The Swamp Rat Custom M6 fixed blade measures about a foot in overall length, with a six-inch modified Bowie blade designed for piercing as well as slicing. Ground from steel stock nearly a quarter inch in thickness, the M6 gains durability through special heat treating methods as well as a strong style of blade grinding. Temper at the cutting edge is much harder than in the blade spine and handle tang. This differential heat treating increases the flexibility of the knife and adds shock resistance, while keeping the edge hard enough to stay razor sharp.

Handle slabs of textured micarta form the M6's grip. The micarta follows the shape of the handle tang, which includes a dropped bolster section as finger guard and a deep finger choil. The knife's handle has rounded edges and a comfortable shape which allows extended periods of work and provides a solid handhold. Swamp Rat handles won't wreck your hands if you actually use the knife to build a primitive camp. The Swamp Rat M6 pommel consists of an exposed tang corner pierced with a lanyard hole -- a simple design which allows some smashing action without stressing the knife's micarta grip.

See the Gerber LHR for another durable fixed blade designed for tactical use but equally useful as a survival tool.

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The styling of this fixed blade of high carbon 440C stainless steel matches the details of the movie blade including the upswept point, false upper edge, and blood groove. Brass pommel and blade guard bracket a grip made from African ebony and stacked leather spacers -- a construction similar to Ka-Bar's classic Marine knife but better looking. Durability counts in any real knife, and the dual temper of the Outback gives the spine and tang of this hefty outdoorsman's knife flexibility and shock resistance along with a long-lasting and harder cutting edge. Down Under Knives warrants the knife against defects in workmanship and materials for five years, and in spite of its good looks, the Outback is built tough enough to withstand heavy use.

Sixteen inches long and 6 mm thick, the Outback Bowie provides 11 inches of cutting edge -- enough to impress friendly New Yorkers and many others. Twenty-eight ounces gives the knife chopping ability as well, so when you strap the Outback to your belt, you can safely leave the axe at home.

Down Under includes a genuine leather belt sheath with a crocodile-skin pattern. A sharpening rod also fits in the sheath, attached to a rawhide loop with ornaments of real bone.

See the Panther from Mad Dog Knives for a Dundee-style Bowie built with tactical quality.

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Crocodile Dundee Jungle Bowie Knife US $24.95   Auction Ends: 29d 4h 7m

★ Crocodile Dundee ★ Huge Jungle Bowie Knife Movie Dagger US $19.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 2h 39m

This SK-2 version of the Trail Master offers 9-1/2 inches of high carbon steel with an overall length of 14-1/2 inches and a weight of just over a pound. Although in frontier days it might have been one of the smaller Bowies, it's big enough and tough enough to do the same work today. The high carbon steel definitely takes a sharper and longer-lasting edge than high carbon stainless steel in the same price range. An occasional rub with light machine oil prevents rust and corrosion, and with time and hard use, the Trail Master will develop the dark patina of a classic knife.

The size of the Trail Master may raise eyebrows today, but the extra weight and length put this knife in the same functional categories as machetes, camp axes, and short swords. The Trail Master handles camp chores and field dresses game, although it would be inefficient for delicate work like filleting fish. The Kraton handle's textured grip ensures a comfortable and safe hold when swinging the blade in wet conditions and includes a lanyard hole for extra security. The knife comes with a leather belt sheath.

Two tests that Cold Steel ran on this knife will definitely impress you. Bending any modern blade to 45 degrees usually makes shrapnel, but the Trail Master survives. Jamming a knife point into a plank and then prying out chunks convinces me that there's little possibility of breaking the Trail Master.

See the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri for a different style of frontier knife.

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NEW Kydex sheath for Cold Steel Trailmaster Bowie Knives US $69.99   Auction Ends: 2d 19h 6m

Cold Steel Knives Trailmaster bowie knife Carbon V Steel made in USA US $132.50   10 Bids Auction Ends: 3d 1h 15m

The 14-inch-long survival knife fits in an injection-molded plastic sheath with slots for the skeletonized skinner and a portion of the survival kit's gear. The tang of the small high carbon stainless steel skinning knife doubles as a bottle opener, and a cord cutting notch is ground into the skinner's spine. Nearly everything here has more than one use, including the main knife itself. Remove the butt cap from the handle and inside you'll find a plastic waterproof tube -- sealed with an O-ring -- full of more interesting survival tools and first aid supplies.

Among the things you'll find in this versatile kit are sewing and fishing kits, Band-Aids, tweezers, a signal mirror, can opener, slingshot, ten feet of paracord, and a compass. There's actually more, but there's a minimal amount of everything. If you buy the knife for serious use, take everything out and consider what you really need. Put more of that in the kit and throw the rest out.

