For bowie knives, and all other knives, which steel is best depends upon the application for which the knife is to be used. A bowie knife is, by design, a versatile device. One may use their knife for rough work, such as chopping and heavy cutting, or they may wish to purchase a finely-honed fighting type of bowie.

For most any bowie knife, the quality of the blade materials will be reflected in the price. High-end metals come at a high price and, the harder and more durable the steel, the larger the amount of money the knife will command. High-precision materials such as 440C Stainless Steel and non-stainless high-carbon steels are oftentimes employed in the manufacture of these knives.

The 440 A, B and C types of steel hold an edge much better than does 420 and are still very rust resistant. Their price and edge-holding ability goes up along with the letters. For general purpose bowie knives that need to be sharp, 440A is a fine choice. For a hunting knife that needs to be razor-sharp, needs to stay that way and must stand up to the rigors of the field, 440C is a good choice. It is far more expensive than the lesser types of stainless, however.

At the high-end of knife metals are the very high carbon steels. These knife blades can achieve an incredibly sharp edge but are more brittle and fragile than the 440 grades. The steel denoted as CPM 440V is among the best of steels, is durable and sharp enough for most any application. This grade of steel can be very expensive for bowie knives.

A bowie knife has a distinctive type of blade that makes them naturally tough. No matter what type of metal is used, the thick blade ensures that it can take plenty of abuse. This aspect of a bowie, however, can also make them very expensive when they’re made of high-end steel due to the amount of materials employed. In some cases, multiple types of metal may be used for different parts of the knife, such as softer metal on the spine for strength. For collectors and for those who just want an excellent knife for sporting, the time-tested design is a good use of expensive steels.

Brian is a business consultant for an online bowie knife store featuring combat knives.