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What's a bowie knife?
- Thread starter TheDan
- Start date
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The prohibition on Bowie knives is much older than the prohibition on >5.5 inch knives, and is now redundant.
Nobody would consider a knife with a blade shorter than 5.5 inches to be a "bowie knife".
If the swedge of a <5.5 knife is sharpened it would be illegal under the "dagger" prohibition.
Nobody would consider a knife with a blade shorter than 5.5 inches to be a "bowie knife".
If the swedge of a <5.5 knife is sharpened it would be illegal under the "dagger" prohibition.
Historically, a Bowie knife is just a large knife. In the days of muzzleloaders, a big knife was a common form of protection and also a tool for doing harm. Some of those knives were more like small machetes. They were too big to be useful for normal farming or hunting activities, so that pretty much left fighting as the intended use.
I recently posted a similar question in the "what fixed blade knife under 5.5 in do you carry" thread. I wasn't sure what a Bowie knife was but from reading Internet definitions, it seemed to me that a sog seal pup could be considered one. Based on his post, bithabus is saying the sog seal pup would not be construed a Bowie. Everybody else agree? Anyone feel otherwise?
There is no legal definition further defining what constitutes a "bowie knife". There may be some case law that does but I'm not searching though that muck.
In other words you won't get a good answer to your question.
In other words you won't get a good answer to your question.
Blade: 9" you start dealing with the over 5.5 in and not the Bowie part of the law though.
No, the blade is 12 inches.
ok, still over 5.5 inches so bowie or not it's a "Illegal knife".
Finding some case law on it would be great...
Is this a bowie? Blade length is 5.25"
There is case law but I couldn't find any about small knives being confused for Bowies. According to case law the size of the knife is the determining factor, not the style of blade. It does not need a clip to be considered a Bowie knife. Now that any knife over 5.5 inches is illegal to carry the Bowie law is irrelevant, because Bowie knives were BIG knives that people carried around for dueling. Go to the Alamo and look at the knives on display. That Ka Bar is not a Bowie knife.
Hate to bump this but I did do some research:
A bowie knife. A bowie knife has been broadly defined as any knife intended to be worn on the person that is capable of inflicting death and is not commonly considered to be a "pocket knife" Bivens v. State, 138 Tex. Crim. 604, 113 S.W.2d 921, 921 (1938).
A bowie knife. A bowie knife has been broadly defined as any knife intended to be worn on the person that is capable of inflicting death and is not commonly considered to be a "pocket knife" Bivens v. State, 138 Tex. Crim. 604, 113 S.W.2d 921, 921 (1938).
Keep in mind that it is up to a jury to decide guilt or innocence and part of that is defining the weapon. Back in the day a large knife was a common item and very handy. Modern survivalists know you can do innumerable camp chores from chopping wood to skinning game and even digging. The Bowie is special due to it's sharpened clipped point that makes suitable for stabbing and thrusting. But really it's just a big butcher knife.
A jury could excuse a man for carrying "just a big hunting knife"'while being able to define the same knife as "a Bowie knife" should a man be suspect though no real crime was committed.
A jury could excuse a man for carrying "just a big hunting knife"'while being able to define the same knife as "a Bowie knife" should a man be suspect though no real crime was committed.
Keep in mind that it is up to a jury to decide guilt or innocence and part of that is defining the weapon. Back in the day a large knife was a common item and very handy. Modern survivalists know you can do innumerable camp chores from chopping wood to skinning game and even digging. The Bowie is special due to it's sharpened clipped point that makes suitable for stabbing and thrusting. But really it's just a big butcher knife.
A jury could excuse a man for carrying "just a big hunting knife"'while being able to define the same knife as "a Bowie knife" should a man be suspect though no real crime was committed.
A jury could excuse a man for carrying "just a big hunting knife"'while being able to define the same knife as "a Bowie knife" should a man be suspect though no real crime was committed.
