Backcut

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Backcut (AKA "back cut" or "back slash") is a knifefighting term which regards the use of a double-edged, or partially double-edged, knife. It is most frequently applied to the use of knives which have a sharpened clip point, particularly the fighting Bowie knife.

The backcut comes into play unexpectedly, often immediately after a slash. A Bowie (and other knives with pronounced clip points) are typically single-edged, but the clips are frequently ground and honed to a sharp edge. A sharpened clip enables one to cut in either direction without turning the blade in the hand, as an opponent might expect. It is a cut from an unexpected angle which can be either a slash or a stab.

Some experts claim that the "leading edge" of a sharpened clip point actually penetrates heavy materials better than a typical double-edged dagger, although there is some contention regarding this.

It has been widely speculated that Jim Bowie executed the backcut during his famous Sandbar Fight.