Bowie project...............

[gmusic]

Thank you Lyle. When I fire up the forge (coke forge) I open up the door and roll it outside, there's a nice big slab in front of the shop. It's real easy to walk my anvil out there too.


Will, I have not seen that piece. I'm doing a search to find it here pretty quick.

The epoxy is setting up on the stag scales as we speak. I'll peen the pins, clean her up and put an edge on it tomorrow. Then I can work on a sheath for it.

[gmusic]

Getting close to finishing the no frills Bowie. Peen some pins, clean her up and she's complete. In the not so good close up of the blade you can see the grain structure after etching.

[glennbad]

Great thread! Wonderful work!

[gmusic]

Thank you Glenn! I appreciate the feedback.



Here she is.........all dressed up and no where to go. It was a fun build, I learned a lot. I really like the knife it's just what I envisioned from the start. It would be an awesome knife for one of those guys in the SASS.

The knife ended up 11.25" overall with a 6 3/8" blade, it has a full distal taper, the spine is slightly relieved or rounded, convex ground with a full tang handle and presentation grade Sambar Stag scales. The slight recurve was intentional and just love the look. The guard I left with an oil quench finish which resembles case hardening. It balances just behind the guard on the index finger.

Thanks for all of the feedback guys, I appreciate your time.

[stagman]

Thats Gorgeous Gary !!! A real old no frills classic on a great American knife pattern...
I really like the flat hilt /guard....you know how on alot of bowies the
guard is bent one way then the other on the off side....
I have found using big blade knives that they are much more responsive
in the hand for different tasks with the flat guard the way your fingers hit it
It really came out good Gary...you should be proud...
thanks for the posts & pics............

Will
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/clearcreekknives

[gmusic]

Thank you Will!


This has been a fun project, this knife may be my all time favorite so far. It incorporates all of the aspects of a knife that got me started in this knife making venture. The Scagel influence, early Americana, hand forging, red hot steel hammers and sparks, Ed Fowler, Wootz, Stag............it's all there and the more I handle this knife the more I like it.

[philco]

Gary that is a wonderful knife. Your skill is obvious and the end result is something anyone would be proud to own. Well done.

[gmusic]

Thank you Phil, I appreciate the feedback. I enjoyed this built enough to perhaps do another one here shortly.

[Dinadan]

That is a beautiful knife! Looks just right for the great plains in the 1840s. Looking at it makes me think buffalo hunters, wagon trains, fur traders ...

[wlf]

How do people know it's your custom Gary,they should?

[gmusic]

Thank you Mel! That's the look I was going for when I decided to build it this way, Lonesome Dove......



Lyle, good catch! I haven't decided where to put the makers mark yet. Probably on the non-existent choil somewhere..........maybe on the guard.

[orvet]

You nailed it Gary!!
Once again your clean lines make it look as smooth as silk!
Great job!

[Quick Steel]

gmusic: Ditto on all the previous compliments. I have a fair size collection of Bowies including some customs. Since this is your first I can't wait to see #2!

I especially like your treatment of the guard and the blade is.....elegant.

[gmusic]

Thank you Dale! I appreciate the comments.....


Thanks QS! Comments are always welcome and they don't have to be positive. I have changed more than a thing or two from constructive critiques. Like the color of this sheath!

[muskrat man]

Love it

[gmusic]

Thank you Kaleb!

[Dinadan]

This has been a great thread, Gary. I would love to see a photo of a blade prepared for tempering ... I am assuming you have the back part of the blade coated in clay or something similar since it has a hamon line. What do you use for tempering? We used to keep a five gallon bucket of used motor oil to temper stuff. I noted the barrel of coal in your photo, but no quenching medium.

[gmusic]

Hello Mel,

I forge the blade and then normalize it, grind it to rough shape and then normalize again. Then I start the heat treat cycles.
I use coke, coal is to dirty. Sometimes I'll use my gas forge but I have heard you can burn carbon out of the steel with gas if you're not real careful. And how does one tell when you have reached that point where your doing damage? Could be a wives tale, who knows.
I deferentially quench three times in 150 degree oil over a 72 hour period then temper back twice in my Paragon oven. Each quench is progressively higher up on the blade or deeper into the oil……..however you want to look at it. You can see the different “zones” and the grain or Wootz structure in the close up. Check this out about Wootz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wootz_steel

[SteelMyHeart85420]

I was quite content being a non-fan of Bowie knives....you're gonna mess that up for me now, ain't ya? LOL, she turned out real pretty. I like the shop pics, too

[Dinadan]

Thanks for the additional info, Gary. You are sure right about coal being dirty. Sounds like that sequential quenching could be a tricky process: if I understand what you are doing correctly, one oops moment would undo a lot of effort. Very nice work area and equipment!

[gmusic]

Thank you Steel! Everyone should own one "Bowie" style knife. Three or four if you like them!

Your welcome Mel. Glad to share..