![]() The biggest issue with it, like with a lot of bowie knives, is that it’s just so long and comes with a pretty thin nylon sheath that it will be an annoyance riding on your hip while you try moving through woods or jungle unless you have some kind of strap or MOLLE system to keep it tight against you. The length paired with the Kraton handle make for a great hiking companion, and the length should give you plenty of room to baton logs without smacking the back edge. One of the more striking features of this knife is that it has two sharpened edges, which gives it some interesting survival utility. There’s clearly some heavy Bowie inspiration going on here with the handle and a somewhat different take on the clip point. The SP5 comes off more as a machete, but it’s close. The SP5 isn’t what I’d call pure Bowie, what with that curving tip. Ontario Knife Co SP5 Survival Bowie Overall Length:Īs long as we’re including the middling stuff from OKC, we might as well talk about the bigger options. I realize that’s a lot of qualifying before I tell you their knives really are good, and the Bowie design is a good match for how they make knives, but on the whole they are the good budget option. They are often the more affordable survival option, but you have to compromise for an edge geometry and heat treatment that’s usually not quite on par with ESEE or even Ka Bar. The Ontario Knife Company does a lot in the survival knife category, and my opinion has developed into the range of “good enough”. And that’s a rare thing in the fixed-blade world. I wouldn’t say it’s the most remarkable knife on this list, but it has the benefit of a functional design that falls under $50. It’s grippy with contoured hand guards, and has a 5-inch blade with a relatively thick blade stock. This has all the makings of a nice survival knife. But it’s hard to say much bad about a stout carbon steel blade on a Kraton handle. The proportions of this knife make it look (let’s be fair) stupid. But it will slice better than most of the other knives on this list, and it could still stand its own in terms of toughness. It certainly won’t do vine chopping like one of OKC’s Spec-Plus blades will, and even if you move up to the Buck 120 you only get another inch or so in length. It doesn’t have the same heft as a lot of other Bowie knives. ![]() Handle aside, the knife as a whole is a solid design for dressing game and general camping chores. I’ve said before that it never quite feels secure, whether its phenolic or wood, because they pack it so full of some kind of resin that the handle always feels too smooth and slippery.īuck does offer it in a few different materials at a premium if you feel like customizing the thing yourself, but honestly I’d prefer something with more of a rubber texture like on the Ka-bar Beckers. I’m not a huge fan of the actual handle material, though. Their 420HC steel is just about a perfect balance between corrosion resistance, hardness, and affordability for survival knives, and the design looks nice without coming off as frivolous decoration. ![]() ![]() Especially on a piece like this that’s clearly asking to get into a tussle with a bear.Ĭheck Price on Blade HQ Check Price on Amazonīuck sets the standard for modern Bowie designs as far as I’m concerned. Not that I advocate getting a knife for the sole purpose of making it collect dust in plain view. The blade is the ever-revered BOS 420HC steel, and the whole thing just screams “take me into the woods and do a lot of irresponsible things”.Īs a bowie knife, this was designed for hunting and survival, but as a high-priced Buck knife with a few dozen handle materials to choose from and the option to add a display box and an engraving it makes a pretty stellar gift and display piece. The sheath is a nice thick leather that’s bound to make the whole thing an awkward hip companion (although it’s fortunately not a dangling sheath). It has a prominent clip point and natural materials for the handle. This knife is a lot of things that are appealing to the kind of person who already likes Buck knives. This used to be a collector’s item, but Buck finally came to its senses and made it available for the less ambitious knife swingers of the world. Bear & Son Cutlery American Bowie – Read More….TOPS Knives Longhorn Bowie – Read More….Ontario Knife Co SP5 Survival Bowie – Read More….Here are top picks for the best American made Bowie knives: ![]()
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