AK Bowie Mod

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
Finished this one up a while back...never got around to posting the pic.

The AK Bowie is such a fun blade to play around with. So many handle possibilities. I used to think we should push for a run with a different handle, but now having seen several different possibilities, I say leave it how it is and let us have our fun. :D

This one is a 2-finger sub-hilt. You can also slide back and fit three fingers behind the sub-hilt for more of a chopper grip. Really liked handling it and the balance is right at the cho. Both a fighter and a chopper.

I think if I had a hundred AK Bowies, they'd all turn out different. That's the beauty of the forged blade. So many possibilities.

Anyway, enjoy the eye candy. I gotta get back to work. :eek:


AKBowieKen1.jpg


p.s. normally I post pics of my work in The Gallery - I posted this picture here instead because, well, not many of us make it out that way and it seemed appropriate.
 
Absolutely fan-damn-tastic Dan! The AK bowie has always seemed a little un finished to me. You take the thing to the level it should be! :thumbup:
 
The thing that always held me back from the AK bowie was the handle. Now I see the light. Great job Dan, that is more what I have in mind.
 
I like the way Dan has left the fingers protected. (not to mention the always great wood!)



munk
 
As always Dan, creativity and great workmanship. Did you have to re-heat-treat the blade after grinding?

Steve
 
Good picture and looks great Dan! I think this is the only sub-hilt I have ever seen that I liked...what's the wood?
 
Great new stuff on the website too, Dan. (Worthy of a plug, at the very least.) I'm digging the kardas. What are you hardening the 1095 ones to?

Every kitchen deserves at least one knife with a hamon.
 
I have been lusting for one of Dan's "Chili Chopping" knives for a while. I call them that because everytime I see one, I have an urge to chop ingrediants for a pot of chili.
 
I'm happy to say that I can claim this Bowie as my own. It turned out almost exactly as I had hoped.

The wood is Purple Heart, with Ebony spacers in between the stainless fittings. The handle feels fantastic, the weight right at the cho, and having it slip out of your hand would be nearly impossible.

It feels *really* good.

Nice pommel sticking out the end as well, for those special occassions. :D


Thanks Dan. And thanks for posting.

I was going to do the same, even have the pictures on my camera, but can't seem to figure out linking pics and getting them to show up.

~ Bamboo
 
That's very nice, I like the handle a LOT. I've been contemplating an AK Bowie project for a while. I really prefer the AK Bowies with fullers.

Myself, I'd grind out the cho and make room for a choil so you can choke up on the blade for field tasks. IMHO a cho = wasted real estate.
 
Real pretty and dayumed nice work.:thumbup: :D
I like the looks of the subhilts even though I'm not a fan of them.
Probably wouldn't matter much on the AK Bowie as it's kinda limited in the amount of usable grips that it can be used with anyway IMO.;)
 
Thanks for all the kind words, guys.

ferguson - no need to redo the heat treat - I did very little grinding on the blade. Most of it was on the tang.

As Bamboo noted, the wood is Purpleheart. But it's a very rare, super-wavy grained purpleheart that's more red than purple. Amazing wood. My stock is nearly out - I will probably cry when the last handle is made from it, because the place I got it from went out of business and I have not been able to find purpleheart with this kind of grain anywhere else since then. :(

Satori - the 1095 on the kitchen knives is hardened to somewhere around 60-61 at the edge (based on one I got tested at Tom Upton's place). The spine/etc. is softer, but still in the 50's.

mrostov - there's one that I'm working on now that will have such a choil. ;)

Bamboo gets credit for the 2-finger sub-hilt idea, as well as the striking pommel. I just threw it together. ;)
 
Well Dan I'm just impressed as all get out, a gorgeous blade but when I look at it ya still got the urge to put it to use.
Guess I'll save up and contact you for some work.
 
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