Industry experts recommend blade lengths of seven to nine inches. Several of the Bowies reviewed here, however, exceed that length. In fact, some Bowie knives exceed a foot in length when measuring both the handle and the blade. The ideal blade length depends on what tasks you will be using the Bowie knife to accomplish. For things like batoning wood, a longer blade would be helpful.
For chopping and slicing, a shorter, yet sturdy blade might be more effective. Some Bowie knives are designed to replace machetes or even short swords. Others, like the original Bowie knife, are shorter and easier to control and maneuver with careful prevision.