Ah, duels! They’ve always been the stuff of legends. Literally, many of the duels that took place in history have been written down and passed down through the generations. Just take a look at them. However, it is only one in particular that led to this moment, the best Bowie knife on the market.
The fight… sorry, duel, at Vidalia Sandbar has become the stuff of legends among enthusiasts of Bowie knifes. On that fateful day, the feuding families from Louisiana and Mississippi arrived on the sandbar to witness the brawl. On the boat from Louisiana was Jim Bowie, who was known to carry a sheath knife.
After the initial brawl had concluded, a fight broke out. Shots were fired, people were stabbed but what remained true is that Jim Bowie exacted his revenge and inflicted serious damage to his opponents just by using his sheath knife.
Though he may have taken months to recover, he never was seen without a large sheath knife by his side. And this became a trend after James Black designed a knife for Bowie. Several other manufacturers got into the business and their popularity grew all throughout the world.
The thing that is apparent though, not every Bowie knife out there is worth having. Coming from issues like the build quality and types of materials used, then it becomes very easy to separate the best from the posers for survival purposes.
Top Tactical Bowie Knives in 2020 For Survival
Product Name | Price | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
KA-BAR Becker BK9 | $$ | ||
Case Cutlery Bowie Knife | $$$ | ||
Extract and Evasion S&W | $ | ||
39LSWB Marauder | $ | ||
Buck Knives Frontiersman | $$ | ||
SCHF45 Leroy Full Tang Bowie | $ | ||
Super SOG Bowie SB1T-L | $$$ | ||
Western Outlaw Bowie Knife | $ |
1. KA-BAR Becker BK9
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Ah, one would think that a Marine’s best friend would be the rifle since they’re all riflemen anyway, but no, it’s the KA-BAR knife. Since it was first introduced, all the branches of the military have gone on to adopt it. That should be a testament to its build quality for survival.
This particular model is constructed from 1095 Cro-Van Steel, the content of carbon in it makes it much more resistant to the effect of oxidization. The Grivory handle makes it an excellent knife to grip and wield, and is designed to reduce user fatigue, thus making it suitable for long stretches of use.
The only downside to the handling is using it in moist conditions. The handle is slippery when being used when wet.
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2. Case Cutlery Bowie Knife
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At first glance, this knife may look like a replica of something that Blackbeard would have had strapped to his waist. The golden handle guard and the slight curve at the blunt side of the knife give it a regal look and feel.
All that beauty would be useless if it was not functional, and that’s exactly what this knife is. It utilizes the very same technologies used to keep surgical blades sharp. This makes it functional for when you’re out camping or hiking and want to do something with the knife.
The entire length of the blade is 9.5 inches, and it all comes up to 14 inches when the handle is included. The stainless-steel construction makes it a durable tool to have in your survival kit.
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3. Extract and Evasion by Smith and Wesson
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Well, here comes one of the most prolific gun manufacturers in the world. They’ve made their mark selling guns and other armaments, and they ventured into knives. Hobnobbing with some of the world’s best warfighters would give them an idea of what they can make their knives into.
And that, they did. The knife they have come up with is a must-have for any survival adventurer out there. This knife is designed to be as tough and sturdy as the people who will be taking it for an adventure. One of the best features of this knife is the ergonomics. A lot of thought went into this, to make it as comfortable for the toughest, and longest jobs out there.
The knife is forged from 7CRT17 high carbon steel and has a blade length of 6 inches. Including the handle, it comes up to 11.7 inches.
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4. 39LSWB Marauder by Coldsteel
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It’s hard to get away from military themes when it comes to these knives. This here is an inspiration from Merrill’s Marauders during the Second World War. They were a special operations unit who did great damage to the Japanese in the jungles of Burma.
Their swift and damaging actions behind enemy have been replicated in this blade through the beautiful curves along the blade. The deep bevels along the blade, along with how far they go, are a perfect representation of the lengths the Marauders went to defeat the Japanese.
