Iconic Knives: Bowie Style

There’s another blog I update weekly called the “Knife Blog,” and it’s pretty great. You should check it out! This week I did a lot of research about different knives that have been produced through the years, and I found out that there are lots of knives out there that are considered to be iconic. I made a post on the “Knife Blog” about iconic knives ranging from Swiss Army Knives to extremely popular folding knives, but the list also happens to include some Bowie knives!

Here are some iconic Bowie knives that are still widely recognized today.

 

Iconic Knives, Bowie Style

Ka-Bar USMC

Ka-Bar USMC

 

If you know your knives, then The Ka-Bar USMC should be a knife that comes to mind when you think “iconic knives,” whether or not Bowies are your focus. I actually didn’t know much about this knife before I started working with knives, but the story behind it is actually pretty interesting.

For me personally, when I think of knives my mind is often limited to the knives that have been around only for the past couple of decades. The USMC, however, has been around since World War II. It’s pretty amazing to have a knife model that came out more than 70 years ago (in 1942) that is still well-known and produced today.

After World War II had begun, Ka-Bar approached the US Marine Corps with a knife that the company had hoped would become a general issue knife for the Marines. The original design that Ka-Bar presented to the Marine Corps was revised with the help of the Marine Quartermaster Department, and the knife we know today as the Ka-Bar USMC was approved for Marine use.

The USMC wasn’t actually manufactured in the Ka-Bar facility, but it was known by the Marines as “Kabar” at the time, and it’s manufactured today as one of the greatest and most iconic tactical knives.

 

The Classic Bowie

SOG Trident Bowie

The Bowie knife is probably the most iconic American knife there is. We already talked about the history of the Bowie knife in another post, but here’s a quick recap: the Bowie knife was designed by Jim Bowie and actually made by James Black, a blacksmith. The Bowie was used by many in the Civil War (particularly Confederates), but afterwards, it lost a lot of its popularity.

However, thanks to many movies that came out, the Bowie has regained popularity and recognition as an extremely iconic American knife.

Some of the movies that the Bowie can thank for reestablishing its popularity include Rambo and other books and movies with Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

Here’s an image of the Bowie as seen in Rambo:

 

Rambo Bowie

Regardless of where you first saw a Bowie knife or learned that they existed, I think everyone can agree that the Bowie is a pretty hardcore, intense-looking blade.

The Bowie is well-known because of its history and appearance in the movies, but its usefulness will keep it popular for years to come. Take it hunting, use it for personal defense, use it for survival; any way you use it, the iconic Bowie is sure to impress.

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