How to Choose the Right Antler Handle Bowie Survival Knife

A bowie knife is primarily used in hunting or camping and is considered a survival weapon. The construction and style are mostly for self-defense but it can work perfectly for skinning and butchering game as camp food or after hunting. The knife looks like a sword, and it was used as a butcher’s knife when it first came out. The average length is 9.5 inches and some designs are shorter, but never below 5 inches. Some designs can go as long as 12 inches.  

When it was first created by James Black for Jim Bowie, it was to be used as a fighting knife and became popular in the Sandbar Fight. Historically, it is unclear whether knives are categorized as bowie knives by their shape and length, thus there are conflicting claims as to who invented the knife.  

Bowie knives can have different materials on its handle. Wood is said to be the traditional type of material, and the popular choices are walnut or oak for the solid handle it provides. Some prefer to have metal handles, and steel is a popular choice but is prone to corrosion. Bone is also an option for bowie knife handles, and most owners use it as a display more than as a functional knife because of the exquisite design and the aesthetics it provides for a knife collector.  

Stag, or deer antler, is also a popular handle for bowie knives. Those living in or around deer country can be called lucky enough to have access to an antler handle bowie knife. To choose the right antler handle bowie knife, one must remember that it is not ideal to simply hunt deer for their antlers, because deer naturally shed their antlers and this is the best time to get them. Antler handle bowie knives are incredibly durable and aesthetically beautiful because of the natural patterns.  

When choosing the right antler handle bowie knife, it is ideal to look at the type of deer the antlers came from. A smaller breed of deer may have antlers that can be quite porous when turned into a handle, and this will compromise the durability of the knife. Elk antlers are thicker and stronger and this makes for a good quality knife handle. The Sambar Stag Antler is solid, thicker, and very dense compared to elk and deer antlers. These are considerably more expensive and while there is an embargo on the Indian Sambar, it is not a rare find because there are sellers who carry them from over the internet.  

Antler handle for bowie knives undergoes treatments in order to define or change the characteristics, such as color, durability, and the overall look. The flame treatment gives the antler a darker and burnished color. The most common treatment in antler handles is stabilization in order to fill in the porous spaces in the antlers and renders them waterproof.

B. Merry Studio carries the most exquisite antler handle bowie knives. With 30 years of experience in hand carving, their selection of knives proves to be more than aesthetically beautiful, but also expertly crafted.