The Jungle King qualifies as a fixed blade, but it's not a full tang knife or even a rat-tail tang knife. The bolster and handle are one piece of cast metal, machined for a dependable grip. The base of the blade seats in the bolster, held in place by a metal pin. Ordinary chores shouldn't overstress it, but it's no pry bar.

For another version of the combination knife and survival kit, see the Ramster Survival Knife.

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Jungle King Survival Knife with Sling Shot US $17.95   Auction Ends: 19d 20h 1m

New THE Jungle King Survival Knife Compass Survival Kit US $24.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 2h 4m

What catches the eye after you get over the sudden appearance of a 13-inch high carbon stainless steel blade, finished to a mirror polish, is that unusual brass back fused to the blade's spine. There's still some argument over what exactly that brass strip was intended to do. Obviously, the brass blade guard is there to help keep the user's hand on the polished hardwood handle -- and to protect those important fingers from the enemy's cutter. The brass spine itself is a puzzle.

Some think it was placed there to add strength to the blade, in days when steel was of questionable quality. Having worked with both metals, I doubt there's any reason to believe that theory. I also have more faith in James Black's ideas and don't believe he'd have worked with inferior stock. Another thought is that the brass was there to catch the edge of an attacker's blade, which seems much more likely. A heavy blade striking that strip would cut into it and lodge instead of sliding down.

The Trademark Primitive Bowie includes a well-made traditional leather sheath and should be the cause of many interesting discussions at your next Frontier Rendezvous.

For a beautiful, classic Bowie knife with a much more refined character, see the Zweibruder Grandpa Bowie.

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Fusion By SOG Jungle Primitive Lg Bowie Machete Knife US $47.99   Auction Ends: 27d 10h 13m

Primitive Bowie Hunting Knife with Leather Sheath by Timber Rattler 18 US $32.75   Auction Ends: 8d 38m

The Combat Bowie goes back to the original days of the Bowie knife, when it had more of the characteristics of a short sword and was built for close combat as a primary weapon instead of a last resort back-up. The Becker knife is more advanced than the first fighting bowies, combining some of the best aspects of the old fighting Bowie knife with the chopping power of a machete. The Becker also uses some of the best modern knife materials.

Much better quality than most machetes, the Combat Bowie uses full tang construction and a 0.21-inch-thick blade of chrome vanadium high carbon tool steel. With a flat grind similar to the edge style of a combat saber, the Bowie is built to swing and has the weight to back it up. Full weight of this 14-3/4-inch knife is 1.15 pounds, almost in the weight class of a small sword. Grivory slabs form the BK-9's grip. This new compound is a composite material hard enough to substitute for steel. Built into the grip's shape, dropped bolsters front and back make sure the knife stays in the hand even in slippery conditions. If you feel the need to bash something, there's enough exposed tang at the rear of the handle to deliver an impact without damage to the knife. A jimped section of blade spine up front offers finer control.

Made in the U.S.A., the BK-9 comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath manufactured in Taiwan.

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Ka Bar Becker BK9 Combat Bowie Fixed Blade Knife with Black Propex Nylon Sheath US $80.64   Auction Ends: 25d 21h 50m

Ka Bar Becker Knife BK9 Becker Combat Bowie US $79.95   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 2h 43m

The basics of the FX21-N Revolver match those of the higher quality Trev-7 Revolver which SOG no longer manufactures. The blade quality of the lesser 440A steel is still serviceable but will require more maintenance than the tougher and harder AUS-8 of the Trev-7. Although it's made in Taiwan for SOG, the FX21-N has earned a reputation as a reliable camp and survival tool.

The Revolver overcomes some of the structural weaknesses of the folding knife with its unusual revolving blade. One blade always remains in open position, locked in place by a pressure pin in the base of the handle. This locking system gives the knife nearly as much blade security as a fixed blade. Thumb pressure on the pin lever releases the blade, allowing the user to reverse it on the bearing, placing the second working edge in open and locked position. The knife functions well as both a 4.7-inch combo-edged Bowie clip point knife and a serrated double-tooth saw. Weight of the 10-inch knife is a surprisingly light 6 ounces due to the glass-reinforced nylon handle grip. The structure under that grip is reliable stainless steel.

You'll need a good belt sheath for the Revolver since it handles and stores like a fixed blade. The light nylon sheath supplied with this SOG Revolver fares better if the saw blade is stored in the handle and the knife side of the blade is locked open, since teeth easily snag the fabric of the sheath.

