Bowie Survival Knives have existed for ages. This style of knives is named after James Bowie, a notorious fighter who used a special knife made for him by a legendry blade maker of his time, who used it in a popular duel, the Sandbar Fight, to cause his opponents’ casualty. James, or often Jim, became stuff of legends and many survival enthusiasts over the ages have worked to build a knife as close to his as possible. Since then, the design of what is referred to as a “Bowie” knife has evolved to include various styles, and the only uses are (ideally) legal.
Given the pop-culture significance of the Bowie knife, many collectors still like to own these, although they come in all shapes and sizes. However, many of the knives in this category are not just for accumulators – these are versatile and useful survival knives. There are plenty of options available on the market and if you are looking for one for practical reasons, we have compiled a list of the best bowie survival knives of 2022.
Best Bowie Survival Knife 2022 – Top Large Blade Picks
Best Overall
Buck Knives 124
Solid Grip Knife
Premium Choice
KA-BAR
Best for survival activities
Professionals Choice
Schrade SCHF45
Easy to Carry
1. Cold Steel 39LLBMT Laredo – Bowie Black Knife
Cold Steel is known for manufacturing quality knives for indoor and outdoor usage. The quality material is used for the best performance of knives.
Laredo’s cold steel 39LLBMT Bowie knife is truly a time tested weapon that has undeniable stability and power. The versatility of this survival knife comes with O-1 High Carbon Steel blade that is properly heat-treated and mar tempered. That’s what makes the best bowie knife!
This beautiful weapon has an ideal blade thickness that is 5/16 which makes it sturdy and wild. The style of its blade is clip point which is helpful in facilitating the deadly back cut. This solid knife has been crafted by high carbon steel. For making it ultra-sharp and strong it has been gone through all the processes that make the knife perfect.
The overall weight of this bowie knife is 1.8 pounds that means it is lightweight yet it is tough. Its handle provides a hundred percent stronger and comfy grip that makes the chopping and cutting handy.
Its vintage design looks dandy and appealing especially its micarta handle that comes with the ergonomic design. The 39LLBMT Laredo Bowie knife stands as one of the best bowie survival knives of 2022.
Pros:
Sharp knife with edge retention- Superior build quality
- Great grip and functional design
Sharp knife with edge retentionCons:
- Product sheath could be better quality
Product sheath could be better quality2. Fallkniven NL4 Fine Edge
The Fallkniven NL4 is yet another awesome creation of a promising brand Fallkniven NL4 fine edge has been crafted skillfully. This weapon is wrapped up in versatility and has so much to offer to all the adventurous campers, hikers, etc.
The actual beauty of this bowie knife is its hilt and butt as they have been made with the same deluxe quality steel. The high-quality material of knife makes it look eye-popping and impressive. This knife is considered best for hunting deer. Use it and stay amazed as what the best bowie knife can do and how it performs.
It is available in brown color and comes with a protector. The sheath is made of fine leather. This bowie knife is not just gorgeous in looks rather it is strong enough to mark precise cuts sharply and deeply.
It has an appropriate blade length of 130mm and the total length is 244mm. Though it is very powerful yet it can be taken along while traveling with great ease. Its weight is 6,7 ounces so you can take it with you easily. Its edge retention is cool and to use it is real fun.
Pros:
- Supreme edge retention
- Feels balanced in the hands while using
- Durable leather handle that is also beautiful
Cons:
- Not suitable for wood craft
- Lacks versatility in usage
- Expensive for its limited use
3. Buck Knives 124 Frontiersman
Buck is dedicated to craft the best quality knives that are always the desired choice of the majority of campers. The company promises to use finest quality of material in manufacturing the wild knives. Buck always claims the lifetime warranty for its fine weapons.
Buck 124 bowie knife is a superb creation that has been crafted with incredible precision. When it comes to edge retention then Buck stands distinctive. The heat treat process and the selection of high-quality steel make the buck’s knife an unbeatable one. This Buck bowie knife is fun to use as it is too brutal and enduring.
The sturdiness and durability of this bowie knife are irrefutable. Its razor-sharp blade length is 6-1/4. Its steel blade offers excellent vigor. Its best features include the supreme edge retention and rust resistance.
Its overall weight is 13.3 oz. that makes it easy to carry. The length of this brilliant knife is 11-3/4″ that means it doesn’t take much space nor it is too heavy to hold.
