By 1837 the states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama passed laws making it a felony to kill a person with a Bowie knife. Self defense was recognized and acceptable. But even if you justifiably saved your life using a Bowie, you were going to spend considerable time behind bars or outside breaking rocks with a sledge.

No such jeopardy resulted from using one of the unreliable, single shot, black powder pistols of that era. Mississippi even put a $100 dollar sales tax on the Bowie. Why the political hostility to the Bowie? Because it was quite simply the deadliest weapon, certainly the deadliest knife, the anyone had ever seen. It remains so to this day.

The legislators reasoned that if you shot someone there was a fair chance the party might survive. Many did. But with a well made Bowie a single properly delivered strike, whether a thrust, slash, or chop was not survivable. Forget the Hollywood choreography of lengthy knife fights. One well delivered blow from the Bowie and the fight was finished, as was the recipient. So, the thinking-if it can be called that-was that it was okay to defend your life, but don’t defend it too well. That wouldn’t be fair. Go figure.

Bowie knives attained great popularity and were carried by large numbers of soldiers during the Civil War, especially by our Southern lads. But with the rapid deployment of revolvers there was less need for a formidable back up weapon. The Bowie went into decline but never came close to disappearing.

Today few knife makers and martial artists understand the unique geometry of a Bowie. Nor do they understand the physics which result from that geometry. One who does is Bill Bagwell, a master blade smith and specialist in battle blades. He not only makes some of the best Bowies available, he has given highly rated knife instruction to our Special Forces.

In his book, Bowies, Big Knives, and the best of Battle Blades, Bagwell reveals the requirements and the magic of a properly made Bowie. Properly made means of correct size (a minimum blade of 9 ½ in.), near perfect balance including a suitable guard and handle with a sharpened false edge and properly shaped point. The false edge is on the top part of the blade parallel to the primary edge and running back from the tip.

The point on most knives is what is called a trailing point. Because of the sharpened false edge, the point of the Bowie becomes a leading point upon delivering the devastating back cut. The effect of the back cut should be seen to be appreciated. But the back cut itself cannot be seen, and if it could be seen it would still be impossible to avoid it!

Mr. Bagwell explains that the speed of the back cut is so fast that the human eye can’t see it. To illustrate this he offers a demonstration we can do on our own. Stick your arm out full length and palm down. Now make a fist but let your thumb stick out at a 90 degree angle. If you are right handed your thumb will be pointed to the left. Slowly rotate your thumb into the vertical position. You are giving the “thumbs up” sign. Snap your thumb back to the horizontal as quickly as you can. You will be unable to see your thumb traversing that arc.

It turns out that our eyes blink in .15 second and the human eye cannot pick up any motion that occurs more quickly than it blinks. The back cut occurs in under .15 second.

Why does the true Bowie need to be so large with a blade no less than 9 1/2 inches? There is the obvious advantage of reach. Maybe you recall from school days that a longer lever multiplies the force applied to it. But wait! There’s more, as they say on TV. Velocity is also multiplied along with the force. These are significant advantages when using a blade for serious social purposes. Despite its size, the well made Bowie is light in the hand and ferociously quick and nimble.

There are many more significant attributes of the Bowie beyond what is covered here. You will find any number of books about the Bowie, but I recommend you begin with the writings of Bill Bagwell. He knows the Bowie. He lives the Bowie.

- Quick Steel

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One of the more contentious legal issues that can trip up a good citizen is the complex web of knife laws.

What makes the subject so confounding is that almost every jurisdiction has its own laws. In some parts of the country you can walk around with a 16 inch Bowie knife strapped to your hip. In other areas, if a LEO (law enforcement officer)notices the typical knife pocket clip protruding from your clothing you will most likely be arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

Doesn’t matter if the blade is only 2 in. in length;your life is about to take a bad turn. Time, money, legal jeopardy will become an unexpected drain on your emotions, your wallet, and potentially your personal freedom. (I recommend you never carry a knife in New York.)

Why would a LEO spend time arresting a good citizen minding his own business carrying an inoffensive knife? Maybe he is in a bad mood, had an argument with his wife. More likely he wants his superiors to know he is on the job, active, building his arrest record. But the reason won’t much matter as you are cuffed and placed in a squad car. “Watch your head.”

Bottom line: If you carry a knife on a regular basis find out your local laws. Its not a bad idea to copy and carry those regulations with you, perhaps in your car, to politely show an aggressive LEO.

Know the length of your blade. This is usually specified in the ordinances. In many jurisdictions it is 4 in. But increasingly 3 inches is being specified or, at best,under 4 inches. Many knives have a small section of steel that has no edge. It is called the ricasso. It is between the cutting edge and the handle. Do you measure blade length based on the cutting edge, or do you include the ricasso going right up against the handle? Do the latter. Some jurisdictions include the ricasso some do not. Use a tape measure. Know what you are carrying. Measuring blade length right up against the handle eliminates debates.

If ever a police officer approaches you and says something like,”Excuse me sir, do you mind if I talk with you for a minute?” Think about how to answer that question. It’s trickier than you may imagine. If you say, “Sure officer.” You have just given your CONSENT to be interrogated. The officer is on a fishing expedition, and you are the trout.

If the officer had probable cause he would simply stop you and begin his investigation. Seeking your consent means he has a suspicion but no probable cause for stopping you. He needs your consent. It is your decision, but if you agree you are hooked. My response would be, “I’m sorry officer but I’m running late.” And I would keep walking.

What if you do that and the LEO tells you to stop? Then stop. Always comply with his directives. Compliance is not giving consent. Early on I would ask why he has stopped me; being sure to remember his answer. Further, if he asks you if you are carrying a weapon the response should be something like, “No officer, no weapons. I do have a pocket knife in my right rear pocket.”

Think about what you will tell a LEO as to the reason for the knife. NEVER say you carry it for self defense. In some places this is clearly illegal and everywhere,it will be argued, shows an aggressive temperament. I use mine to open mail, packages, slice a piece of cheese etc.

Whether you are on the street or in your car, if an officer asks your permission to conduct a search it is easy to refuse. Simply say in a polite but firm manner, “I do not give my consent. If you search it will be without my consent.” He knows that, without probable cause, if he searches and finds something illegal it probably won’t be admitted in court.

Do not get into lengthy conversations with law enforcement. You do have the right to remain silent.

Finally, understand that I am not a lawyer. The above opinions are based on what I have learned in the state of California. But ordinances and laws continually change. It is your responsibility to stay current with the ever changing knife laws in your jurisdiction.

I am a civilian employee of a police agency. I know many LEOs. Most are solid, reasonable people. But there are always a few stinkers. Don’t help them make your life any harder than it already is. Carry safely;carry legally.
By the way, if your carry knife has a black blade stamped with the name “Back Ally Terminator”, or something similar, lots of luck.

- Quick Steel

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Whenever a knife is sharpened, steel is removed from the blade. I have seen old knives that have been used and sharpened for decades that now have only 25% of the blade remaining from its original size. So one does not want to sharpen a knife more than absolutely necessary.

Using a chef’s steel, even frequently, is fine. The standard chef’s steel does not remove steel from the blade. Professional chef’s usually use the “steel” every time they are going to use their knife. What the “steel” does is simply align the microscopic teeth of the blade edge so that the sharpness of the edge lasts longer. This does not remove steel from the knife.

Unfortunately I’ve seen a trend of putting abrasives, like diamond powder, on the traditional chef’s steel. This is unfortunate as the abrasives will definitely remove steel from the blade. Just use a non abrasive steel. You may have seen how chef’s use great speed in applying the steel to their knives. This does nothing to improve the alignment process. The important thing is to maintain the same angle (as much as possible) as you run the steel along both sides of your knife. And apply the same number of strokes to both sides of the blade edge.

Do not apply a lot of pressure. You want about a 15 to 20 degree angle as you run the blade along the steel.
Also, please do not use an electric sharpener. These can be useful but many people generate too much heat and destroy the temper of the blade. If you ever use one, use a very light touch and be very brief.

So what should you do when the day comes that the knife needs to be sharpened? Although pricey, I would encourage you to find a cutlery store that offers professional sharpening. I know some professional knife sharpeners who charge $5 dollars an inch. This is mostly for high end restaurants. I don’t think it will cost you that much, but it might. Personally I think it is worth it for a high quality blade.

- Quick Steel