With all of my talk about Bowies, you might be thinking I have gone over to the dark side. Its two different worlds and two different tactical approaches. The techniques are likewise totally different. I have trained with both, and I appreciate the strengths and shortcomings of each. Each one has a certain aura attached to it rising from different periods of history. The F-S is undoubtedly the iconic knife of WW-II, only paralleled perhaps by the KaBar.
The Bowie's fame (like the Fairbairn) is also attached to a man's name, James and also his brother Rezin Bowie. The peak of its social status came in the mid to late 1800s and, unlike the Fairbairn, it was considered an accoutrement suitable for a gentleman to wear in public. Duels and quarrels were settled by flashing steel on the streets, in alleys, and wilderness alike. The extreme violence eventually led to banning the wearing of the Bowie in many states. Carrying a double-edged blade, like a Fairbairn, has been illegal in most states for many years. I have ranted about this before so I won't go into the idiocy of such laws again.
The Bowie's fame (like the Fairbairn) is also attached to a man's name, James and also his brother Rezin Bowie. The peak of its social status came in the mid to late 1800s and, unlike the Fairbairn, it was considered an accoutrement suitable for a gentleman to wear in public. Duels and quarrels were settled by flashing steel on the streets, in alleys, and wilderness alike. The extreme violence eventually led to banning the wearing of the Bowie in many states. Carrying a double-edged blade, like a Fairbairn, has been illegal in most states for many years. I have ranted about this before so I won't go into the idiocy of such laws again.
I think this photo clearly shows the attributes of the two knife styles and illustrates the major differences in potential. Despite its broader tip, the Bowie's ability to penetrate equals that of the F-S. The wound channel created by a Bowie is massive, in comparison to the F-S. As a matter of semantics, I would classify the F-S as a killing knife, and the Bowie as more of a fighting knife. In a one on one combat which would I prefer to have? Without a doubt, the Bowie.
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