Article by Dylan Sabot
Your bowie knife is a very handy tool, indeed. It provides you with numerous benefits and uses, whether you are hunting, camping, fishing or even just working around your home. However, while that knife is an ideal tool for many different things, from cutting to slicing and even blazing a trail through the underbrush, you’ll find some things that it should not be used for. What should you not use your knife to do?
Screwdriver – Your bowie knife is a precision tool, for all of its heft and length. However, many people simply cannot understand why you should never use a knife as a screwdriver. After all, if you can fit the tip of the blade in the slotted head of a screw, why can’t you turn it? The problem here is that your knife is a tool designed for cutting, chopping or slicing. It is not intended to do the job of a screwdriver. If you attempt to use it as such, you’ll find that you can damage the tip very easily.
Another mistake that people make when using bowie knives is mistaking them for pry bars. While these knives are undoubtedly sturdy and the thickness of the blade might make you believe that it would make an ideal tool for prying, this is actually not the case. Prying with that blade can lead to severe bending, or even breakage, should you exert too much pressure against significant amounts of weight. Once the blade is bent, your only hope is a professional cutler, though even these professionals might have a hard time making the needed repairs. You can be certain that you’ll pay a pretty penny, as well.
Now that you know a bit about why you shouldn’t use your knife for situations such as this, you should know a few other things. First, using your bowie knife in such a way will instantly void the warranty on the blade. As you’ve probably spent a pretty penny to purchase a high quality bowie knife, this is not a good situation to be in, particularly if an issue comes up for which you need that warranty protection.
Punch – Punches are used in a variety of different areas, from leatherworking to stonework. However, your bowie knife is most certainly not a punch. While it might do an ok job on leather or cloth, you’ll find that anything harder than this will leave your knife a ruined mess. Therefore, do not use your bowie knife as a punch.