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Choosing a Bowie Knife for Hunting

May 17th, 2010 at 10:38

Finding the perfect hunting knife can be difficult. You have an incredible range of options from which to choose. In fact, the number of knives on offer can be bewildering. Should you go with a Bowie knife? Perhaps you should choose something a bit smaller? Actually, there are a number of reasons why a Bowie knife might be the best option for your needs. What makes these large knives irreplaceable for your hunting needs?

While the size of Bowie knives is among their most defining characteristics, it is oftentimes very much exaggerated in modern models. Most actual Bowies topped out at around 14 inches and beyond 12 inches they’re not good for much other than self-defense. While that is a legitimate need, hunters usually can do better than a knife for defending themselves against any overly-enthusiastic predators they may encounter in the woods. Your Bowie, when you’re hunting, will be for getting your meat out of the woods more than anything else, and that requires precision.

Durability Keeps You Going: When you buy a hunting or camping tool, you expect it to last. Unfortunately, a number of modern accessories simply do not have the durability that you might expect for the price paid. However, a Bowie knife, when properly maintained, can last for a lifetime. This means that it will be a trusted friend on the trail for years to come. With the right maintenance, you might even be able to pass on that trusted knife to the next generation, giving them a tangible connection to their past.

You don’t need Bowie knives with heavy blades for hunting. Those are designed with fighting in mind. Look for a blade that is made out of high-carbon steel and which is very agile. You want balance and edge more than heft and cleaving power with a hunting knife. When you get to the bone, you’ll use a hatchet or a saw, unless you’re an inexperienced hunter or a fan of destroying perfectly good hunting knives. Remember, you’ll be carrying the right tools for the job and not expecting to do every job with one tool if you know what you’re doing out in the woods.

Remember that good balance and a high-quality blade are more important in a Bowie knife than price. While the very high-priced models are definitely nice, in most cases, the moderate range of prices is often full of excellent blades. The cost of steel has declined while the quality has improved, and there’s no reason that any hunter should be going out in the woods with anything other than a top-notch hunting knife riding on their hip!

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

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