Micro Bawanna Bowie Folder concept.

Makes me wish I was a cowboy so I could ride up to Canada, down to Texas and back again.

While in Texas I'd rest the herd and check that baby out first hand. I think your doing a fine job. Looks super.
 
Congrats, it looks like you really pulled it off. Looks great. I'm liking the spring solution, and how the doubled brass looks pretty seamless. It must have been an educational project. (I wish I learnt this kind of stuff in metal shop classes -- ha, just thinking how they were playing it safe by showing us how to make candlesticks instead of knives.)

Yes please for a video, my request is that you show the fixed version, too, as your starting point. Plus in-hand operation (of course) and (simulated?) use.
 
Awesome work Kami Dog, what scales are you going to slap on it? Going wood, antler, Steve, or horn? Either way I love it already :)
 
Thanks DTKM! That piece of Zebra underneath in the photos is a consideration. I also have a piece of Western Big Leaf Maple burl.

a7ddca299a95f9e5b8d0452383aa946a


This piece is stabilized so that has its advantages. Steve is probably stabilized too (the Tall one) now the other Steve? Aint nothin stable about that one cept maybe his trigger finger:thumbup:. I could slap some of that on it. Then again Stag would be bad to the bone! If I only knew someone who knew how to work magic on that stuff;)
 
Lol for a minute there I was scrolling up trying to figure out who DTKM was...haha. its early -.-

That looks amazing. Like the belly of a fire. Looks almost surreal doesn't it. It's not hard to stabilize your own wood, but yeah, I'd go with the already stabilized one.

Stag would be amazing, but considering this is your first run, I'd save stag for MkII. :)
 
WOW! That is one gorgeous piece of wood Ndoghouse. How big is the block? I would love to have a AK47 stock made out of that stuff hehe.
 
This folder looks great so far! Bet it weighs over a pound.
Edit: Actually, after doing some quick calculations, I guess that it likely is under. Still, looks hefty.
 
Last edited:
Stag would be really challenging. The stag does the talking and determines alot of factors.
I have to go with DTKM (even though it's not early here) and run with wood.
I don't agree that stabilizing your own wood is easy. "Good" stabilized wood is an art form in that it maintains elasticity and doesn't get brittle while still doing all the good things that stabilizing does.

I've made a few grips from stabilized wood that cracked in half on the first shot. A real heartbreaker when you got a bunch of time invested.

I do love stabilized but it's not all created equal.

Maybe that trigger finger Steve dude knows some body that knows wood magic.

I can dig through my wood pile too if you are still considering other options. And I have a little antler, not certain I have anything large enough but perhaps.
 
Ndog, that is really something-adapting a fixed blade to a folder is no joke.
You'd be surprised how nice a lockback you can make with only a bandsaw, grinder and drill press- it's the liner locks that get hinky without a mill. Beautiful job, man.
 
Blasphemy, blasphemy, blasphemy. The Great and Powerful Steve is gonnagit you, boy! Kamidog, I have a 5 gallon bucket of flat spring stock in various thicknesses. I also still have some tiger stripped maple and Iowa black walnut scraps laying around. If you wanted it really really bad, I could find a chunk of 1/2" out door plywood that we could figure some kinda horse trade on. It may have some figure in it. Well, the more I look at it, it may be splinters I'm seeing.
 
Gosh durn it. It seems we've aroused the Great and Powerful Steve!

Kamidog, you best go back to sleeping with that trash can on your head for protection of the head and vital organs.

Won't stop Durty Nellie but might provide some comfort for most other stuff, like sharp pointy things.
 
Smooth polished interior stag would look dandy.

