Bowie Knives: Top Choices For A Historic Blade

The Becker BK-9 is, bar none, one of the best hard-use bushcraft knives on the market. It’s also a top fighting knife, and one of the few selections here that fall into the traditional definitions of a Bowie knife, thanks to its 9-inch blade. 

The KA-BAR brand designed the Becker BK-9 for excellence in use and service. And the brand has been around since 1898, so it knows a thing or two about knife design. This particular model is an icon of hard-use knives and called a “do-all survival chopper” by GearJunkie’s knife expert Anthony Sculumbrine. 

Knife designer Ethan Becker built this knife with a wonderfully versatile handle that’s extremely comfortable in the hand. So users can swing it, baton it through logs, and even do fine work with the pointed tip. Regardless, it’ll give you a good firm grip and is pleasant to hold.

Ka-bar makes the BK9in the USA from popular 1095 cro-van steel. This popular steel is durable, tough, and easy to re-sharpen in the field. The only real negative is that it requires some care, and should be oiled regularly to protect it from corrosion. The ergonomic handle reduces the occurrence of user fatigue.

We love this Bowie knife because of its durability and quality. It is among the best Bowie knives on the market and used by all other branches of the military. For more amazing blades like this, check out our guide to the best neck knives.

Our first knife is the KA-BAR Marine Corps Fighting Knife. This fixed-blade knife has a strong reputation among combat personnel around the world. K-Bar manufactures it from 1095 Cro-Van steel, a common but good material for this kind of blade. It has a 20-degree angle and a straight-edged 7-inch blade. Besides its durable build, this unit delivers impressive performance and top-notch durability thanks to its robust construction.

This marine corps fighting Bowie knife comes with a leather sheath. It also has a gold-plated pommel and guard which makes it one of the perfect gift ideas for the celebration of retirement or a military anniversary. The included sheath is highly protective and, in combination with the robust and rugged design of the Ka-bar knife, your knife will remain an icon in the sight of both friend and foe, be it for personal use or use in service.

The Buck knife is an all-American icon designed by a family-owned business with four generations of leaders. While not quite the icon of the Buck 119 Special, the Buck 124 Frontiersman Fixed Blade Knife has a longer blade, making it closer to the historical design of the best Bowie knives.

The Buck 124 has a 6.25″ 420HC steel blade. While 420HC is entry-level knife steel by most companies, Buck is renowned for its ability to harden 420HC. In its use, Buck proves that 420HC steel can offer good strength, edge-retention, and corrosion resistance. It’s also easily re-sharpenable, even with small tools in the field.

While some older models of the Frontiersman may have partial tangs, the current model has full tang construction, which contributes significantly to its functionality and durability. It has a deep choil and integrated finger guard, which improves the knife’s ergonomics.

Of course, the handle of the Frontiersman means business. The durable micarta handle resists damage by chemicals or moisture and offers an excellent grip even when wet. While certainly not a cheap knife, this USA-made Buck knife can last for generations with good care. And it comes with Buck’s Forever Warranty, which means you can make a return whenever you’re not satisfied with the brand’s service. You may also like some of the best Karambit knives from our list, so don’t forget to check them out.

The SOG Super Bowie is a beast of a tactical knife. This model, new in 2019, improved on its predecessor, the original SOG Bowie knife. It has a full-tang, 7.5-inch AUS-8 steel blade and leather handle. The clip point blade modernizes the classic bowie without losing sight of the original. To make it more resistant to the elements, SOG added a black Tini finish that guards against corrosion, something we don’t see with every Bowie knife nowadays. 

While this knife means business, the ergonomic handle is a joy to look at and even better in the hand. SOG knifemakers build the handle by hammering rings of leather over the tang. The design results in a beautifully ringed handle that fits comfortably in the hand. It provides a robust, secure grip.

While this is certainly a durable knife, some users will find its weight (17.4 ounces) too heavy for practical use.

