Although it's a fantasy knife, this Bowie isn't far away from practical. It's a little flashy and heavy for field use, and the deep hollow grind and blood groove do weaken the blade a bit. If you were determined to lug nearly three pounds of steel along with you on a hunting trip, you'd find it capable of even ordinary work. It's almost certainly more knife than anyone but John Rambo would need. Most owners will hang it proudly on the wall.

The Rambo knives have become so popular that Hibben's famous designs are frequently copied and marketed as official replicas. The authorized versions are manufactured and marketed only by United Cutlery, and all repairs and warranty issues are handled by UC and not Hibben Knives.

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Rambo 3 III Sylvester Stallone Edition Knife US $114.99   Auction Ends: 14d 16h 35m Make it yours...

1980s Gil Hibben Custom miniature Rambo III 425 knife US $127.50   15 Bids Auction Ends: 23h 33m Make it yours...

I get a kick out of the Rambo character--in a way he's the classic Vietnam Vet, a bit off the track mentally, a damaged vet who never managed to completely come back from the jungle, inept and out of place in most ways, but very good at one thing. Rambo is a fairy tale character like Luke Skywalker, a modern myth with which many of us can secretly identify.

In "real world" terms, I have a few criticisms of this knife. The blade is a bit light for a fighting blade, but on the other hand it's consistent with the knife style that the American military has favored since WWII, for the weapon of last resort. The shiny stainless steel alloy isn't as practical as a stained and worn carbon steel military blade, but it's prettier. The serrated back would probably result in more damage to friendly forces than to the enemy, considering that soldiers tend to use knives as pry bars and can openers more often than fighting weapons. All that is OK, because practicality isn't the purpose of this knife.

I think this is a case of the ideal behind the knife rather than the utility of the knife itself. It's something to make me think of other days, and even if the stereotype isn't all that accurate, I like it.

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