I need your advice on the guard design.

Fighter Guard. Seems balanced that way. The S looks nice but bet it would look better with a more macho look. What do I know though. :D
 
Cindy Denning said:
Fighter Guard. Seems balanced that way. The S looks nice but bet it would look better with a more macho look. What do I know though. :D
Click to expand...
Cindy,
Do you mean a guard something like this?

titan.jpg


Actually I think that any number of guard styles could be successfully done with this blade, either modern or traditional. I do not think that it will be possible to come uup with a combination that pleases everyone.

I liked Stephen's oval guard and ferrule quite a bit. Joss's idea of something more octagonal sounds interesting as well. I think "S" guards are cool. However, I agree 100% with Steve Garsson. Many a fine maker has hosed up a good looking blade with a less than perfect "S" guard.

I just recently saw a Harvey Dean Bowie with a very similar blade style (after I'd forged out the one in question). It had an oval guard, and looked just great.
 
I also like the 2nd guard too, but I'd make it out of damascus and use a really nice, very burled and figured piece of desert ironwood for the handle.

No matter what you do, I know it will be nice. All of Terry's knives are nice!
 
That is a knock out blade!
to me a knife without a ferrule doesnt look right
were this one mine..after seeing her cleaned up and ground...Oval and ferrule..I love damascus fittings but this piece is looking so clean I'd keep it simple and do nickel silver or stainless..i am a fan of a bit of copper to warm things up.
Terry has a wonderful feel of what a customer wants as well as keeping things in perfect balance..go with his intuition Peter its going to be a stunner!
 
Another vote for the S, second down in the pic. That blade already looks pretty sweet all by itself though.

oil
 
Well, Steven doesn't have to like them all :D

I think if the first guard was thinned a bit, it would be WAY cool. I think it flows really well with the blade shape, it's just a bit thick.

Then again, it's hard to go wrong with an oval guard and ferrule.

I think a blued or browned guard and ferrule with ss spacers on either side of the ferrule would look super cool!!! :D

Is this one of your Js knives Terry??? :)


-Nick-

http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
RAN said:
to me a knife without a ferrule doesnt look right
Click to expand...

I second that. Especially on big bowies, a ferrule does a lot for the general flow of the knife. I've seen big knives by top makers without a ferrule, and they often looked weird to me.
 
Over the past couple of years, as I've gotten deeper into collecting (and debt!)... I've often thought about guard styles on larger pieces. Several beauts have graced this forum lately and have really tickled the imagination. And now to have the actual question posed, and blade displayed upon which to make that choice.. Wow...

Stephen's art really helps with the general shape, and several other posters have added embellishments... I can see how hard this can be...

So something different... Someone mentioned a 'C' guard... Close...

I'm thinking an unequal oval with a severe "waist" and a slight forward cant to the upper and lower halves. Then, thin them enough to qualify as quillions and flare them at the end and finish the ends off in a clamshell sculpted pattern... Blue them and use a blued and fluted spacer... And top it off with Sambar Stag or a sculpted handle in Koa or Ironwood...

Dang... now I'm gonna have to save up for another one...

Terry, I'm still not clear as to who the author is of this blade, but if it is yours... :D Dang, that's another beaut!!!
 
After careful consideration, Terry said that he would prefer to do what he does best, and make it simple and super clean.
Who am I to argue? I hope to have a few better photos shortly. :cool:

orig.jpg
 
That bowie is just lovely! Lovely, I say! ;) :)

Terry, ya did it again. Great job!
 
Thanks Danbo. I wish I had better photos. This was the best I could do on the spur of the moment, with bad lighting and my ancient 1.6 megapixel camera. I've just been entirely too busy to try to setup a lightbox and tripod, and tweak things in the photo editor.

I did three guards for this knife. The first was an "S" that I didn't like -- I tossed it. Next I did a guard like the one on the Alex Daniel's Bowie recently posted. ptgdvc didn't care for that style. So on the third go around I went with the old standby which was the oval.
 
This is trully lovely. My only beef with the oval guard is that I find them a tad less comfortable, but visually, they are (and this one in particular emphatically is) pleasing to the eye. Good job! (And that wood handle looks mighty nice too...)
 
Peter, you are a lucky lucky man, with just too many damn fine knives, it is simply unfair that you get this beauty as well ... if we were playing football I would have taken my ball home by now. :D

Terry ...... you are an extremely telented man with an eye for perfection. Well done!

Stephen
 
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