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SOG Specialty FX21 Revolver SEAL Knife Black SAW Sheath New 440A Steel US $24.95   Auction Ends: 3d 3h

SOG New Revolver Seal Folding Blade Knife Saw FX 21N US $27.99   Auction Ends: 23d 44m

A combo cutting edge 7 inches long provides a plain edge section for the finer chores and a section of ripping teeth for severing rope, harness, and cable. The modified Bowie blade follows the familiar Marine Corps fighting knife pattern, strong enough to piece a steel drum without serious damage. You'll probably need to hone the edge afterwards, but the 20-degree edge bevel, flat ground on chrome vanadium 1095 high carbon steel, will hold up to very abusive conditions.

Eleven and 3/4 inches long overall, the desert version is a little lighter than some models of the Ka-Bar fighting knife and weighs a conservative 0.66 pounds. Both the carbon steel finger guard and powder steel butt cap are made in the functional pattern of the classic military Ka-Bar -- not pretty, but dependable. The butt cap is hardened steel, able to drive nails if need be. The Kraton-G grip formed around the knife's rat-tail tang is the modern improvement of the older stacked leather washer design. It's utilitarian and practical but lacks some of the mystique of the older material.

Camouflage extends to metal parts with a coating of black epoxy to reduce reflectivity. The coating is tough but does wear off gradually through hard use. The knife comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath colored to match the handle. The knife is made in the U.S.A., but the sheath is an import from Taiwan.

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KA BAR KA BAR USMC DESERT STORM PERSIAN GULF FIGHTING KNIFE NEW W PAPERS 1991 NR US $51.00   2 Bids Auction Ends: 1h 52m

Ka Bar Desert MULE Serrated Folder w Sheath 3053 NEW US $45.95   Auction Ends: 11d 43m

Components show more attention to appearance and are no longer just the most rugged parts possible. The finger guard isn't a plain carbon steel plate -- this version actually has rounded edges and some polish. The other end of the handle shows that same new attitude, replacing the carbon steel butt cap with a shaped pommel of polished carbide powder steel, adding to grip security and keeping that famous hammer head versatility.

Rat-tail tang construction keeps the weight down, and while Ka-Bar does make a version of the Extreme Fighting Knife with the classic stacked leather disc grip, this model uses lightweight and durable Kraton-G composite. The lighter Kraton shifts the balance a little forward and doesn't need a break-in period. Final weight of the knife is 3/4 pounds -- not bad for an 11-7/8-inch-long modified Bowie.

The biggest change and also the most important improvement in the new Ka-Bar is the steel. The 7-inch blade of the Extreme has one of the longest lasting edges of any field knife due to the use of D2 tool steel. Commonly used to create industrial dies, D2 is so hard and tough that if you want to sweeten the 20-degree edge bevel of this flat-ground blade, you'd better get a diamond whetstone and lots of spare time. The combo blade provides a generous section of plain edge up front for slicing work and a toothed section near the bolster for fast and rough cutting.

The Ka-Bar D2 Extreme Fighting Knife comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath made in Taiwan, but the knife is all American-made.

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Ka Bar New D2 Extreme Fighting Knive Hard Sheath 1282 US $98.99   Auction Ends: 22d 20h 16m

KA BAR 1282 D2 Extreme Fixed Blade Knife SGF NEW US $97.74   Auction Ends: 19d 22h 4m

Built with a grip and tough construction very similar to the Ka-Bar fighting knife, this modified Bowie knife includes a saw-toothed spine capable of chewing through metal and plexiglass. The stacked leather washer handle holds up to all kinds of weather, and hard use only makes it look better. Eventually, it may even look polished. Blade guard and pommel are built of high carbon steel but not tempered to the hardness of the parkerized 5-inch blade. Very solidly built, the rat tail tang construction does hold up to heavy hammering, and the hex-nut design of the pommel was obviously intended to smash whatever is in the way.

Although it was built for military situations, as the blood groove shows, the knife is still appropriate for camping and hunting. The saw teeth will cut wood or bone if need be, and the butt of the handle can drive tent stakes. The best feature of this high carbon steel knife is the durability. This knife is a beater -- not pretty or refined, just functional. New owners should be prepared to spend some time getting the edge right since the factory edge usually isn't.

The authentic leather sheath looks as homely as most military gear, but the snap closure keeps the knife secure, and the extra sharpening stone pocket will come in handy. Some owners may decide to replace the sharpening stone with a magnesium fire-starter. Either one fits.

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Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife Hunting 6150 Leather Handle Sheath New US $47.95   Auction Ends: 19d 23h 31m

US Air Force Survival Stainless Steel Pocket Knife US $29.99   Auction Ends: 17d 9m