife steel making technique that made his knives extra tough, but the secret died with him.
I know there are more Knifesmiths in the state of Arkansas than any where else in the world, or at least in the US. It's a big-time traditional heritage thing in Arkansas. Jimmy Lile is a legend around here!
@@redleg1971 Rezin Bowie (Jim's brother) actually made a number of big knives for Jim. Jim would lose a few during his exploits. I have never heard of Black knowing or rediscovering any knife steel techniques. Something I will enjoy researching though.
@@redleg1971 his knife was made from a meteorite rock , consisting of iron and nickel
Always been my favorite knife style i own several
I was the property master on Crocodile Dundee and with John Bowring as a blade smith and Chantelle Cordray doing the handle and scabbard deliberately modelled the "thats not a Knife"on what we, Grace Walker and Paul Hogan, regarded as a classic Bowie
Thats cool! Perhaps we should do a video on the Dundee Bowie then!
It doesn’t matter where, or how it was invented.
If you are calling a knife by the name of the man that made it famous, you should pronounce it the way he pronounced his name … “Boo-wee”
So you mean that the story we were all told as a kid in the 50s was not true? The legend said the knife was clip point, but when dropped on a rock a large chip broke off one edge, so Bowie "fixed" the damage by stoning the broken area down to an edge.
Even as a child we suspected the story was bs, but thought it was cool anyway. 😁
There were swords that were repurposed into Bowies, but no its unlikely Jim Bowie got his knife that way. It is a fun story to add to my collection of Bowie myths though!
There was a knife maker by the name of Butcher , in those days a "Butcher" didn't always mean a butcher knife from the kitchen.
I have a WW2 V44 Kinfolk 'Bowie' with scabbard my father gave me. It's really a nice looking knife.
Very nice!
I just had a fond remembrance of the 1952 movie "The Iron Mistress" starring Alan Ladd as Jim Bowie. I remember my dad letting me stay up late to watch it one night only because it was about the Bowie Knife. Been hooked ever since.
Not sure if you mentioned that quite a few of the very earliest Bowie knives were made in Sheffield. I believe there is some discussion over whether or not they originated in England for the US market or were copied in England for the US market.
That is mentioned in the video. Again it comes down to what is a "Bowie" knife? There are lots of blades that are of the homemade variety from the states, and there were a lot that were produced in England. I'd say they were definitely an influence at least.
The Bowie knife is in Mexico.
They've offered it back in exchange for Santa Anna'' s false leg.
when i think bowie knife i think cowboys around a nice campfire with one of them opening a can of beans with one
James Bowie modified an existing pattern, thus creating an original tool. Word is that he carved s piece of wood into his desired pattern, then had the blacksmith duplicate it in steel.
This is a sharp story. It gets right to the point.
Ahhh... rapier wit...
Thanks that was really informative and interesting and accurate.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The name "Butcher" was a family company of knife-makers in England- Wade and Butcher, Sheffield. James, William & Samuel Butcher were cutlers and their name (like Bowie's) was given to certain cutlery, including knives used for cutting & processing animal carcasses. A "Butcher knife" was a brand name in the late 18th and 19th century.
Outstanding post sir, very informative and entertaining, really scratched the frontier and history itch. Thank you !!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
The Bowie was used very effectively by the 1st Mississippi Rifles at the Battle Buena Vista. The Mississippians fired their short rifles at the Mexican cavalry and then closed with their Bowie knives. The infantry got in amongst the Mexican cavalry and made them withdraw with heavy losses. The best modern Bowie to me is the KaBar USMC fighting knife.
The Ka-Bar is definitely descended from the Bowie. Many of the earlier hunting knives of the 1900's were largely informed by the Bowie, which in turn kind of melded together in order to create the Ka-Bar. I have a video ont he Ka-Bar as well if you haven't seen it yet. Thanks for commenting and I hope to see you around the channel again!
Okay, by the 1830's, percussion cap weapons where coming into style. Much more reliable. And when Colt came out with the 1837 Colt Paterson Revolver. Big knives started to decline. By the Civil War, most soldiers had to carry so much stuff, that even if they where given a big Bowie knife, got rid of it and got a much smaller, more useful blade. So as firearms became more reliable and could fire more then one shot before reloading, the need for a large knife began to diminish. But them was shinnin times back then.
Classic Bowie knife fighting style...wide slash, up, down, left to right, followed by an upper cut thrust...
What a great video! I'm very happy I found this one. Thank you for posting this.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I hope to see you around the channel again!
If you look at the 9 basic cuts of Kali, two are basically back cuts.
Thanks for sharing!
James Bowie's family came from Scotland to Maryland and Virginia like my ancestors. He shares an ancestor a great grandmother Pottinger. The Bowies migrated west like us into Kentucky, Tennessee and Spanish Louisiana. He was a rogue, land speculator, smuggler and slave trader. He and his brothers resold pirate booty for none other than Jean Laflitte of war 1812 fame with Jackson. The so called duel turned into a brawl. James Bowie was called murderer and had to move to Texas. I believe his famous blade was inspired by Spanish Pirate Cutlass. A broad blade sabre with shortened blade and clip point. Similar to an Arabic simatar. Just a theory but since Bowie family were hanging out with pirates? It seems to be the only blade that looks like a bowie knife.
Thank-you for sharing! I hope to see you around the channel again!
Thanks God today i got history of this Knife. Channel subscribed! 🙏
Thank-you for your support!
What ever Daniel Boone carried is the definition of the Bowie.
Being from Sheffield it was interesting to find out how these knives were used. Thanks for the video.
concise, informative, articulate thank you,k
From my research which does seem to be word of mouth over written proof..it had a gun shaped handle for comfort in slashing and thrusting. Though today, you are correct where there is a Bowie like shape.
I've never encountered a pistol grip Bowie before. We talking similar to the shape of a Kris knife grip gun shape?
@@TheKnifeLifeChannel I went all out researching the Bowie history. I found a LOT of it was written from word of mouth, so my conclusion is that the original was a gun handle shape. That was mentioned I think once in my research which does make sense to me. A straight handled one with a big blade is hard to thrust than the gun handle. So we made it this way. I love the feel. You gotta feel it to see what I mean. :)
I have two Bowie knives. Both made in Sheffield UK. Both very different. The smaller one I found stuck in a tree when I was 10,. My grandad made me sheath and I used to swagger around with it. This was England 1976.
The other blade was given to me by a master cutler from Sheffield - made it himself
Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
I have a very old bowie knife I brought in the u.s.a. it has a bone handle wonderfully made I was thier in 1988 and have taken it hunting many times cheers
I don’t know if this is true. I heard/read somewhere the Bowie knife was banned/forbidden to use as a weapon because the injuries from it was to severe to treat. I may be wrong.
There were states that banned the Bowie due to it's ill reputation and it's prevalence in fights.
For some reason I prefer a big bowie knife over a machete and hatchet. When going through the forest and tackling brush and stuff. The blade is thick and heavy enough to split small firewood and sharp enough I could skin a buck or fallet a fish if I needed to.
The Bowie is very versatile, and when needed can address most any task required.
Being from Sheffield I've seen them being made at the little masters in Sheffield. Sheffield steel is still the best in the world and we also call it a Bowie knife
I need to make my way out to see Sheffield myself
Very concise and thorough.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Zeb Macahan carried a bowie in How The West Was Won. He often said, " I'll gut ya belly to brisket."
Bowies are great
my favorite western made this century Seraphim Falls shows how useful a bowie is
I haven't seen that one yet. I'll add it to my "to watch" list...