I suggest that OP does some research using the search term Bill Bagwell. Be prepared to go down the YouTube trail on knife-fighting scabbards and so forth.
During the hey-day of knife-fighting, the experienced knife-fighter usually had his primary blade set up as a custom-made IWB scabbard, with the handle of the knife being hidden, but instantly available. Usually cross-draw, but accessible to the off-hand, if need be. Go look at the many vids on the subject, please.
That technique was suitable for the occasion back then. Depending on one's current needs, perhaps it might need to be modified. If so, then take care in making your rig, and remember that the old-timers set things up for them, and for good reason. Just remember that these old-timers were NOT stupid, and they set up their rigs up to suit them back then. If deviating from time-proven principles, have a good reason for doing so, and practice/experiment with it to make sure it will work effectively.
I thnk that Bowie knives and other fighting knives were a literally a product of their environment, and also the times.
Back then, there were very few revolvers, and the single-shot pistols, being flintlocks, were bulky and hard to conceal/draw. Also, any firearm was inherently subject to mis-fires, particularly in humid climates, such as on riverboats and along the Missip river. The knife had none of these drawbacks, so it held sway for a brief period in time.
FWIW, and IMHO, the "Fightin' Knife" is a bit of an anachronism, nowadays. I seldom advocate carrying a fixed blade much larger than the Cold Steel SRK, or a GI bayonet; Not that either is the epitome of knives, but they serve well in their own sphere. YMMV.