Bowie knives have been around for almost 200 years. In that time, metal technology has advanced a great deal. Today’s knives can be purchased in a variety of steels. In the past, it was the best one could do to get the best performing steel they could find. Today, one can find different steels that offer excellent performance in different situations.
If a knife just needs to hold up to abuse, edge-holding isn’t usually an issue. Knives that need to be durable are usually best made of a variety of stainless steel. Another benefit is that this metal is resistant to rust. For hard-working bowie knives, a softer, less expensive variety of stainless steel such as 420 is usually fine. It won’t get, or stay, that sharp but it is tough.
High-carbon stainless is an excellent option for those who need the durability of stainless steel with better edge-holding properties. As the carbon content goes up in steel, such as in 440C versus 440A, the metal becomes more brittle. It is also able to be sharpened to a finer edge and will retain that edge very well, however. This makes high carbon stainless steel very popular for multi-purpose blades.
At the high-end of knife metals are the very high carbon steels. These knife blades can achieve an incredibly sharp edge but are more brittle and fragile than the 440 grades. The steel denoted as CPM 440V is among the best of steels, is durable and sharp enough for most any application. This grade of steel can be very expensive for bowie knives.
A bowie knife has a distinctive type of blade that makes them naturally tough. No matter what type of metal is used, the thick blade ensures that it can take plenty of abuse. This aspect of a bowie, however, can also make them very expensive when they’re made of high-end steel due to the amount of materials employed. In some cases, multiple types of metal may be used for different parts of the knife, such as softer metal on the spine for strength. For collectors and for those who just want an excellent knife for sporting, the time-tested design is a good use of expensive steels.
Brian is a business consultant for an online bowie knife store featuring combat knives.
