I agree that many knife designs these days are a bit outlandish and impractical. Many "survival" knives are a lot like what you describe, basically closer to fighting knives than real tools.

That said, I would not dismiss Bowie-type knives out of hand. It's true that very large Bowies are essentially fighting knives, but many smaller versions actually work pretty well for utility purposes. The good old Kabar is a case in point IMHO. Not quite big enough for a dedicated chopper and a little long for fine work but as an all-around tool it works just fine. I've used a Kabar on many an outdoor expedition, often as my primary knife, and in my experience it is a very decent general purpose tool.

As far as criminal misuse, I'm afraid it's a very tricky subject. Any knife with an edge and/or point can be used to hurt a human being. The puukko is not thought of as a fighting knife and yet it established a very solid combat record during the Winter War in Finland. Even a tiny penknife can be lethal in the hands of an individual determined to use it for a violent purpose. Same as with any other tool, rock, stick, even one's bare hands. That's why I'm not particularly fond of knife bans in any shape or form.