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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
My Newton bowie.
- Thread starter Keith Montgomery
- Start date
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
Ron sent me a whole bunch of pictures today. Things are starting to go together nicely. I am going to do this over three posts, I hope you don't mind.
The S guard forging is a time consuming ordeal when forged by hand. First it starts out with a chunk of nickel damascus about the size of an ice cube as shown in the first picture. In the second picture it is heated to forging temp. Picture three shows the cube after being forged thinner and longer with a rounded nose forged on one end and a rounded nose at the other end in picture four.
The S guard forging is a time consuming ordeal when forged by hand. First it starts out with a chunk of nickel damascus about the size of an ice cube as shown in the first picture. In the second picture it is heated to forging temp. Picture three shows the cube after being forged thinner and longer with a rounded nose forged on one end and a rounded nose at the other end in picture four.
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
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In the fourth picture one rounded nose is shown forged on edge to obtain one of the half penny circles. Picture three shows the other rounded nose forged into a half penny. Picture two shows how the oval area where the stag will mate up has been forged thinner and wider to accommodate the handle. The piece of stag is used as a gauge until the guard is forged wide enough to fit the stag.
Next both half pennies are placed on the edge of an anvil and hammered to turn the half pennies about 90 degrees as shown in the first picture.
(I have no idea how to arrange the attachments in the right order. That is why you are having to go through the pictures backwards.)
Next both half pennies are placed on the edge of an anvil and hammered to turn the half pennies about 90 degrees as shown in the first picture.
(I have no idea how to arrange the attachments in the right order. That is why you are having to go through the pictures backwards.)
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
The guard is pressed fit to the tang using no solders or adhesives. Simply a tight mechanical fit. To start out, the tang at the ricasso measures .210". A precision slot is milled into the guard (as shown in the third picture) to .205". This gives a .005" interference fit. In other words the slot is smaller than the tang.
Then in picture two the guard is slid onto the tang until it binds about 3/4" away from the ricasso. A micarta soft spacer is placed on top of the guard to protect from denting the nickel damascus. Then a beating fixture is placed onto the guard (also known as "The Beater"). The Beater is forked to capture the tang.
Next in picture one The Beater is whacked several times with a 5 pound sledge hammer until the guard makes contact with the ricasso and is fully seated into place. Then you have a pressed fit guard that is a mechanical fit that is a very tight .210". When done properly you should see zero daylight between the ricasso and the guard. Sometimes this evolution requires extreme and numerous beatings.
Next step will be to fabricate the front ferrule out of nickel damascus.
Then in picture two the guard is slid onto the tang until it binds about 3/4" away from the ricasso. A micarta soft spacer is placed on top of the guard to protect from denting the nickel damascus. Then a beating fixture is placed onto the guard (also known as "The Beater"). The Beater is forked to capture the tang.
Next in picture one The Beater is whacked several times with a 5 pound sledge hammer until the guard makes contact with the ricasso and is fully seated into place. Then you have a pressed fit guard that is a mechanical fit that is a very tight .210". When done properly you should see zero daylight between the ricasso and the guard. Sometimes this evolution requires extreme and numerous beatings.
Next step will be to fabricate the front ferrule out of nickel damascus.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2003
- Messages
- 1,235
Keith - Thanks again for putting the effort into this thread, simply fascinating. Also thanks to Ron for taking the photos.
Wouldn't it be great if we could put a book together of 50 to 100 outstanding custom knives, each piece containing a photo diary and explanation of the process - well, I can dream can't I?
Stephen
Wouldn't it be great if we could put a book together of 50 to 100 outstanding custom knives, each piece containing a photo diary and explanation of the process - well, I can dream can't I?
Stephen
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Mar 2, 1999
- Messages
- 27,468
Very nice Keith, this is a keeper thread for sure!
as will be that knife!
G2
(notice how the knife is almost as tall as the doors!!!
just kidding of course, my dad used to do that when he would hold out a fish he caught...making it look larger than it really was.
G2
as will be that knife!
G2
(notice how the knife is almost as tall as the doors!!!
just kidding of course, my dad used to do that when he would hold out a fish he caught...making it look larger than it really was.
G2
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
Ron got real busy making knives for the Solvang knife show and so the last pictures you are going to see here are of my finished knife. Actually, Ron still has to finish sharpening it and making the sheath, but for the most part it is done.
Ron will make the formed leather sheath for this knife as a demonstration at the hammer-in this weekend in Old Washington, Arkansas.
Ron will make the formed leather sheath for this knife as a demonstration at the hammer-in this weekend in Old Washington, Arkansas.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,139
Yowza. Yowzayowzayowza.
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2001
- Messages
- 12,336
Having the damascus guard/spacer/buttcap finished changes EVERYTHING! Just the right amount of patterns. I like how the rings in the spacer oppose the pattern in the steel. Looks like THAT was not an easily accomplished task, either.
Keith, you pick some mighty fine work for your own collection. We all are admiring this as proof.
Ron, a tip of the hat is trivial compared to the compliments necessary on this piece. But, I'll give it anyway...!
Coop
Keith, you pick some mighty fine work for your own collection. We all are admiring this as proof.
Ron, a tip of the hat is trivial compared to the compliments necessary on this piece. But, I'll give it anyway...!
Coop
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
Ron has proven himself to not only be a fantastic craftsman and outstanding artist, but he has shown himself to be a great guy to work with. He has always taken the time to return emails even when it would have been more productive to have been in the shop. He has also been very informative, exceptionally helpful and always willing to please. You couldn't pick a better person to make a knife for you.
Before Ron made the decision to put a moratorium on the taking of orders we discussed his making me a folding bowie; the kind with a blade that is a lot longer than the handle. Going ahead with this knife will give me the opportunity to keep working with Ron for the next little while. You can bet that during that time I am going to try to convince him that it wouldn't hurt for him to make me a couple of more knives. Might not get me anywhere, but you can't blame a guy for trying.
Before Ron made the decision to put a moratorium on the taking of orders we discussed his making me a folding bowie; the kind with a blade that is a lot longer than the handle. Going ahead with this knife will give me the opportunity to keep working with Ron for the next little while. You can bet that during that time I am going to try to convince him that it wouldn't hurt for him to make me a couple of more knives. Might not get me anywhere, but you can't blame a guy for trying.