First Bowie

[ckwatosn]

Well it my first knife all together. It was a rough start. I have to find a better way to cut out the blanks. I got it mostly done today tomorrow I will decide If I want to try and cut the rest or just spend a little more time with the file and grinder.

 

[ckwatosn]

I think this one is going to turn out ok. I have defiantly learned a few things I will do different next time. I have a few dings in the blade I am not really happy with, but I am going to try and "antique" the blade so I think the dings may work out ok and give it character.

I also have to even up the shoulders where the guard meets the blade. It is off just a little but should not be to difficult get it evened up.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Good start. It goes slow using hand tools but you learn a lot also. Not a bad trade off at all. Keep posting pics so we can watch your progress.

Fred

 

[ckwatosn]

well here it is after 48 hours in wet coffee grounds. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. The tip is not really that shinny it is just a bad picture. I will be working on the wood handles this week. I have a few hardwood scales to choose from. I will post pictures when I get it all done.

 

[David Stifle]

It looks promising. You can also use mustard or vinegar or a mixture of both to put an old patina on the blade. Your guard looks a little long, but it could be the picture. be sure to post the finished knife, as I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

A few tips for the next one:
1) Clip would look better a little shallower and a tad longer
2) Nothing wrong with a somewhat straight edge but this one is too straight for too long. A little bit of a curve/belly looks better. Remember, Curves are your friend.

Looking forward to your progress on this one.

 

[ckwatosn]

Thanks for all the input. I do plan on re working the clip on the next one. The guard is 4 inches wide and the thickest part of the blade is 1.5 inches. I have been trying to decide if I want to take a little off the ends of the guard.

 

[David Stifle]

I think you will find you don't need the guard to be that wide. A guard two to two and a half inches wide might flow better as it transitions from the handle to the blade. If you do narrow the guard, then you'd proably want to reduce the lenght of the guard as well. But, all in all, you are doing great. Fun, isn't it?

Are you going to heat treat it yourself? What steel is it?

 

[ckwatosn]

It is 1095. I have already done the heat tread and tempering cycle on it. I dont know how well the HT turned out but once I get the final edge on it I will be able to test the edge and see how it holds up.