Backpacker's Bowie
A Bowie for Long Walks
Bowie knives have long been popular amongst knife enthusiasts for good reason. The characteristic clip point blades provide for versatility in a wide range of users. However, most Bowie knives are on the larger side. There's nothing wrong with that and those knives have their place in every man's kit. But the goal with the Backpacker's Bowie was to make a shorter version that even a backpacker would carry (every ounce counts).
How many pounds and ounces can you carry and for how far? This is why backpackers tend to be careful about what they pack on their trips. This is why there are super light items for everything from tents to stoves to water bottles and even clothing.
One of the most important items in any backpacker's bag is a blade. Some backpackers put a high priority on having bladed tools and others not so high, but almost all carry some type of knife. TOPS set out to make a Bowie knife that would meet the needs of the guys that want a knife that will not fail them, but without adding a lot of weight to their loadout. The result is a 4” blade that could be the most important piece that goes on the backpacking trip. Aside from the normal uses a knife affords, the notch on the spine is for breaking wire or pulling a pot out of the fire and the swedge can be sharpened upon request. The full, rounded handles provide a comfortable grip whether you're exhausted from walking all day or you're lounging around the campsite. The Kydex sheath has a rotating clip so that it can be worn on the belt or clipped to a pack rather than taking up important space inside of it.
Knife Type | Fixed Blade |
---|---|
Overall Length | 8.25" |
Blade Length | 4.50" |
Cutting Edge | 4.13" |
Blade Thickness | 0.160" |
Blade Steel | 1095 RC 56-58 |
Blade Finish | Tumble Finish |
Handle Material | Green Canvas Micarta |
Knife Weight | 7.2oz |
Weight w/ Sheath | 9.7oz |
Sheath Included | Yes |
Sheath Material | Black Kydex |
Sheath Clip | Rotating Spring Steel |
Designer | TOPS Team |
- Fantastic knife
- Ordered my backpackers Bowie last week it arrived. This knife is the best feeling knife I've ever handled. Love the fit and finish. Will with me for life 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Posted on 6/2/2020)
- This knife is Also good from a Bushcrafters prespective
- This knife has a 90 degree spine without a epoxy coating for ferro rods and a 1095 Rockwell hardness of 56-58 so it will work for sparking a rock on char cloth and starting a fire. it is short and small enough to carry everyday similar to a Mora Garberg and as tough as one with a more ergonomic handle. this knife has a pot pulling camp hook or wire bender that can be sharpened to a gut hook and as the hunters say you might want to rougher handle grip of the rocky mountain grip (Posted on 5/30/2020)
- Nice
- You will either love this knife or hate it. I wear a size large to XL glove and the knife fits nicely in my hand. I myself do like this knife. It's a lot of knife in a small package (about the size of a boot knife) It works well as a camp knife and even an EDC. While not perfect it did very well in field dressing a pair of 200 pound pigs last night with little to no real effort. It will work on all small game with no problems and as I said is robust enough to do larger game. I do think this one should come with the Rocky Mountain Tread standard and not as an option as it was a tad slick from the blood. I would also like to see a bit of jimping further up the spine but that is just personal. In truth I have no idea just what type of wire this can be used to break, I tried breaking a piece of bailing wire with it to no avail. Overall it is a handy little knife and design. I must say it is by far the sharpest Tops Knife I have received right out of the packaging. (Posted on 3/16/2019)