If you have just purchased your first bowie knife, or even if you have been an avid collector of these blades for a number of years, it can be difficult to determine exactly what all the different parts of the blade are supposed to be used for. Part of this confusion stems from the myriad different styles of blade out there. For instance, you'll find modern bowies that have saw-tooth edging on the spine, while historically accurate models do not include this feature. What are the different parts supposed to do?

If you have just purchased your first bowie knife, or even if you have been an avid collector of these blades for a number of years, it can be difficult to determine exactly what all the different parts of the blade are supposed to be used for. Part of this confusion stems from the myriad different styles of blade out there. For instance, you'll find modern bowies that have saw-tooth edging on the spine, while historically accurate models do not include this feature. What are the different parts supposed to do?

For instance, some knives include a saw-tooth edge along the spine of the knife. This is a modern development and hails from the Vietnam era military knives issued to helicopter pilots and foot soldiers alike. The saw teeth can help cut through wood, plastic and other materials, as well as being used for scaling fish or sawing through bone. However, novice users should beware these bowie knife models, as the saw can often get in the way of general use. Injury to the knife owner is not uncommon.

False Edge - The false edge of a bowie knife is the portion of the point that curves inward and upward from the point to meet the spine of the blade. This has little use unless sharpened (these are called Sheffield Bowies). When sharpened, the false edge allows for back cutting, but also provides better performance when skinning, gutting or stabbing, as it increases the tip's cutting surface significantly.

Spanish Notch - The Spanish Notch is another sometime inclusion. You'll find that this notch offers little in the way of enhanced usability, but it does provide you with a handy point to start sharpening the blade. The notch sits at the back edge of the blade, just before the ricasso. This might have originally been used to help skin branches, or have been used to work with nautical rigging or other rope forms, but today it has few uses and is rarely found except on historically accurate bowie knives.

The Tip - The tip of bowie knives is quite unique. Called a clipped point, it provides better punch-through power in stabbing motions, but also provides better tip control, as well. You will find that this unique tip is actually one of the defining elements that sets bowie knives apart from other large, fixed blade sheath knives on the market today. If a knife does not have such a tip, it is not a bowie knife.