Bowie knives have been renowned or more than two centuries, thanks to their versatility, durability, resilience and tremendous power. However, if you are in the market for a new knife, you will need to know what length blade to look for. What lengths are bowie knives traditionally? What other lengths are these blades available in? What is the right length for you?

Smaller bowie knife blades, such as the four to six inch range are perfect for most utilitarian tasks and make wonderful all around knives. These are small enough that they are not conspicuous when worn, and are still large enough that you can use them for a variety of different needs. Whether cleaning a fish or slicing rope, these are excellent blade lengths.

While the smaller blades mentioned above are certainly convenient, you will find that medium length blades are the most common. These run between six inches in length all the way up to about twelve inches in length. Such a blade is the perfect bowie knife for things like skinning prey or helping around the campsite. These blades are more than versatile, which is the reason that they are so enormously popular with such a wide range of knife owners. You will also find the widest range of handle materials, handle designs, blade designs and manufacturer’s names in this size range, as well.

The largest range of blade sizes for a bowie knife is between twelve inches and about two feet, though you will find custom blades that surpass this mark. As a note, the larger the blade, the more difficult it is to use in everyday situations. However, they do make ideal solutions for areas where machetes or hatchets have been traditionally used.

Larger than Fourteen Inches – You will find bowie knife blade lengths exceeding fourteen inches by a wide range. Some are even over two feet long. However, these are truly more like a machete than a knife and have fewer uses than their shorter brethren do. Of course, they do make impressive displays, though!

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knifes store featuring the cold steel bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.