Joël Mercier Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Here's my rough sketch. The blade is 7" long and handle roughly 4.5". Let me know what you think, I know next to nothing about bowies. I plan do do this from 3/16" W2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 I'd call that a fighter rather than a bowie, but that's just a matter of opinion. And I think it's a cool idea in the north where sapping is a long tradition! Plus it looks like you could use the bucket hook as a bottle opener if needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyO Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 46 minutes ago, Alan Longmire said: I'd call that a fighter rather than a bowie, but that's just a matter of opinion. Another question from one who doesn't know much (if anything) about Bowies or fighters... In your opinion, what's the difference? RIP Bear....be free! as always peace and love billyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 40 minutes ago, billyO said: Another question from one who doesn't know much (if anything) about Bowies or fighters... In your opinion, what's the difference? I suspect the blade may be too short Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 In general, and in my opinion (and there are many!) a Bowie has a mostly parallel blade for the first two-thirds of the blade (usually!) and has a symmetrical (usually!) handle. Nobody knows what the knife Jim Bowie had at the Sandbar Fight in 1828 looked like, it was described at the time as "a large butcher knife." I base my opinion on the so-called golden age Bowies of 1829-1860. These have a lot of variation, and some did have slightly sculpted handles, but more in a sabre-esque way. A few of the earliest did have more of a curve to the edge, some even had a blade that widened out to the clip or spearpoint. But I'm a classics kind of guy. You can find the exact opposite opinion from people just as qualified as me (which is not much more than most unless you're talking historical stuff). To some people any large-ish single edged knife with a guard is a bowie. To me, a "fighter" has a pointier profile than a bowie, and always has a sculpted grip. But that's me. In other words, it's not in any way important! This is a great design Joel has come up with, and that's all it needs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Camper Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 It would be cool if you had a hidden compartment for syrup... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 (edited) 22 hours ago, Zeb Camper said: It would be cool if you had a hidden compartment for syrup... I'm going to have to make a sheath and it is definitely feasible. Edit: I could fit something like this in the sheath. Edited February 16, 2020 by Joël Mercier 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Camper Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Awesome! It would be cool if it was in the handle though........... Say you walk into a waffle house around 2am. The salty ol' waitress that didn't want to serve you throws your food down and says in a raspy new england accent "sorry sweetheart, we're out of syrup". So you narrow your eyes, spit a stream of tobacco juice on the floor, and rip a 7.5" knife from your hip without breaking eye contact, then remove a cap from the hilt dispensing maple syrup on your dried stack of bland food. Then you give it a lil twirl from the bucket hook and re-holster that bad boy in wild west fashion. Then, the Rob Halford doppelgangers tap your shoulder and.... Obviously just kidding btw 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyO Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 34 minutes ago, Zeb Camper said: Say you walk into a waffle house... That's great, Zeb. If you're old enough, and I were anywhere near Buchanan, I'd like to buy you a pint or two. Especially if that'd loosen your tongue for more of the above. 1 RIP Bear....be free! as always peace and love billyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Wilcox Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Cool design, Joël, I like the forward curving bucket hook guard. That's a really neat touch. And also a syrup flask may be one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 Today I cut the profile of the blade on the portabands, cleaned the contour by drawfiling and set the shoulders square with the carbide file guide. More to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 Okay, I don't know if I was supposed to take more step by step pictures of my work, but here's where I am at now. The blade has been HTed with clay and final ground. I am currently cleaning up all the mess I did on the grinder(I need more practice at plunges and false edges for sure). I think it's going to have a nice hamon as it shown itself a bit with trizac belts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 2 hours ago, Joël Mercier said: Okay, I don't know if I was supposed to take more step by step pictures of my work, Yep, sorry. You have to go back and start over so you can document it correctly. Send me that blade and I'll dispose of it properly Looking good! Mr. States has a video or two that demonstrates a nice way to control the grind on a false edge. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 Good, I'll try and find those. Thanks Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 Everything has been cleaned up with #220. Some hamon is showing up. I think I'm going to take it up to #1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Middleton Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 (edited) Looking good Joel. That thing will be killer if that hamon comes out for you. Edited April 18, 2020 by Alex Middleton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 Thank you Alex. This is going to be a fun build. I think I'm going to use wrought iron from @Zeb Camper for the guard and I think I've figured how I'm going to do the copper habaki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyO Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Joël Mercier said: hamon is showing up Yeah, for sure!!! looking forward to seeing the whole package. RIP Bear....be free! as always peace and love billyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 6 hours ago, billyO said: Yeah, for sure!!! looking forward to seeing the whole package. It's definitely there! The lighting in my shop is so strong that every little scratch is reflected x10. While it's perfect for getting a good finish on the blades, I can't properly shoot a hamon even on video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Camper Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Looking good man! Hope that wrought works out. That one flat piece was left out of the stack from a past project, I labeled it wrought, so I hope it really is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 21 minutes ago, Zeb Camper said: Looking good man! Hope that wrought works out. That one flat piece was left out of the stack from a past project, I labeled it wrought, so I hope it really is! I was going to use one of the chain links you sent me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 More progress through the grits. No etch done yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyO Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 Wow! That looks great, Joel! Are you even going to have to etch???? RIP Bear....be free! as always peace and love billyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, billyO said: Wow! That looks great, Joel! Are you even going to have to etch???? Thanks Billy I usually do a short etch to help make the hamon visible at a wider viewing angle, because we can currently only see it from a certain angle and lighting. Edited April 21, 2020 by Joël Mercier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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