The historical Bowie was not a single design, but was a series of knives improved several times over the years by American Jim Bowie in the early 1800s. Since then many knives have been called Bowie knives and the term has almost become a generic term for any large sheath knife.
The shape and style of blade was such that the Bowie knife could serve usefully as a camping and hunting tool as well as a weapon, and is still popular as such with hunters and sportsmen today.