Talk:Bowie knife

Meteorite?

I had an authority that Black's first knife for Bowie was made of a nickel-iron meteorite (the best steel then available) that he'd found.184.99.159.217 (talk) 21:38, 11 April 2017 (UTC)

What's your source, I've read that as well.--Mike - Μολὼν λαβέ 23:52, 11 April 2017 (UTC)

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Texas Citation

I noticed that the note close to the bottom of the article had no reference article or citation. I will gladly look for one, but I wanted to mention it here in case I don't get around to it. zfJames (talk) 16:32, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

Quillion

Hi, the description links to a "handguard" article, which is about handguards on guns. On that page there is a link to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossguard, about bladed weapons. Maybe make the use of terminology more consistent? T 84.208.86.134 (talk) 09:58, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

False Edge

I have spent a good bit of time researching this because I am a knifemaker and want to be precise and correct in my terminology. This is my best understanding of where the term "false edge" comes from:
A double bladed knife or sword has two true edges meaning they are sharpened the entire length (or nearly the entire length) of the blade on both sides. If only one side is sharpened the entire length it is a single edged knife or sword with only one true edge. If part of the blade opposite the true edge is sharpened, then that side of the blade is a "false edge." That term includes not only the sharpened part near the tip, but also the unsharpened part, which is called the "spine."
A single bladed knife or sword with a false edge can cut both ways near the tip. If it doesn't have a false edge it can only cut one way.
If there is a beveled section near the tip of a knife opposite the true edge, that is called a "swedge." Whether or not a swedge can be sharpened and still be called a swedge is a matter of much debate. Most knifemakers use "swedge" to mean an unsharpened bevel.
A considerable amount of confusion arises from the fact that if a swedge cannot be sharpened and still called a swedge, then there is no agreed upon name for the sharpened part of a false edge. I suppose the simplest solution would be to say that a swedge can be sharpened, and then define a "false edge" as having a sharpened swedge.
Good luck trying to find an authoritative source that definitively settles all of this. I've tried to no avail...DrHenley (talk) 16:25, 11 April 2022 (UTC)

Thanks to the way terminology is widely misused, the issue is very confused. It wasn’t always that way.

First, a “double bladed knife or sword” would be a knife or sword with two blades. Think of Talon’s ridiculous triple sword from The Sword and the Sorcerer, or Darth Maul’s “double-sided” light saber. A double edged knife or sword is one with a sharpened edge on both sides of the blade from grip to tip.

A false edge is one that is false (get it?), or simply a narrow unsharpened bevel on the back of a single edged blade, usually near the tip. The purpose of a false edge is to narrow the blade stock to facilitate piercing and stabbing. Often the owner would sharpen it anyway, making it more useful for the same purpose. This then was referred to as a “sharpened false edge” (an oxymoron), and due to the casual misuse I mentioned earlier, eventually the word “sharpened” fell out of use, meaning “false edge” was used suddenly to refer to either an unsharpened bevel or a sharpened one.

”Swedge” originally referred to a tool used in working the edge of the blade stock, from the French suage meaning a decorative edge. Its misuse to refer to a blade bevel is a 21st century manifestation. So it “evolved” from a tool that might be used to create or refine a decorative bevel to the bevel itself, and then as a confusing synonym for a sharpened or unsharpened false edge. Modern experts have made an attempt to force “swedge” to mean exclusively an unsharpened bevel, but it hasn’t had much (if any) traction because people still misuse words.

When the text is unclear, it’s always best to reword it. However, “false edge” is used correctly in the article, as it is qualified as referring to either an unsharpened bevel or an actual cutting edge on a case-by-case basis. ~2026-79269-0 (talk) 13:47, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

Pronounciation

I have always believed the correct pronunciation of Bowie was as used in David Bowie's name, and the song Bowie Knife (Frankie Lane version). In a recent edition of QI on UK tv the presenter Sandy Tostvig stated as if undeniable fact that it hould be spoken as if spelt Boowie. Now I am confused. ~2025-31618-59 (talk) 10:29, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Bowieknife99

Bowieknife99 is not completely irrelevant to the article. I think the information about this NPC is relevant to this article. VitorFriboquen :] (Talk) 19:22, 31 May 2026 (UTC)