____________________________________________________________________________
Stevvvvve's signature

¯\_(ツ)_/¯​
 
Rostislav said:
...Bet it weighs over a pound.
Edit: Actually, after doing some quick calculations, I guess that it likely is under. Still, looks hefty.
Click to expand...
You pretty dang close id say! The knife weighs 17 ounces so far:D

Bookie said:
Blasphemy, blasphemy, blasphemy. The Great and Powerful Steve is gonnagit you, boy! Kamidog, I have a 5 gallon bucket of flat spring stock in various thicknesses. I also still have some tiger stripped maple and Iowa black walnut scraps laying around. If you wanted it really really bad, I could find a chunk of 1/2" out door plywood that we could figure some kinda horse trade on. It may have some figure in it. Well, the more I look at it, it may be splinters I'm seeing.
Click to expand...
mmmmm! Tiger maple is cool! So is marine plywood;) Thanks brother but hold on to it for now.

J W Bensinger said:
Ndog, that is really something-adapting a fixed blade to a folder is no joke.
You'd be surprised how nice a lockback you can make with only a bandsaw, grinder and drill press- it's the liner locks that get hinky without a mill. Beautiful job, man.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jim! I could imagine liner locks being a pain. I guess the liner has to be spring tempered and such. I will try it someday but forging a blade is next on my list.

Bawanna you get a reprieve from stag this time. I think I know what you mean about the stag dictating the handle shape etc. I thank you for the offer but I think im going to use the stabilized wood on this blade. I really want it to be bombproof and the stabilized stuff probably will be. I do like you idea of removable scales with the 1911 bushings. I want the lockbar and other pins to be serviceable for now if needed so this is the main reason i want the scales to be removable. Once I feel comfortable with the durabilty and functionality of things then i can glue some scales down permanently. When you snap that blade open it is really nice but it puts a hell of a lot of shock on that 1/8th" lockbar pin. I've already bent about three hardened pins and the hole in the brass is getting loose so im working a way to fix that permanently. I need a way to absorb the shock of that heavy blade. Bushings or pivot pins might work?
 
ndoghouse said:
You pretty dang close id say! The knife weighs 17 ounces so far:D
Click to expand...
Shouldn't of second-guessed myself. Realized I had only accounted for half of the handle, not the full thing:foot:

There is just something very appealing about a heavy duty folder, and this is the most overbuilt folder I have ever seen(At least, nothing is coming to mind to counter that). Very nice work here. I had done some playing around when I saw this thread first surface and figured out a design that would basically look just like the normal counterpart, however it had a few compromises and would of required close to perfect fit and finish to function correctly. I like how you decided to just go with the curved handle as the design I drew up would only accommodate a liner lock or a tab to function like a friction folder.

Also, I can imagine that snapping the blade open would put a good amount of stress on the handle and pins like you mentioned. Pivot pin/bushings might work as you wouldn't need to snap your wrist as much, likely lowering the shock. However, I am surprised your issue is so prevalent. I would of thought with the half-stop that you would not have much of an issue.
 
I did consider liner lock and slip joint both and maybe should have stuck with slip joint but done deal now and I aint goin back. The biggest problem is I didnt leave enough meat between the lockbar pivot pin and the edge so I cant use a larger pin or even bushing. Snaping the blade out on this folder is kind of interesting. To make it work right you have to do a twisting motion much like turning a big knob then stop abruptly. It takes some practice. Now that I know I can do it ill be easy on it:D Im hoping when or if I use bearings in the pivot it will take less force to snap it open and that problem will go away. The half stop is pretty much invisible when opening like that. I still have some details like that to take care of before the scales get fabbed.
Please post some sketches Rostilav if you get a chance. Id like to see what you came up with. and yes the handle shape was pretty much defined by the blade shape since i was limited where to put the pivot hole. Im going to try to make another style soon but with my own blade. At least I know what NOT to do now.
 
Ndog-i think you chose well with a lockback. Slipjoints have their own problems, and are less fun when they're finished to boot (IMO at least). Snapping any folder open repeatedly knocks the heck out of it and with a blade that heavy i suspect there's nothing that will stop the brass deforming-even mild steel gets wacky after a while under that kind of stress.
Too bad there's not room
For a bigger pivot pin-that would help.
You could grind the fullers in the blade deeper, to lighten it up-if the mechanism is overmatched why not?
 
Not snapping it open will help a lot-I don't wave my Emersons open unless I reaaaally need to for that reason.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top