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Below is the story of this knife.
SUNSHINE BOWIE KNIFE
Material of Knife =
Stainless steel 440CKnife Hardness = 58 HRC
Knife Weight = 550grams
Sheath Material = Cow LeatherHandle Material = G10 Glass resinClass = Fixed Blade full tang knifeShape = Clip point BowieTotal Length = 16 inchesHistory and Experiments :A question that could be raised is why it took me around two years to launch this product?Back in 2023, when I started working on the "Sunshine Bowie knife," I selected a piece of high carbon steel known for its strength, hardness, and toughness, though it had low tensile strength. I was excited to produce these knives in bulk using the same high carbon steel. However, when I conducted a corrosion resistance test, the carbon steel knife failed and developed a significant amount of rust on the surface. This was very disappointing, so I began searching for the perfect steel to meet our requirements.I visited my local market and examined various types of steel. After extensive research, I chose "Sandvik steel 12C27," which offers good edge retention and a significant level of rust resistance. I purchased this steel from the local market and started working on the project to produce Sunshine Bowie knives in quantity. It took me several months to get them ready, and I was pleased with this type of steel. However, I noticed that there was still a gap between my requirements and the performance of this steel. When I placed my 12C27 knife in the sheath for a few days, I observed some oxidation on the surface, which was very disappointing for me.Why I chosen the 12c27?o. It had similar strength as in High Carbon steels.o. It could hold edge. o. It had good amount of carbon to make sure the hardness of knife.o. Major reason it has a great rust resistivity.o. It had a good toughness and resistivity against cracks.ButWhy I Discarded the whole lot of knives made of 12c27?o. It was still oxidising by moisture.o. The max hardness was not meeting my criteria.o. Low hardness compared to Carbon steel.The main reason I moved away from this steel was that it couldn’t withstand moisture, and I wanted a knife that could endure harsh environments while providing super hardness, good strength, and excellent rust resistance, all while maintaining a better edge like high carbon steel. I ended up wasting a lot of money on this discarded Bowie knife lot, but I didn’t lose hope.I continued to search and study different steels. The final steel that met my requirements was called "440C stainless steel." However, there was a problem: this steel wasn’t easily available, and I couldn’t find it locally. I collaborated with people who could source this steel for me and I trusted them, but I faced another significant loss of wasting whole lot of knives, because the steel they provided us was actually locally casted steel. This was really upsetting, so I decided to get the certified 440C steel. In the meantime, I kept studying the anatomy of this steel.Fortunately, I found the certified 440C steel. I purchased a sample first and conducted all my experiments on it, and it passed, meeting all my expectations.Why I chosen the 440C steel?o. It has good strength.o. Give a great edge retention.o. Super rust resistive in any environment.o. Gives a hardness similar to High carbon steel (58~60HRC)o. Has high carbon contento. Has a great retention against ACIDS.However, there was still one compromise I had to make. In my search for rust resistance, I had to sacrifice some toughness in this steel. It’s a low-toughness material, meaning it can get cracks. If you temper it to improve toughness, it loses the required hardness. So, I found a middle ground where it maintained a hardness of about 57-58 HRC while also providing good toughness and edge retention. With that, I proceeded with production using 440C steel, and I created a lot that turned out beautifully and was nearly perfect.This is the whole story of the Sunshine Bowie knife why I took me years to make. The leather sheath has a similar story but I am running out of words in description box.
