Got a couple of bowie blanks forged out

S

Spots

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Oct 7, 2012
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These are being made to be given away as Christmas presents. This is the first knives I've made where I have had access to a belt grinder, which I'm working with a 1 x 30 HF grinder. So most of my work is done on the anvil, as the grinder doesn't do so well at heavy grinding, and I don't like using an angle grinder if I don't have to. It challenges my blacksmith skills to finish it as far as possible with hammer and anvil before starting any stock removal.

Two bowies, rough ground out to about 320 grit, all bevels hammered in. 12.5 blades, 18" overall. 1084 from Aldo, will be finished with small straight guards and burmese rosewood handles.

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Thanks for looking, and remeber they aren't quiet done yet. :cool:
 
In forging, you have to forge a reverse curve in the blade before you start the bevels or you will get a banana blade like those. You should have straightened them at the end of each heat while forging to keep them straight. Now that you have ground the edges it is too late to repair. Not all a loss - They will have a Pirate or Cutlass look.
 
bladsmth said:
In forging, you have to forge a reverse curve in the blade before you start the bevels or you will get a banana blade like those. You should have straightened them at the end of each heat while forging to keep them straight. Now that you have ground the edges it is too late to repair. Not all a loss - They will have a Pirate or Cutlass look.
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The guy these are being made for requested that they have the natural drawn curve in them. I normal forge my counter bends in, and draw out a straight blade, but he was pretty incessant that they have a large belly and curve for slicing cuts. SO I built them the way he wanted. Thanks for the advice though
 
OK, meat slicing butcher knives. I was going on your thread title calling them Bowies.
 
bladsmth said:
OK, meat slicing butcher knives. I was going on your thread title calling them Bowies.
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I was calling them bowies under the impression that most knives with a sharpened back clip was a bowie. I see all kinds of large knives called bowies on this forum, so thats my mistake. I didn't know a bowie meant that it had to have a straight blade
 
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No need to change it, I was just thinking of the standard Bowie shape. Straight backed, fairly heavy build, clip point with sharpened swedge. Now that you have explained the reasoning, it makes more sense.

FWIW,
A lot of knives are called "Bowies", because the genre is pretty broad. The original Bowie ordered by Rezin was based on the Spanish hunting/fighting knife that was popular in that day. Long and straight, it looked much like a butcher knife. Later on, Bowies became wider and heavier. The Davy Crockett style is what many think of today.
 
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