How would a bowie do as general outdoor knife?

[jzmtl]

Specifically a sog seal 2000, because that's what I have at the moment. How would it compare to a knife designed for outdoors (not hunting) like say grohmann #1? I'd imagine it's strong enough consider it's basically a slab of 1/4" thick aus6.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That is one of those personal things I think.  I like a smaller knife, but the Grohmann is too light for chopping, and too small for batoning.  The SOG would likely be better for that, and also for dressing larger animals if you were hunting.

The clip might also be beneficial for cleaning fish, provided you are planning to fish and aren't bringing a dedicated filleting knife.

A good outdoors knife to me is something that is comfortable to hold and carry and that fits as many needs as you can forsee.  I don't need a chopper as I have the large Cold Steel Magnum Kukri Machete and a small axe.  Most of what I need a knife for is food prep and basic camp chores, and for that a smaller blade like the Grohmann or Becker Necker is not only adequate, it's downright convenient. 

Personal taste is the bottom line here- many folks would rather have a single do-all knife, in which case I think the SOG might be a better fit for you.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I forgot to mention that weight isn't a big issue for me, at least not these days as I don't hike anymore thanks to an accident that screwed up one of my feet.  I do kayak though, but my kayak is rated for 400 pounds, and I weigh just under 200.  That leaves me space for another 200 pounds worth of gear, which I likely won;t ever reach, so an extra axe or knife is no big deal for me.  Also, I have a small cart that I use to portage since my kayak is 17 and a half feet long!

Def

[Splat]

I don't if anything has changed on the SOG Seal 2000 but here's a nice little review of it you may be interested in: http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/seal_2000.html

[bobofish]

Well afterall bowies were used by outdoorsmen for quite a long time back in the days before s30v and, well automobiles. If that's the knife you have I can't imagine any reason why it will fail you. When you get the itch, by all means buy something else, but until then, don't give yourself doubts that have no foundation.

[WhichDawg]

that pup is nice, I've heard good things about it. it should be a fine blade.

on a related note, what's the deal with "Bowie" knives? weren't bowie knives originally made for fighting?
with survival use as a side note.

with their clip point (for soft penetration) double edges and guards? I know they've been modified
and the steels are better now, plus the heat treats but since hand making the knives was a need
and not a hobby, hasn't the world changed and we have much better styles for outdoors/survival?

just wondering the words "Bowie and Tactical" seem ploys now that seem odd to me...

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The Bowie was originally a hunting knife, and then the americans made it into a fighting knife, popularised by the exploits of a certain bloke called Jim

There are better styled blades for survival, and spear or drop point would be my first choice

[WhichDawg]

it's suggested that mr Jim used a spanish design for his "idea's!" thx Mickyd

I would think a clip point, even tempered good, will fail before a similar tempered spear or drop point
so why get a clip point for outdoors/survival needs

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm pretty sure he did use a spanish derivetive anyway, certainly those big quilions were not to be found on the english hunting knives that the bowie was based on

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I would think a clip point, even tempered good, will fail before a similar tempered spear or drop point
so why get a clip point for outdoors/survival needs

It's a traditional thing isn't it, and tradition sells

[Grant Lamontagne]

The idea, as I understand it, and bear in mind that this is "fact" inasmuch as it is consistent with lore and legend, was that the clip was developed so the blade could be just as long, but a little bit lighter in the tip, and therefore faster in the hand for fighting.  I heard somewhere that Jim Bowie was a mediocre card player at best, which in those days meant he probably got caught cheating a lot, necessitating a good fighting knife!

But, given the steels at the time, there's a very good chance that it wasn't much good for anything else.

Def

[jzmtl]

I always thought it was because the tip have a smaller angle and penetrate things easier.

[WhichDawg]

just out of curiosity, what things do you need to penetrate in outdoor use?

[jzmtl]

I don't need any, but that's what I read about why bowie was designed that way.

[WhichDawg]

gotcha  I do think that sog seal 2000 is a sweet blade, go for it!

[jzmtl]

I actually ended up getting rid of it. You don't realize how THICK it is until you get you hands on one. It's basically a bar of 1/4" thick steel grounded to shape. Hell 1/4" inch plate is what I used to make armor for my jeep. They get smacked on rocks with half the jeep's weight on it, and take it without a dent. 1/4" on an outdoor knife is just way too overkill.