Bowie in Progress (lots o' pics)

Burchtree

Burchtree

KnifeMaker & Moderator
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I love the threads that Nick Wheeler and others put up and I figured it was due time that I did my own. Of course, my methods aren't as elegent as Nick's, but it is just how I go about doing it. Stick tangs aren't my bread and butter, so I do them slowly and probably do some things the hard way, but it "usually" works out in the end. ;)

A customer requested a sort of "hybrid" stick-tang version of my Koi bowie and was to be hollow-ground with a blackwood handle. The design has evolved through the process and it now has a mokume guard and a habaki (sure haven't done too many of these!)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the pics. :)

First up -- just a very thick chunk of W-2 that has been underfoot for awhile(and Nick, I had misunderstood you before, this is about 3/8 thick):

projectbowie1.jpg


I cut a piece out for the original design (bottom in drawing):

projectbowie2.jpg


The handle design eventually evolved to something like this (yeah, I suck at drawing :D ):

projectbowie10.jpg


Forged out roughly smoothed out:

projectbowie3.jpg
 
The guard area needs to be nice and flat for the a flush finish so I clamp it into the filing jig (you can buy them at most knifemaking supply places, even though Uncle Al's has a big one that I want :D )

projectbowie4.jpg


a little magic marker will show how even everything is getting:

projectbowie5.jpg


After hitting it with a square file, I go at it with a round one so it doesn't create a weak spot in the blade:

projectbowie6.jpg
 
Time to put the 45s on the blade. I tilt the KMG back as much as possible and make 45-degree bevels on the blade with an old belt. This gives you a line to go to when you start hollow-grinding and saves your other belts from wear (learned that one grind-master Krein).

projectbowie8.jpg


projectbowie9.jpg


And the rough-ground blade with the nickel-silver piece that will be the habaki. (my pre-heat-treat blades are very rough ;) )

projectbowie12.jpg
 
now to file in the "stop" for the habaki. it will go snugly up against this little shelf when finished:

projectbowie13.jpg
 
Same jig to make sure it is square:

projectbowie11.jpg


Time for heat-treat!! First it gets normalized three times. This pic shows it after the third "cool-down." (and no, that isn't my forge behind it. :D )

projectbowie15.jpg


And now for the clay. I put satanite on it in hopes of getting "waves" in the hamon. I experiment a lot with my quenching and heating methods. Usually, I'll watch the steel heat to try for utsuri, but I wanted to leave an open spine to see what it would pull from the steel. By far, this is my favorite part of knifemaking -- the search for cool hamons.

projectbowie14.jpg




Well, that's it for now -- more to come when it is done tempering. :)
 
Make sure that at every step of the way that YOU like the way it looks, customers can sometimes have some "wrong headed" ideas.;)

I'm sure whoever gets to be the owner of this knife feels real fortunate.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Lets see that hamon!!! :). Looks pretty good so far, I'm anxious to see how it turns out.

By the way, that is one hell of a bar of steel ;).
 
Thanks all --

Keith -- Speed is definitely not my forte. :D
 
Hey Michael I am diggin this thread. Good luck with that habaki.
 
Jody, I was thinking of you when I debated that habaki. I'm willing to bet I go through more than a couple of pieces of nickel silver before I get one that works. Watcha think with a "square" habaki -- two solder joints at the bottom, or wrap it all the way around to one bottom corner? :confused: :D
 
Very cool, Burch. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished work.

It doesn't look like you forged in any bevels - is this because you were doing a hollow grind?
 
Wulf -- that is correct. Hollows are a bit above my forging level. :)
 
I would probly fabricate a square one. If you try to forge it you will lose alot of material when shaping and it is difficult to keep the corners real nice and sharp. A copper habaki would show the seams but nickel silver will hide very well. Good luck ! chuckel chuckel chuckel
 
I am just going through this with Bailey.

I don't think that ns makes a very good habaki. The other option is what Bailey is doing, a sterling or gold wrap over the habaki. His is already finished though. If I could go back and do it again, I would stress copper.

Your call, though.

STeven Garsson
 
i concur...NS might not show enough contrast of color, but i can imagine a NS habaki against a damascus blade. that might look cool. Bailey Bradshaw made and carved a habaki and menukis for me with copper over silver. the contrast turned out great.

either way i'm excited to see the outcome of this piece.
 
Boy Steve.. you REALLY don't like NS. The problem with copper is the availability in sizes thick enough for habaki. I like to order stuff fast, because I usually wait until I need it to order. I haven't found a source for the thicknesses I need.

If one of you has a source for 1/8" or thicker copper sheet, please do forward it to me.

I do like the foil wrapped habaki. It isn't that hard to do, and it makes a fancy piece.

The thing with habaki, and so many things Japanese, is the idea that sooooo many people have about it having to be absolutely traditional. I have a couple of volumes with hundreds of antique mountings, and some are so non-traditional it is alarming. I am not saying anything derogatory about the Japanese, or their culture. The majority of the people who bang the tradition drum are round -eye just like me. I know Steve won't like this, but I think things like ivory fittings on a Japanese style sword scabbard ( Saya in Japanese) are cool. Ivory is all class in my book. Much nicer than buffalo horn anyway IMO. I like to step out of the box on some of this stuff. I draw the line only when it comes to function. If it won't serve the purpose, THEN it is incorrect. The rest is just a matter of taste.
 
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