See the World’s Largest Bowie Knife in Bowie, TX

In an attempt to drum up some attention and tourism in the small city of Bowie, Texas, (population 5,219), the Bowie Chamber of Commerce did the most logical thing: they built the world’s largest Bowie knife.

This giant knife is more than 20 feet tall and weighs in at more than 3,000 pounds. It boasts a 14-foot stainless steel blade with a famous clip point. It also has a brass guard and wooden handle—two features commonly seen on Bowie knives.

Why did Bowie create this beast? The city was named after James Bowie, the 19th-century pioneer and creator of the legendary Bowie knife. We’ve written countless articles and posts about Bowie and his knife, so we’d recommend checking those out for more info.

To say this thing is huge is an understatement. Officials at The Guinness Book of World Records have yet to officially name it the world’s largest, but there’s no doubt it will claim that title. Take a look at the recent unveiling.

This monument was a long time in the making.

Back in 2013, the city launched the Bowie Knife Project in an effort to raise funds to construct a monument to the legendary knife. Over time, it evolved into an effort to create the world’s largest Bowie knife. According to Atlas Obscura, the project cost $170,000 and was funded entirely through private donations. One person even contributed $100,000.

Although the statue was originally planned to be finished sometime in 2014, the massive Bowie wasn’t unveiled until April 7, 2016. An official dedication ceremony won’t happen until June 2016.

While this is definitely the largest Bowie knife, it enters the pantheon of huge yet impractical knives. Take the world’s largest pocket knife, for example. Here it is next to the world’s largest wooden spoon.

The knife is actually very large at 19ft 9in. (Though I still think the other largest pocket knife is more deserving, despite being “just” 12ft 8in.)

Either way, this trend of creating huge knives and knife monuments is something I can get behind.