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Bowie knives are elegant, durable blades that are oftentimes treated like cheap, disposable knives. If you invest the time and effort into properly storing and maintaining these blades, however, they can last many lifetimes. Your knife already comes with the best storage case possible, the sheath. This should always be kept with your blade. Among ancient swordsmen, sheaths were regarded as being as valuable as the blade, and for good reason.

The location where a Bowie knife is stored when not in use will determine how much time you spend maintaining and repairing it when you’re out of the field. These knives, provided they’re made of good steel, are very durable and long-lasting. Any knife, however, can become destroyed if it’s not property maintained. This maintenance starts with keeping your knife in a safe, dry place where it is not exposed to solvents or other potentially damaging substances.

Other Storage Options: You do have other options for storing your Bowie knife. Perhaps the best option for storing your Bowie knife if you do not use it on a regular basis is in an airtight container. You will find any number of such options, ranging from basic Tupperware containers to more sophisticated, specialized knife storage systems. The important thing to remember here is that the storage container should not expose your blade to the air, as this will hasten the formation of rust.

These are your two basic options for knife storage. Determining which solution is right for your needs will mean that you take a look at your usage of that knife. It is essential that you follow proper care, maintenance and storage procedures for your blade, if you hope to keep your knife in usable condition for years to come. This is truly not as difficult as it sounds.

Your Bowie knife should never be stored in a boat or a tackle box. Either of these locations mean moisture and, if you live by the sea, salt. Expect to have a useless hunk of metal in the shape of a Bowie if you leave your knife in such a location. Your knife can be stored most anywhere in your gear provided it is dry, safe from other tools and easily-accessible.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knife store featuring cold steel bowie knives.

Technically, a Bowie knife is a type of hunting knife, but it is also much more. A hunting knife can be anything, really, but they tend to have some common characteristics among the lot of them. They share some of these characteristics with Bowies and do not share others. The first, and most significant difference, is the hand guard. Hunting knives do not usually have hand guards. Bowies were designed for fighting, and that is seen in this protective addition to the knife.

Most hunting knives are designed for a single purpose. They excel at this purpose, but usually perform very poorly at any other use. For example, a gut hook knife is used for skinning an animal without puncturing the intestines, which can spoil the meat. However, you will find that it is not so great at other tasks. The same can be said for most other types of “hunting knives.” A Bowie knife, on the other hand, is a multiuse tool that can serve numerous different tasks.

Consider the fact that a Bowie knife can be used to chop, cut, gut, skin and cut. You can use this single knife to replace a gut hook knife, a skinning knife, boning knife and even many different types of kitchen knives. It can chop vegetables with the same equanimity that it guts fish or skins deer. That is, you will need only a single knife, rather than having to carry a selection of knives with you on your hunting trip. Therefore, while you can consider Bowies as hunting knives, they are also much more than this.

Bowie knives also have utility features that are usually absent on the more specialist hunting knives. Many of them have serrated edges down the back of the blade that offer another cutting surface to the user. Some Bowies also have Spanish notches on the base of the blade. These devices were described as having many different uses, though their exact original intention is something that’s often disputed.

Bowie knives are generally fighting knives that are also very useful in outdoor situations. Hunting knives are purpose-built tools that to little beyond their named task. Either can be effective for hunting. A hunting knife is really a very rugged food preparation knife. A Bowie can perform the same function, but it is more of a utilitarian knife that is designed to offer good service toward many different ends, but whose origins are decidedly those of a weapon. This makes them different in many regards.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knives store featuring SOG bowie knives.

Those who were around before the safety blade was invented may remember their dad or grandfather sharpening their blade on their razor strap. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a razor strap. It’s called a strop, actually, but your father or grandfather was using one of the best tools for getting a very fine edge on a blade, which was probably a good thing if they were about to shave! These products are still used today for sharpening just about everything, including Bowie knives.

In essence, a strop is nothing more than a wide strip of leather or canvas. Most users prefer a leather strop, but canvas options are quite popular as well. The strop might be a handheld paddle, or it can be mounted to a wall or some other immovable object. Stropping a Bowie knife should be done as part of the sharpening process, or as part of basic maintenance, between sharpening periods. It should not be used as a replacement for a rod system or even a bench stone. Why bother stropping at all, then, if it cannot replace other options?

First, you should understand the benefits offered by a strop. When it is used in conjunction with other sharpening methods, stropping can create a tremendous polish on the blade. It is also able to give your blade a finer edge than what you can achieve with a stone or rod system, without the loss of much blade material. This means that strops help you keep your blade in the best possible condition, ensuring that you always have the perfect edge on your blade.

Stropping between sharpening periods also offers some benefits for your Bowie knife. You will find that when your blade is still sharp, but has lost that “razor” quality through use, a strop can quickly bring back your scary edge without reducing the metal content of your blade any further. In addition, you will find that a simple stropping periodically will increase the look of your blade, keeping it clean and removing nicks and burrs along the edge of the blade.

As you can see, there are numerous reasons that a strop should be part of your care regimen for Bowie knives and other knives in your collection. This simple device can offer some significant advantages for the committed knife lover, as well as for the blades in your possession.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knifes store featuring western bowie knife.

