Blade Design On A Bowie Knife
Bowie knives generally have several different parts to their blades. The most definitive elements of these blades are the Spanish notch, the clipped point and the false edge. There are other features sometimes found on these blades, as well, some historic and some modern. They all have different uses, which is a great deal of why these knives are still so popular. Some of the uses for these parts are largely apocryphal, while others are more or less obvious and have sustained their usefulness for almost 200 years.
A Bowie knife of modern vintage oftentimes has a saw blade implement included on the spine of the blade. This sort of modification is more suitable for a multipurpose tool than it is for a hunting knife. Obviously, the saw on the back of the blade could make cleaning meat relatively difficult. In the past, a soft, ridged strip of copper or brass was sometimes added to the spine of the blade to provide strength.
A Bowie knife always has a qullions, or hand guard. Traditionally, this was designed with the top arm facing forward and the bottom guard positioned over the holder’s knuckles. This is obviously a defensive asset in any fight. Some claim the top of the guard was used to trap a blade. Though this is possible, these types of guards were more often used to simply deflect a blade rather than to trap it. Today, the hand guard is principally useful as it prevents the user’s hand from sliding up the blade.
The blood groove is a modern feature. This is probably most associated with the Bowie knives manufactured for the US Marine Corps in World War 2. This adaptation quickly proved its usefulness as a technology of war. The blood groove prevents the knife from creating a vacuum when a stab wound is made. It allows the knife to be withdrawn easily and prevents the blade from stopping blood loss.
One of the more odd characteristics of a Bowie knife is called the Spanish notch. This feature is found toward the base of the blade on the edge side. Some legends hold that a skilled knife fighter could trap the blade of an opponent in this groove. More likely, this groove was used as a guide that provided a beginning point for sharpening and, sometimes, it was used to cut cord and sinew.
Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knife store featuring combat knives.