The knife is flawlessly crafted and is completely tang that is equipped with Integrated-Finger-Guard that ensures no slippery at all. The beautiful black colored miscarta handle contains curves that provide an easy grip.
There is nothing wrong in saying that this bowie knife is a complete package that offers beauty and wildness and equal proportion.
More-ever it comes with a protective leather material sheath that fits well and takes off easily. The six and quarter-inch of excellent length of steel blade is rust-resistant. This ideal length makes this bowie knife the desired one for chopping and hunting. The 124 Frontiersman is no doubt one of the best bowie survival knife for the money.
Pros:
- Well-polished, razor sharp blade with a sheen
- Allows versatile usage
- Life time warranty on product
Cons:
- Rubberized grip isn’t included
- A large knife that may not work for some users
4. Schrade SCHF45 Leroy
Schrade SCHF45 Leroy is a beautiful creation of Schrade. The company has been earning an honest reputation in this industry. Creating fine material knives is their specialty. It is the quiddity of the company that it uses fine quality of materials in the making of knives.
Schrade SCHF45 Leroy is a titanium bowie knife comes in full tang. Its blade is made up of titanium and is coated with a high carbon stainless steel. This makes the weapon super strong and rust-resistant.
Schrade is a gigantic weapon that contains a 10.4-inch blade. Despite being so mighty this bowie knife can be carried out comfortably.
The blade is intensely sharp and provides an ample amount of vigor to mark deep cuts easily. As far as the handle is concerned then it feels absolutely great. It provides an easy grip. Hands don’t slip down and you can hold it easily. As it comes with finger grooves hence it makes the gripping simpler and easier for sure.
Schrade is a helluva weapon that is best for camping nad hunting adventures. Its cool features and excellent utility make it top choice for hunters. It is one of the top bowie knives you should try,
Pros:
- Blade made with very high quality materials
- Sharp Knife with edge retention
- Corrosion resistant
- Sturdy and durable
- Comfortable to use
Cons:
- Slightly heavy for some users (at about 1lb)
5. KA-BAR Full Size
Best in price, Ka-Bar is known to build sturdy knives that assist hunters and campers in a remarkable way. Ka-bar aims to craft powerful weapons that are the perfect combination of exquisiteness and wildness. Its been more than fifty years since the company has been serving excellence in this field.
Ka-bar full-size bowie knife is believed to be one of the most popular knives that comes with an overall length of 11.875 inches.
The knife is something more than pretty looks and that is its toughness and durability. Its blade is robust and razor-sharp. The clip point blade makes the cutting precisely. The high-quality steel material has been used for the blade. It leads up to seven inches of length that has a clip point style.
You will also be able to get a classy sheath with this bowie knife this sheath is made up of rugged, solid, and vigorous. Absolutely genuine leather has been used for this sheath. It is in excellent size that lets you take you easily.
It goes without saying that Ka-Bar full-size knife is one of the best bowie survival knives of all times that is used for bushcraft and other survival activities.
Pros:
- Luxurious design
- Comfortable in use
- Heavy-duty blade
- Durable product with versatile usage
Cons:
- Screws need tightening often
- Handle tends to slip when wet
6. Custom Handmade Bowie Knife
This savage weapon is custom made built up niftily by Bobcat Knives. Custom design is the specialty of Bobcat. The company uses finest quality of material for meeting the high standards. Bobcat manufactures extreme firm and tough knives.
This custom handmade bowie knife has 288 layers Damascus steel with an excellent blade length of 4.8 inches. It comes with perfect edge retention. The overall weight of the bowie knife is 8.2 ounce so yes you can carry it with ease. The overall length of this weapon is 10” whereas the length of its handle is 5.20 inches.
Its handle is made up of walnut wood that looks beautiful. It’s a single piece of engraved beauty equipped with resin and epoxy. It provides a softer yet stronger grip. This custom bowie knife has so much to offer that it is best for campers, hikers, and hunters.
You will be able to get this awesome weapon along with its gorgeous protective sheath that is made up of genuine leather. The sheath has a snap fastener and a belt loop. This makes it one of the best bowie everyday carry (EDC) knife.
Pros:
- Beautiful blade with luxurious carvings
- Genuine leather sheath
- Versatile usage and EDC design
Cons:
- Walnut handle feels soft for some people
- Does not have a full tang
7. Perkins – Fixed Blade Bowie Knife
Perkins is the custom knife makers. The company sells supreme quality of custom knives. It aims to sell a wide variety of bowie knives, camping knives, and bushcraft knives and other kinds of choppers. Those who love wild adventures love to get Perkins knives.
