Forged Bowie

[nc_cooter]

Just finished a new bowie.
Steel Forged 1095
Lenght 10"
OAL 15 1/2"
Handle Curly Maple(acid fumed)
Fittings Mild Steel, forge finish

The balance point is the guard.
Your comments are welcome and thanks for looking.

 

[barrabas74]

That whole thing looks good to me, really like the sheath along with it.

 

[Macster]

One of the nicest Bowies I've ever seen! :thumbup:

 

[Texas Slim]

Beautiful! Looks authentic, a very nice period piece.

 

[nc_cooter]

Thanks, guys. It was a fun knife to make. Also my first attempt at carving leather.

 

[jdm61]

Very nice, sir. How does the "acid fuming" of the wood work? I really like the color you go on the handle.

 

[65535]

I didn't know you needed to gas trees to kill them, I though you jsut cut them down.

On another note, nice polished anvil.

Finally that is a most excellent Bowie, the handle is lovely, the blade is nice and full.

 

[SpearZ]

Awesome looking knife and sheath :thumbup:

 

[nc_cooter]

Thanks for the complements.

jdm61 I use muriatic acid. It reacts with the sugar in the maple. I sand the handle to 400 gr, then 4/O steel wool. Then hand buff with an old denim rag till the wood warms. Apply the acid with a cheap bristle brush(gloves and eye protection) till it stops soaking in. Use a heat gun or a propane torch to heat the wood until the color changes. Care should be taken not to scorch the wood. The wood fibers will be raised, so use the 4/O steel wool and denim again. Then use clear danish oil and a final wax.

SpearZ, so far , all my knives have been sold locally. Send me a PM and maybe we can work out something.

 

[the possum]

So.... You let the wood actually soak up hydrocholic acid?? How do you neutralize it? Aren't you afraid it will corrode the fittings or even tang?

 

[TALON158]

hi, did you receive my email? Thanks....

 

[nc_cooter]

Possum.

I color the maple after final fit up but before final assembly. I don't soak the wood in the acid. Maybe I should have said coat lightly with the acid until it doesn't soak in and immediately apply the heat. You want the wood damp not dripping. I haven't had any transfer problems so far and I assume the heat/acid/ sugar reaction neutralise's everything. I wouldn't try it with the the knife fully assembled. I got the recipe from an old wood worker friend.

TALON158.
I just got your e-mail. I will respond tonight.

 

[xaman]

so far , all my knives have been sold locally. Send me a PM and maybe we can work out something.

I can see why... That is an awesome blade!

 

[Keith Montgomery]

That's a fine looking knife, and the sheath look good as well. That wood exhibits fantastic chatoyance.

 

[SteelSlaver]

That is one beautiful knife. Well done.

 

[nc_cooter]

For those wondering about the use of muriatic acid, here's a quote from a chemist in lay mens terms.

"The muriatic (AKA HCl AKA Hydrochloric) acid does the sugar version. The burn off concentrates the acid by boiling off water. When concentrated enough it removes "water" from sugars and some other "sap" like stuff leaving an oil behind. Think of it as a black tar if you like. If heated hot enough (quite a low heat actually 150C/300F ish ) the acid will also boil away. So the technique is to gently heat so the acid has a chance to work before it disappears.
Second, The remaining muriatic acid will stop working when cold. It will also dilute itself when cold. I.e It absorbs moisture from the air. And last it will disappear (evaporate / fume) slowly all by itself. Technically speaking it is a gas. What we know as the acid is just the gas in a solution of water.
A quick wash in water, or left for a week, before sealing, is all that is required."
Hope this explains it better than I can.

 

[rio]

:thumbup: :thumbup: solid , simple and very nice :thumbup: