Bowie << BOH ee or BOO ee >> knife was a popular hunting tool and weapon of the American frontier. It consisted of a short handle with a hand guard and a long, wide single-edged blade. The end of the blade curved to a sharp point. The blade was from 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimeters) long and from 11/2 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5 centimeters) wide.
The first bowie knife is said to have been made in 1830 by James Black, an Arkansas blacksmith. It was an improved version of a knife owned by the frontiersman James Bowie. Bowie’s use of the knife popularized the design, and many imitations of the knife appeared. Many soldiers marched off with “bowies” to fight in the Civil War (1861-1865). However, interest in the knife declined soon after the war. Bowie-style knives made today are chiefly collector’s items or hunting knives.