The Perkin has come up with a fixed blade knife that is considered best in the market. It is equipped with a 440C steel blade that has fine edge retention. The Perkin knife has a tang design that provides a perfect balance.
It is comfortable to use and strong enough to use in survival situations. Its vigor makes it one of the best bowie hunting knives 2022. Its handle is of genuine leather that offers an easy and tighter grip.
The knife comes with a protective sheath that is made up of leather. It helps you to carry it with you while traveling. The knife doesn’t require too much maintenance as it remains fine in extreme weather. Perkin’s ensures a lifetime guarantee so the hunters can enjoy the durability for a longer period of time.
Pros:
- Durable blade
- Lifetime warranty
- Genuine leather handle and sheath
- Great balance
Cons:
- Needs regular cleaning to ensure corrosion resistance
8. Ontario Knife – Best Bowie Survival Knife (2022)
The Ontario knife company manufactures deluxe quality of tools, weapons and cutlery. OKC crafts a vast range of hunting knives and survival equipment. Ontario knife this time has come up with a black beauty bowie knife. Its utility is huge as it is tough, durable and easy to handle.
It has an appealing look that comes with a wilder side as it has a razor-sharp blade that makes the chopping unimaginably easy. It has a plain edge and the hardness of blade is absolutely perfect. The overall length of the knife is 15.20 and the length of the blade is 9.80.
This beast is available with a protective sheath made up of high-quality leather. The sheath is equipped with a belt loop.
The highest quality of material has been used for the manufacturing of knife and sheath. The durability of thus bowie knife is the quiddity of Ontario.
The curved tip of this knife is very helpful in chopping nicely. It works great on wood. In any survival situation, it is capable to rescue you in a remarkable way.
This awesome black colored bowie knife stands as one of 2022’s best versatile bowie knife. Its cool features include its sturdiness and lightweight.
Pros:
- Perfect weight – while it isn’t lightweight, it isn’t heavy at all.
- Curved tip allows good cutting through dense material like wood and meat.
- Comes with a hook at the tip for hanging
Cons:
- Sheath design is basic
- Sharpening of edge required before first use
9. Nescole Bowie Knife
The Nescole knife company is famous because of its tough and wild knives. It has been serving in the market for years delivering excellence. Nescole bowie Bowie Knife has tremendous as it is the second handmade Damascus bowie knife that’s on high demand in the best bushcraft bowie knives.
The Nescole bowie knife is a supreme quality handmade knife. It has been crafted niftily as the deep attention has been paid to the details.
It comprises 10 inches of razor-sharp blade. Thus length of blade is considered ideal and appropriate. It is sharp enough to chop perfectly. it can cut the rope, it can stab and can rescue you in any difficult situation. The fixed blade survival knife comes as brutally sharp and rock-solid weapon.
It boasts a magnificent handle that comes in your hand easily without any slippery. The carved wooden handle looks pleasing. You can handle the knife even with sweaty hands there will be no problem for sure. This awesome piece is accompanying a great leather material sheath that secures the knife in a perfect way.
Though this knife seems tiny in size yes it works gigantically. Its toughness speaks volume that is why it is ideal for hunters and campers.
This is one of the best camping knives that has the overall length of 14 inches. It is a rugged knife that has a wild look and performs like a real beast.
It curved blade is rust-resistant that doesn’t require detailed maintenance. The straight edge of the blade makes the cutting smooth. It is a must-try bowie knife that comes in classy packing.
Pros:
- Comes in a good packing, with the tip covered in plastic
- Is well oiled for first use
- Multi-purpose blade with variable edges
- Versatile usage
Cons:
- Walnut handle tends to retain moisture
- Wet handle can cause rusting
- Leather sheath is also prone to moisture
- Rat tail tang
- Handle is can feel bulky for some user
- Balance could be improved
10. Down Under DUKCD-BRK
The company Down Under knives is dedicated to showcasing dreadful knives that serve best to hikers and hunters. The excellence and distinction of its brilliant work can be seen in plush quality knives it manufactures.
This bowie knife has the jaw-dropping look, from its eye-popping handle to its ferocious blade it is simply awesome. Its not just about the stunning looks rather it feels great in your hand. Its utility cannot be denied once you use it you will know better.
