What Size of Bowie Knife Is Best for Me?

Bowie knives are available in a bewildering array of sizes. You will find slimmer versions that total out at about six inches in length, but you will also find monstrosities that come close to two feet in length and all the sizes in between. How do you choose which bowie knives are right for your particular needs? Is a longer blade a better choice? Why would you want a short knife blade?

There is no secret formula to determining what size bowie knife is right for you. You will have to take a long, hard look at how you intend to use the knife. For instance, do you just want something impressive that you can hang on a wall or mount under glass? If so, then the larger, the better! However, if you actually intend to put that knife to use, you'll find that enormous size is not always better.

Shorter blades, on the other hand, are a different matter all together. You wouldn't want to use a six-inch blade for hacking through underbrush. You would, however, want such a smaller blade if you were doing something that required precise control, such as cleaning a freshly caught fish or skinning that stag that you just brought down. Larger blades can damage whatever you're cleaning or skinning, simply because you cannot control them as well. Shorter blades offer better precision and better control, at the cost of brute power, though.

Bowie knives can be purchased in a variety of styles, as well. You will find that longer blades are often a bit more modern, while shorter blades, say six to ten inches, frequently mirror the original design. The original Bowie knife had a shorter clipped point than many of the modern versions do, which is ideal for precise cutting and control. Of course, you will also need to determine whether or not you will wear the knife in public. Checking your local city, county and state laws is vital here, but supposing these allow you to carry any size, what's best?

As you can see, choosing the right option form the plethora of bowie knives available can be somewhat difficult. However, if you take your time, you'll find an option that fits your particular needs and offers the performance, look and functionality that you demand.

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