My hat off for the Bowie guys

R

rlinger

Joined
Mar 29, 2002
Messages
4,591
Not being a Bowie enthusiast but opening my big mouth voluntaring to rehandle one has caused me to enter into something more difficult than expected.

I have chosen the ball end type guard that Bruce Evens tought me on the web. I like it a lot and will stay with it. The kicker to me is that it has recently occured that I can not fashion the handle while fixed in place. This is because the guard is wider than the rest of the handle. Should I shape the handle in place I will disform the guard with scratchings. I will have to almost finish shaping the handle outside the tang to keep from hurting the guard finish. Perhaps this is one of the reasons some of you like making the Bowie.

I tip my hat and will post pics when done.

RL
 
Roger, I'm struggling with this very issue - this morning in fact. That's what I'm doing too, trying to get everything almost to its final finish before assembly... Yikes.

Dave
 
You are going to get hooked om these Bowies if your not careful:D
And the cool part is that the more you get into them and start checking out the old antiques,the trickier the handle and guard combination can get.I sometimes wonder what some of the old makers were slipping in there coffee whan they designed and made some of these old knives.
One thing that helps when making these is to remember that in the factories you had a smith that forged then a grinder that shaped the blades then the guard and handle and sheath was put on by a Jeweler or someone trained in the jewelery field.Some of the old makers from America were trained as Silver smiths and liked to show off there abilities when crafting a knife thus the cool work on the handles and guards..
Can't wait to see the pictures of this completed..
Bruce
 
I really like to make the individual parts too match each other and then assemble the knife. If everything fits good they wont even need glue to hold them together. IMHO that is a well made bowie. It takes extra time of coarse but its keeps you out of the pub.
 
The PUB? That's where all this started!

The hardware will be of nickel silver. I have the ball ends made and am awaiting the UPS man for the 1/8th n/s sheet. The pins I have. Spacers will be of n/s and either ebony or black linen micarta. The wood is a great piece of tiger maple.

To see a picture of what I will reproduce look at the cover of the Summer 2002 A.G. Russell catalog. The Bowie I am working with has a hollow grind though. The Russel is a full flat grind.
 
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