In the world of knives, there are many different kinds of blades, different types of edges (called bevels) and other elements. In fact, even with the vaunted Bowie knife, you will find an incredible diversity of different blade types. A high-relief blade is one such variant that you can find on a few knives of Bowie derivation. What does this mean, though? What does this type of blade feature?

In essence, a high-relief blade is a wedge. Of course, you can count all knife blades as wedges, but the high-relief blade takes that to an extreme. The single most defining characteristic of this blade is its thickness, or lack thereof. You will find that the cutting edge of the blade grows thinner the farther you move from the hilt of the knife.

High-relief Bowie knives are also useful because the blade can be sharpened to a very impressive edge. The angle is easy to maintain and, in reality, a high-relief blade is an inclined plane taken to its logical extreme. This is one of the most primitive types of blades, for certain, but it is also one of the most functional. These blades have consistent drag when you’re cutting, so your knife won’t be trying to steer you off course when you’re trying to make a precise cut.

A high-relief blade is handy on Bowie knives that are used for gutting or skinning due to its consistent drag. Instead of pulling to one side or down into the cut, a high-relief blade will tend to keep its depth and to pull equally in both directions. This makes it good for precise work, though it is not capable of getting as sharp as other grinds, such as hollow grinds, in most cases.

High-relief blades are very useful for specific applications. However, they are not good options for general use. The unique nature of the blade, even with special alloys used in construction, means that they can still be easily damaged by being handled the wrong way. Therefore, you should think very carefully about choosing this type of knife, even if it is a Bowie knife. It can be an excellent tool, but is certainly not right for all applications. If you need a good, all around knife blade, then you might consider a drop point blade or a clip point option.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knife store featuring bowie knives for sale.

The original Bowie knife design was simply a large blade, with some unique characteristics. During most of the blade’s history, a gut hook was not incorporated into its design. However, modern knife makers have developed any number of variations on the original Bowie design and, today, you can find Bowies with gut hooks with serrated edges and in varying sizes, from miniscule to enormous. What is a gut hook for, though? Actually, this can be a valuable tool for hunters and anglers.

The gut hook seen on some Bowie knives is specifically a tool for hunting, though it can also be used to some of the purposes the “Spanish notch” on the base of the blade is supposed to be used for, but for which that notch usually offers poor performance. You’ll get much better results using a proper gut hook for utility purposes, such as cutting small ropes and other tasks, than you will from the notch, in some cases.

Are gut hooks truly necessary? Well, they certainly work for their intended purpose. However, some owners of Bowie knives choose to purchase models that lack the gut hook, simply because an experienced hand can wield a blade with sufficient skill that you do not puncture the guts of the animal. However, some prefer the added security offered by the hook. It is simply personal preference. With that being said, you should consider one aspect of the gut hook that is often overlooked – sharpening.

Pull the knife upward, toward the ribs of the animal. The sharpened portion of the hook will cut through the hide or skin and keep you from fouling the meat. Of course, a gut hook is not a requirement for your Bowie knife. Many people have enough confidence and skill to skin their catch or their game without puncturing organs or intestines. However, it does provide an additional safeguard against this possibility.

Gut hooks can be found on many Bowie knives, but their necessity and usefulness lie with you. If you feel that their added convenience and protection are needed, then you might consider this a wise option. However, if you have practice with skinning and cleaning, you might not need the hook.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knives store featuring hunting knives.

Some Bowie knives come with drop point blades. Depending upon your perspective on the matter, this is either more or less traditional than the clip point blade with which Bowies are more often associated. The drop point designs go back as far as the knives and the extremely clipped blades are sometimes entirely modern inventions.

A drop point blade is actually quite simple. In some ways, it is similar to a clip point blade. However, the drop point has a convex curve near the point of the blade, where the back meets the tip. These blades usually feature a very strong point, though it is not well suited to stabbing motions.

Bowie knives with drop point blades have the advantage of being very sturdy. There’s more metal at the end of the blade and, thus, the blade is capable of taking more abuse. The drop point is also usually preferred by hunters, as it offers more control and a less severe point than do clipped point blades. That last reason is important to understanding those Bowie knives with clipped points.

Bowie knives were originally designed as fighting knives. A clipped point blade, to put it bluntly, is intended as a death-dealing device. It concentrates the force of a thrust on to the point of the blade and the small size of the initial portion makes it easy to slide this blade into the body when stabbing. It’s no coincidence that many sabers have this blade design, as well. Where lethality is concerned, there are few more effective designs among edged weapons.

Should you choose Bowie knives with a drop point to add to your collection? That question must be answered by your own usage needs. Do you need a strong knife with considerable cutting ability? Are you willing to sacrifice much of the stabbing power of the blade for greater cutting strength? Choosing any particular knife style over another is always a series of tradeoffs. However, when you choose a knife with a drop point, you are getting the best of many worlds, unlike some other knives that offer you only limited benefits due to the design of their blades. Take your time and choose a knife that fits your needs.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knifes store featuring survival knives.