I carry a bowie knife, do I have an advantage over other knife holders during a fight?

Question

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

Possibly, but it's much less of a factor than you probably imagine. A large Bowie might give you some range advantage, but it would also be unwieldy to carry, difficult to conceal well, and difficult to deploy, compared to a more typical medium-sized knife, whether fixed blade or folding. They're also heavy, which means they're slow. If you got in an elevator with a Filipino knife fighter with a 3" long, lightweight blade, it's likely that he'll have 10 holes in you, or a long, deep slash in your guts, before you even get your Bowie out of the scabbard.

Knife fighting, like sword fighting, is HEAVILY based on skills and recent, constant practice. You can't just buy a great weapon and become a great knife fighter. Again, a Filipino street fighter with a $1 stolen steak knife (much less the folder pictured) would likely have you dead before you knew what happened to you, despite smaller stature, shorter reach, and inferior weapons, because HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IT, and practices constantly, and in all likelihood has killed people before. If you ever try fencing or take any sword lessons, that's the first thing your instructor will teach you: that a skilled opponent will hand you your ass, even with an inferior weapon, because skills and experience are almost everything at hand-to-hand range.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cn8DO4O_VI8

Another thing to remember is that a knife fight is nearly the worst kind of fight you could ever be in. You know what they say about when 2 lions fight, right? One lion comes out cut up, bleeding and near death - and the other one is dead. Sometimes both die, just one of them a little sooner than the other. You're almost twice as likely to die from a knife would than from a gunshot wound - and if you're in a knife fight, you are, by definition, within knife range of your opponent. It's extremely unlikely that either will come out unscathed, and often, neither survive.

This is why ranged weapons are preferred.

SamIam96 · Accepted Answer

You probably have the knife to compensate for physical weakness. A stronger opponent will be faster. He'll overpower you and use the weapon against you.

If you think the knife makes you safer, do the work to make it true. Exercise. Work on your strength, endurance, speed.

Agape93 · Accepted Answer

Nope unless you ACTUALLY know how to use it. And no, swinging and stabbing at melons in your backyard is not actual knowledge on how to knife fight.

whereismyjohnny · Accepted Answer

Wouldn't like to come across you in the street 😨 Not when my only defence is a knee to the balls 🥲

BoopBoopBeep · Answer

Knife fights tend to end much sooner than they do in movies. Only takes a 1" blade to kill someone. Less than that if you're accurate. Your advantage is a rounding error in the grand scheme of all the variables in play.

NamerOfStars · Answer

Well, do you know how to use it? There are probably some knife types that'd do better than others in a combat situation, but without know-how, that's not going to count for much.

OneNineZero · Answer

Depends , I dont know much about 🗡️🔪 but I know that it depends on the skill level of that person, people can kill even with a box cutter if they are good at it

ChrisMaster69 · Answer

Are you prepared to kill someone, chop their hand off kill a 12 yr old girl  you are in a crowded sub way, can you pull it out and stab the person pushed against the front of you

jshm2 · Answer

No, its a shit blade in a real fight and it's only real use is for kids to look "cool" they have one.

boobliker · Answer

not at all all you need to do is draw blood and in most cases the fight is over I like two Stanley blades with a pennies in between taped together so you just have 2 small very sharp tips, if you make contact they get two cuts in one hit...

sissyalexa · Answer

Hahaha I'd say you have some social paranoia and probable cause 😋

Twalli · Answer

Depends on how well you can use it versus another knife wielder. A person with a kunai could beat you if he's sufficiently more skilled than you.

Daniela1982 · Answer

What if they had a bit tanto

exitseven · Answer

I think you do. It worked good for Jim Bowie.

I carry a bowie knife, do I have an advantage over other knife holders during a fight?

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I carry a bowie knife, do I have an advantage over other knife holders during a fight?

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