I am a custom knifemaker.
Got my start in the early 80s, and grew up in a family taxidermy shop.
So I've been handling and sharpening knives for serious use since I was a small boy.

Heres a few examples of bowies I have made for sale over the years.

Hm.
Several of my pics are too large.
Going to have to resize them before I can post them here.

Ah.
a few more.
The black handle was made for a customer who wanted an authentic 19th century styled knife for an African safari hunt he and his wife were planning.
The grip is actually real African Oryx horn I had from my grandfather's shop.

And a "rifleman's knife".
While this one was intended for 18th century re-enacting, the basic shape falls into the broad category of "bowies".
I've seen Mexican bowie knives of the old west that are very similar to this.
I realize this one is kind of on the outer edge of bowie designs...
Since the focus here is more on the better known American bowie designs
So I'll remove it if an admin asks.

Quote from: Ironbadger on September 28, 2024, 01:43:33 AMI am a custom knifemaker.
Got my start in the early 80s, and grew up in a family taxidermy shop.
So I've been handling and sharpening knives for serious use since I was a small boy.

Heres a few examples of bowies I have made for sale over the years.

I'll say you are!  very nice

If there was a "like" button I'd like all the posted knives.  Very nice - tell us more about what type of metal, forged or..., how heat treated?  Rc?  We'd like to know all the juicy details:)

I have used several sources and types of steel over the years.
I used to used old saw blades, chain saw bars and the like because they were inexpensive and easily available when I lived in timber country in upper northern California.

I have moved on to using 1095 carbon steel and 5160 spring alloy mostly, because I can always get it.
And because old sawblades are now going for ridiculous prices because of the "if its old, it must be worth a fortune" mindset.

So virgin stock carbon steels like 1095, 5160 spring steel alloy and the like are much easier to get and a lot cheaper.
I use 1084 and 1075 for long blades like swords, as the lower carbon content makes the blades a tiny bit softer and a lot more resilient and far less likely to break.

I use to work with a maker who had his own gas forge for heat treating, but he has retired.
So I am looking to make up another gas rig myself like I had a long time ago and do my own heat treat again.
I can still torch heat steel, but a gas forge is better and more consistent.
And a lot less work since I can just chuck the blades into the forge and go take a break while they heat up.

I only use steel alloys that are simple to color quench.
The more high tech stuff that takes an electric oven and electronic thermometers and precision control are just too elaborate for me.
So no esoteric stainless or aerospace alloys from me.

I do stock removal mostly. (grinding to shape and beveling.)
My shoulder doesn't like heavy hammerwork these days, so forged edges are rare from me, but do sometimes happen.

Heat treating simple carbon steels is just a matter of heat it to a nice, cherry red color and quench in room temperature light oil.
I use corn or olive oil preferentually.

After quenching, you need to clean off the steel, and gently heat the steel to a light straw color and let it soak in the heat for a couple of hours to take any brittleness from being too hard out of the blade.

This will keep the knife blade from shattering if its dropped onto a concrete floor...
Which can be embarrassing...

The knives shown mostly have Axis deer antler grips.
I often use it because I can get sheds for a reasonable price, and it is the hardest, densest antler on earth.

I also use European walnut, American hard cherry, Indian and south American rosewood, various species of horn, bone and have used ivory.

I used to find chunks of elephant ivory for a decent price at knifes shows- 25 plus year old stuff that was legal to buy and sell.
That was in the early 80s. And the price of ivory, when you can even find it, has grown astronomically.

I have not yet tried the various faux ivory formulas yet- but I hear good things and am planning to give them a shot.

Otherwise, my guard and pommel hardware is generally mild steel and brass. 
Sometimes bronze- but I prefer real tin bronze over silicon bronze, and its tough to find unless I make my own.
Investment casting is a royal pain since I no longer have a foundry available, so please don't ask.
I've done cast silver fittings.
But that was when pure silver bars were $4.25 an ounce, and I bought up several pounds and squirreled them away.


Thats about all I can think of for now.

-Badger-