For all the knife enthusiasts, we have also prepared a selection of the best boot knives, so be sure to check them out.

The Ka-Bar Warthog Bowie Knife is another favorite from the brand and comes highly recommended based on several reviews from customers around the world. It features the body designed from premium material and a spectacular blade fashioned from the best, high-quality carbon steel metal. The quality of this metal is hard to contest, and this is what helps the warthog knife stand out. We love the sheath included in the overall design of this original Bowie knife and its synthetic fabric that keeps the blade protected and away from curious hands. The Ka-Bar warthog knife is manufactured in the USA, with some models made externally and imported. It is comfortable to use and delivers a high level of sharpness that can be used for activities such as hunting. It can also be used as a camping knife.

Schrade built the SCHF45 Leroy Knife as a burly outdoors survival knife, and it’ll definitely do the job at a very good price. This knife starts out with a full tang, high-carbon 8Cr13MoV steel blade. Schrade coats this blade with a titanium finish to guard against corrosion. Form all that into a relatively massive (18.5 x 4.5 x 1.75 inches) tool, and you’ve got a bowie knife fit for hacking down jungle foliage. It’s a big, burly knife, and if that’s your jam, this one could fit the bill.

But beware, the Leroy Knife borders on sword length. And it weighs in at a remarkable 23.6 ounces, so it will really weigh you down. The Schrade company has been in this business for decades and has many tools and knives under its brand name. The business focuses on a wide variety of sturdy tools and tactical pens that last. Our guide to the best EDC knives features more amazing blades you will love.

This next bowie knife from Mossy Oak is a capable survival companion at a budget price. The Mossy Oak Survival Knife carries a 15-inch blade crafted from 440C stainless steel. It’s decent steel that holds an edge fairly well, and about as good as you could hope for at this price. It’s also resistant to rust.

The back of this blade has saw-like jimping. While you can use it to saw through some hard objects, we’re not a fan of that design as it makes it more difficult to baton the blade when using it to split wood. But we’ll forgive it a little given the super-low pricing and decent materials. 

This blade even comes with a fire-starting Ferocerrium stick and sharpener, which is pretty mind-blowing given the price. 

As it’s a budget blade, the handle is made from TPR rubber, which is soft but not great over time. It ships with a nylon sheath. While not a serious contender compared with other knives on the list, it’s an aggressive blade at a good price that looks meaner than most of the bowie knives on the market. 

Cold Steel manufactures affordable, high-quality knives. The brand has a solid reputation for a good value on knives that won’t break the bank. The Cold Steel Black Bear Bowie Knife is one of the most affordable knives in this category. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that it has a 12-inch 1055 mid-carbon steel blade and a classic, utilitarian design.

Consumers report that it arrives relatively sharp but could definitely benefit from some extra sharpening. The blade is extremely pointed and it flares out towards the end. This makes it perfect for cutting through soft bushes and less suited to chopping wood. Having said that, consumers report that it’s still okay at batoning thin logs. We’d just prefer a thicker, heavier blade. The handle is made from polypropylene, making it super durable but not that comfortable in your hand. Still, what do you expect for a knife that costs just over $20? 

The Mossy Oak 14-inch Bowie Knife has a lot going for it. It’s towards the cheaper end of what you should expect to pay for a bowie knife but it’s still a high-quality tool. This is a really pretty knife, with a rosewood handle, finished off with a brass pommel and guard. It gives it an antique look that we adore. And, down the middle of the handle, you can see the full tang blade, showing you just how solid this knife is. The blade runs a cheap 3CR13 steel, which has good corrosion resistance and decent wear resistance at a super low price. While it won’t stack up against more expensive blades, for the occasional user it’s surprisingly good.

Another reason customers love this bowie knife is the genuine leather sheath. It has an integrated belt loop and snap fastener to keep your knife secure. We’d pay the full price of the knife just for this sheath!