It is best survival knife that one can use in tough situation as it offers an ample amount of vigor and power. It boasts the overall length of 16 inches that is more than perfect. The thickness of its trenchant blade is 6mm that is ideal.
The overall weight of this devil is 28.2 ounce that means it is an easy-to-carry bowie knife. Hunters strongly recommend this dual-treated knife for adventurous ventures.
It is made up highest quality stainless steel that makes the knife enduring and solid. The handle of the knife feels great in your hand as it is consisted of pure ebony brass and leather.
A leather holster perfectly secures the knife, it doesn’t just protect it rather adds up to its beauty. The crocodile skin pattern on it speaks ultra-macho for you.
Pros:
- Exquisite aesthetic design
- High quality build
- Great balance and control
- Heavy duty blade and overall knife
Cons:
- One of the most expensive products on the market
- Leather sheath lasts for a long time but if you are looking to pass this on in the family, it may not hold for generational timelines.
Bowie knives offer a lot more in terms of performance apart from just their pop-cultural appeal. All bowie knives on the market today are different, even though they have evolved from one root, and offer various benefits. Through this list, we have comprised the top bowie survival knives of 2022 for you to choose from. Depending on your task requirements and affinity to size, material or aesthetic, there is the right one here for you!
Other Knives for Camping, hunting and Survival:
How to choose the right bowie knife?
A bowie knife is considered among the most primitive survival knives created by man. Historically the significance of this weapon is huge. Even in this modern age its usage and utility is undeniable.
Hunters and campers are always an eager-beaver of using quality bowie knives as by getting it they are able to survive, they can hunt the prey and can skin it without any hassles.
To cherry-pick a right bowie knife is important to know so you may be able to fulfill your butchering needs in the desired way.
Choosing a right bowie knife out of the heap of bowie knives could be confusing. So lets us assist you in this connection. Bowie knife comes in a range of sizes and shapes.
Material of knife:
The first thing you need to take into consideration is the material of the bowie knife. Get a load of it carefully as to how tough it is and how long-lasting it can stay. This is one of the most important factors that are unavoidable. What ensures the endurance of the bowie survival knife is ‘Tang’, this particular thing ensures the longevity of the knife. Tang is the thing that connects the blade with the handle. Make sure when you buy it you get the one with a larger size, a small size tang is never good a choice.
Conventionally a bowie knife has to be manufactured with a material of carbon steel. So before getting it, take a look and make sure either you get a carbon steel material or go for anodized material.
Type of blade:
The type of blade means its size and which one you should opt for depends upon the nature of purpose you need it for. For instance, if you are a survivalist or you need a knife for agricultural purpose then a bowie knife with a great size wider blade will be just the ticket for you.
For hunters, butchers, fishers and for displaying bushcraft skills a bowie knife with a short length of the blade will be perfect. It is best and ideal for all these purposes.
Blade length:
The most appropriate length of a bowie knife is considered more than nine inches. Even today manufacturers these days are crafting 9.5 inches blade length of a bowie knife. So you better go for it.
The size, weight, blade thickness and the toughness of a bowie knife determines which bowie knife is the right one. It is mostly the wilderness survivalist and campers who need a bowie knife that can skin, chop and hunt perfectly so they prefer to opt for a large size bowie knife that can offer an ample amount of vigor and it should be light-weighted as well also they can carry it along with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a bowie knife good for?
The bowie knife is good for self-defense. it is the first choice of hunters because it tends to be ultra-sharp and rock-solid. It is eligible to rescue you, helps you in skinning and hunting, cutting and chopping.
- Is Bowie knife a Good Survival Knife?
Yes, it is believed to be the best weapon that can be used and is used widely in survival situations.
- What is the Bowie Knife Made of?
Bowie knife is made up of the highest quality of stainless steel. There is a detailed process that is followed in the making of bowie knives.
- What is a Bowie Knife?
Ages ago back in 19th century James Black created a bowie knife for Jim Bowie. Who had turned popular for using a large size knife? He was a notorious man known as a knife fighter.
- What is the history of a Bowie Knife?
Immensely known and popular version of the bowie knife was crafted by a notorious knife user who was a knife fighter named Jim Bowie. The design was showcased to Arkansas blacksmith James Black. It was in a form of engraved wooden model in the 18th century.