The double Quilon hilt, backed up by a sub hilt makes for excellent ergonomics when it comes to making grips and handling for long periods of time. This blade is forged from Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel and is 9 inches long. The overall length, including the handle, is 14.13 inches.
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5. Frontiersman by Buck Knives
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Here is a knife that is reminiscent of the intrepid explorers as they made their way through various unexplored parts of the world. These explorers have been perfectly immortalized in characters such as Indiana Jones and Lara Croft and the one thing they always had with them was a sturdy knife that did a variety of jobs while fighting for her survival.
This here is a full tang knife that gleams whichever way you look at it from. The straight back is complimented perfectly by the Micarta handle and the deep curves of the blade. A finger guard and an aluminum pommel finish up the design to make a powerful knife.
The power in this is perfectly illustrated by the fact that it is constructed using 420HC steel. The blade is 6.25 inches long and together with the handle, the overall length adds up to 11.75 inches.
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6. SCHF45 Leroy Full Tang Bowie By Schrade
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This looks like something that a soldier or adventurer from the future left behind and someone decided to copy the design. If the Terminator were to use a knife, then this would be a perfect idea of what knife they would be carrying.
This is a proper full tang blade that is covered with TPE for a handle. The handle itself is a futuristic ornate design with a finger guard rounding out the choil, and also has a lanyard hole for when you want to dangle it.
To complete out the futuristic design, the blade is forged from titanium and then coated with 8cr13MoV steel, which is high in carbon, giving it a greyish look and a dangerous feel. The blade is 10.35 inches, while the handle brings the overall length to 16.49 inches. This is a massive length that makes the knife feel like a little cutlass.
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7. Super SOG Bowie SB1T-L by SOG
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The military themes continue, this time with the famous, or infamous depending on your leanings, special operation groups that did extensive work throughout the three Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The skirmishes they engaged in were so intense, some would end up in hand to hand combat, and they had to use their knives to prevail in the situation.
This knife is an ode to the extraordinary men who are rarely appreciated for what they did. The blade is made from AUS-8 steel and is completed with a black Tini finish, a nod to the black operations this SOG conducted while in-country. The straight edge is embellished with clip points to aid in puncturing operations.
The handle is made from leather that has been shaped to be perfectly ergonomic for those sessions where your comfort is paramount. It also comes with a lanyard hole for when you need one. The knife is accompanied by a sheath with a belt attachment.
The blade is 7.5 inches in length, and with the handle, the overall length is brought up to 11 inches.
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8. Western Outlaw Bowie Knife by Timber Rattler
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Just by looking at this blade, some of Ennio Morricone’s famous compositions just start playing in your head in anticipation of some competition as to who is the fastest knife-hand in the west. Timber Rattler have gone out of their way to make this knife accurate to the time period as much as they can.
As much as it may look like something out of the Wild West, it doesn’t mean the forging methods of that period are what have also been used. Instead, it is the forging methods of today, utilizing stainless steel that have been put to good use here. The design is rounded out by the full tang design, as well as brass plated guards to protect your hand, as well as give it some warm visual appeal in contrast to the cold steel.
The material on the handle may be the only thing that would have been found during that era, leather. However, it is still one of the most durable, and most comfortable and luxurious materials on this earth today. You’re guaranteed excellent ergonomics with this.
This blade is one of the longest, measuring at 11.13 inches and when the handle is factored in, the overall length of the knife goes up to 16.5 inches.
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Bottom Line
Going away from your usual stomping grounds in the city and into the woods for some extra curricular activity of hunting, fishing or camping can be a bit out of your usual way of doing things. The various skills you will need to make it memorable will require the use of a specialist Bowie knife.
And here’s where the KA-BAR Becker B9 is perfectly suited for. This is a knife made by a company that has over 100 years of experience making products for the military. That can only mean everything they claim to be has been put to the test, and has been found to be true.
If you want a Bowie knife for survival that won’t let you down while you’re in the thick of things, get yourself the KA-BAR now and enjoy your outing without worrying whether the knife will get you through your task. However, if you want more features, you should check out multi-purpose knives that include a compass and more.
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