Kurt Osiander Bowie

Cajun Kamikaze

Cajun Kamikaze

Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
598
I've been commissioned by Kurt Osiander, One of Ralph Gracie's Black Belts, he runs Ralph's school in San Fransisco, and is world renowned. I'm pumped on this build and can't wait to put this blade in his hands. Here is what I have come up with on the design.

I sent it to him and he said go bigger, like short sword bigger if I wanted lol. It will grow but I'm not really sure how much. Let me know what you guys think.

 
Cajun - I like the design. My only comment, coming from a non-metallurgist, is that you may have issues getting that hamon on 1084. Maybe 1095 or W2....???

-Peter
 
I'm no metallurgist either, but I think that 1084 should form a hamon fine. As long as there is enough martensite forming during the quench, it should show. It doesn't really need to be hypereutectic to show a hamon.
 
No, it doesn't have to be a hypereutectic, but it does need to have relatively low hardenability. You can get a hamon with 1084, but 1095 and W2 are more suitable to getting more detailed hamons.
 
Awesome, Thanks guys!

Yea, I've had some success with 1084 Hamon. Not very consistent though. Here's some of my latest clay tempered 1084.

I hear a lot of people talk about how difficult it can be. I also find most peoples definition of difficult is far different than mine.



 
Go with W2 if you can

The hamon will much more impressive and it will cut like a lazer
 
I picked up that 1084 bar on Friday and started hammering away. I wanted to see how far I could get and in what amount of time. This thought was spurred by the show Forged in fire. Just didn't know what I could do with the tools I have in any amount of time. Well, I surprised myself and it's really motivating. Here is my progression in 5 hours with the homemade forge, hammer/anvil, 2"x 42" grinder and side grinder. Only used the side grinder to make 4 cuts on the handle.

The bar was 13"x 2"x 1/4" didn't get a before hammering pic and the 45 was cut for the tip.




























 
Well, Finally came up with a great name for this knife and the way it worked out, can't say it was by chance.

Some background. After seeing Sam Lurquin's design of the Tsavo and being very partial to large blades I approached this design with Sams Tsavo in mind. Well, knowing the background of the Tsavo design and being a huge fan of the movie, The Ghost and The Darkness, I really was excited to build this blade. But who would I build it for?

Chance would have it that I met Professor Kurt Osiander at a BJJ seminar hosted by my friend and Professor Kevin Bellard, also a customer of mine. We hit it off great and just so happens Kurt is a collector of blades, mostly Medival age style, but when I showed him my "large bowie" design he immediately wanted me to build him one.

So, I get around to forging it and I still don't really know what to call this design. Yesterday evening while drilling technique from mount and transitioning to back for attack, my sensie started to discuss the rear naked choke in some detail. Some might wonder why I call my BJJ instructor Sensie instead of Professor, well, it's because he is a 4 Dan Judoka and Judo and Japanese JJ is his base and love. This kinda leads into how this all came about. Back to him discussing the rear naked, he usually calls it hadaka jime because of his Judo lineage. Well, this time he gave us a new bit of info and he said the Brazilian sometimes call this choke Mata leão or "Lion killer" in Portuguese.

It hit me! AHH!!! Mata Leao it is! Designed through the inspiration of Mr Lurquin's Tsavo.

Kurt will appreciate that. And I have decided on black and red micarta scales to go with the BJJ tradition of Red and Black that is represented in the highest ranks from Professor to Master. Africa to Brazil crazy how that worked out. Some things are just meant to be. Think I'll have Mata Leao engraved on both sides of the ricasso
 
Well, finally got to final grinding and was able to etch and see how the hamon is looking. For 1084 I'd say this is a success. I was told by one particular clown that it took him years to figure out how to get a nice hamon on 1084 so he wouldn't share any secrets with me. Months maybe, years my ass unless you just don't have it....

Going to be real nice when I sand and polish it out. This etched out at 400 grit machine belt....





 
kind of a weird looking knife, seems like there's a little too much going on. But if your customer is happy, that's what matters :)
 
I'm working on a design now called the Lorien. Wait till you see how weird it is. Having a hard time with figuring out how to make a knife without a spine.
 
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