To define a authentic Bowie knife "It must be long enough to use as a sword, sharp enough to use as a razor, wide enough to use as a paddle, and heavy enough to use as a hatchet". This ment that the knife was used for just about everything in the wild west. Another thing to keep in mind is that the original Bowie Knife could have been made with the only intention to kill. It just so happens to meet the specific criteria of what a froutiersman needed.