BIG frame handle bowie w/ shell guard and carved blackwood...

J. Doyle

J. Doyle

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
8,212
This piece was quite a while in the works and is for a great collector and friend of mine/ours here on this forum. This was a LOT of fun to make and enjoyed working on it. It was definitely the most complicated build I've ever undertaken. It is also the largest knife I've ever made.

Specs:
Hand-forged from W2 steel
13" of blade, 18 3/4" overall, .240" thick at the ricasso
Full distal taper, with an *almost* sharp clip (could easily be sharpened if desired)
Twisted steel filework on spine
Rounded ricasso edge
My own damascus fittings for the collars, shell guard, spacers, butt cap segments and finial
Coined copper accent spacers
Carved African blackwood handle
1084 steel frame, twisted steel on top to match spine side of blade and rounded and proud fit bottom frame to match the bottom of the ricasso

My friend and sheath maker extraordinaire, Claude Scott did a beautiful job making a sheath for this knife.

And thank you to Coop for the clear crisp photos that capture the true look of this knife SO perfectly.

Any comments and discussion welcome.

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Boom! Nice work buddy! The shell guard is killer. I can spot your work a mile away....and I always like what I see. Very well done John.
 
A wonderful piece John. So perfectly executed..

That sheath and photo are fantastic too.

edit... Just looked at the big pic. wow.
 
John, that's really impressive. It's a part of you I hadn't seen before, but I'm not surprised. One of the nicest scalloped guards I've seen. Great work!
 
Sounds like the collector challenged you a bit and you are both the better off for it. He got an exceptional Bowie and you have advanced your skill level as a result.
Like all your work, this piece is incredibly clean and well executed though not a design/style I've seen from you.
The handle/guard has a bit of a John White influence to my eye.
 
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Lots of cool details on that one. I love the shell guard. That's a sleek and business like beast of a blade!
Darcy:)
 
Very impressive and perfectly executed! Your talent and skills are at their highest levels. Thanks for sharing.
 
John,
Very nice! Although I'm partial to your guardless designs, this one is my favorite. Like Kevin, I see a bit of John White influence possibly, which isn't a bad thing. John touched/influenced a lot of us.

Tad
 
What a fantastic piece including the sheath great job Claude.

Johns work just keep getting better and I'm sure it won't be long before he gets his JS stamp.

During the build I was getting photos, but this is the first time I have seen it finished up. WOW !

When I commissioned it John said it would take a while as he was fitting it in between other orders, I told him no rush and it sure has been worth the wait.

There is nothing and I mean nothing not to like about it, the file work is exemplary and the shell guard especially is a work of art on its own. Can't wait to get my hand on this one.

Oh yes and thanks Coop for great photography once again
 
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Outstanding!
Really, really nice work John.
I guessed the new owner correctly,
He has a great eye and discriminating taste.
Dozier
Accuracy beats speed
 
From the moment this arrived in a long handmade wooden shipping box which was tightly wrapped with brown paper, I knew I was in for a treat.

I also knew I was working with someone whose attention to detail is unsurpassed.

It's got this lonnnng beautifully-placed linear hamon, and the upper file work extends seemingly forever

The coining and fluting shows up in a number of places, and the clams are as close to 'right' as I've ever seen.

That photo is only good. The knife is EVEN BETTER. :thumbup:

Big Rick and John: Just.... WOW!

Coop

PS that sheath is right up there with the best of them... :) It's SO good I needed the knife to stand on it's own. It deserves the star spotlight.
 
that is almost unbelievably well made. Awesome design! Proportions, contrast, flow...has it all.
Tour de force, John:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
John, that is killer. I like everything about this piece, superb!
Cheers Keith
 
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