Bowie in progress

C-Camerer

C-Camerer

Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Messages
806
This is a bowie I am working on for a fellow formite. I have been documenting the bowie through the construction process. The blade steel is 1084. I hope you enjoy the pics.

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At this point I am just getting started in my forging process. I have forged the point in and have prebent my bar prior to forging the bevels in.

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This image shows the bevels part way forged in.

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It is a little tough to see what is happening in this pic, but I am using my press to draw out the tang.

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This is the forged blade fresh from the fire. After I took the pic I reheated the blade and annealed it in vermiculite.

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Here is the profile of the blade. From here i will rough grind the blade and then apply clay in anticipation of the heat treat. I will be posting pics as I work through the next process.
 
Thank you very much -- I love these "in progress" threads. :)
 
Looks very promising indeed - I'll look forward to seeing this one unfold.

Roger
 
I love these threads too--please keep them coming. I also really appreciated your shop photos--the split propane tank for oil and vermiculite was cool :cool:

One question--not to be taken as a challenge or anything--have you considered building a second forge to take smaller heats while forging (Fogg-style, etc.)? I learned in a long forge (Mankel 3-burner "Knifemaker") and found that heating so much of the blade while only working on small sections was less than ideal.

Thanks again,

John Frankl
 
I should have some more pics later today.

I actually prefer to have my blade up to forging temp when I am working on them. I am constantly adjusting and tweaking the length of the blade. By having it up to forging temp I feel it lessens the chance of adjusting areas that are too cold and possibly developing cracks. When my blades are forged I use multple thermal cycles to reduce any stress or grain growth that may have occured during the forging process.
The pic of the tang being drawn out has alot more of the barstock heated than I typically heat when forging the bevels in the blade. When forging out the tang with the press it really loses heat fast and by having more of the barstock heated it tends to hold the heat a little longer.
 
Holy Mackeral!!!

Another one of your bowies that hits my sweet spot! I'm gonna have to git me one! :D

Does that one have a name on it yet??? ;)
 
I really enjoy threads like this. What an awesome piece so far.
 
I don't know Joe I believe that someone on the forums has spoken for this one. :D ;) :D
Now for the next installment of pics.
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I am rough grinding the bevels on the KMG. When I am going to clay coat I will stop the rough grinding at 60 grit. It seems to help the clay adhere to the blade. That large belly provides stability for my elbows during grinding. :rolleyes:

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This is the roough ground blade with a mark where the shoulders will be filed.

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This is my shoulder filing jig. I got it from Uncle Al's and it works great!

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Here is the shoulders of the knife. They have been filed in paying attention to square both sides with each other. It is a little hard to see in the pic but there is a nice radius little radius where the tang meets the shoulders.

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The blade is now ready to be clay coated.

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Here is the blade with a fresh coat of clay. If all goes well there should be a nice little turn back so that the entire swedge is hardened.

The next step will be normalizing, heat treating and finish grinding.
 
Craig,

This thread alone is worth so much more than I'm paying! I've already shown several people here at work and they are all amazed at what is really behind "those sharp, pointy things" I collect, and the ones I tell who know a little more are as impressed with the absolutely open way in which you (and I have to add, several others on this forum especially (Hey, Nick!! ;) )) present your art AND the openness with which you (all) share the info behind it.

Okay, by now y'all might have guessed Craig's work is heading off to the great Northwest and Latteland... I can only hope to get out and use it this coming hiking season...

Craig - got one more request for you, pic wise anyways... Can you also show a couple of pics while you test the blade??? Kinda like taking a test ride before it gets here... That would be too cool! :D

Again Craig, thanks for taking on another order... and more, for sharing the process with us.
 
Here is the next round of pics and as requested I have included the testing pics.

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This pic was taken during one of the normalizing cycles prior to being quenched.

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Here the knife is being tempered after the quench. The knife is the second one from the right.

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I couldn't help it, I had to do a quick etch just to see what the hamon would look like. There appeares to be some other activity going on also that isn't real visible in the quick etch.

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Hill Billy Boy with the taped handled knife is getting ready to chop! :D

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Chopping up perfectly good wood. I also took the knife out and trimmed a few downed limbs that had fallen into my mowing path.

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Here is my shop helper watching the chopping action.

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Here is the 2X4 and a antler that I hacked up with no edge damage. It is difficult to see but if you look closely at the blade you can see hair that I just shaved after all the chopping.

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Here is a close up of the edge and hair.
 
Craig,

Awesome pics/tutorial. Thanks for the explanation on your forging practices, too.

I really like the way you radiused the area where the guard meets the shoulders. Do you feel the rounding eliminates potential stress risers? Or does it give a better fit? Or both? I have the same jig from Uncle Al and will be trying that soon :)

Oh yeah, what clay do you use?

Thanks again,

John Frankl
 
Bruce Bump said:
Gross! Is that pubic hair? Why is it so kinky?
Click to expand...

Oh Man, I should really ignore that and hope it fades before my knife earns the sobriquet of Pubic Cleaver!!! :eek:

Bruce, you crack me up! ROTF!!!! :D ;)

Well, at least I can be pretty sure it's take care of what my razor leaves behind and still cut wood for the camp fire! Great stuff Craig! :cool:
 
Craig,

This is a great thread, thanks for the effort and time you have put into it to share your craft. I really like the Bowie you are working on.
 
Hey, that little blade on the far right in the tempering rack looks kinda cool. ;) :)
 
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