Old/New Bowie

[ChurchandSon]

Real buzy at realjob this time of year but I try to keep a couple of remodels going to have something to do at night..
I got this Bowie blade in a trade...Broken handle, the tip was broken and the blade was chipped pretty bad..I hot filed, sanded and re-heat treated it. In other words, spent twice as much time trying to save it as making a new one!!
Blade is 9″ sharp and 13″ overall...




Handle is Coyote jawbone via some local chicken farmers who are intent on exterminating them in 'Carolina...
Sheath is horse hide and some of my egg tanned deerhide...Finish is homebrew Walnut/Vinageroon dye with dirt, grease and shellac...





Doin' my best for those yardbird farmers......Randy

[Mogorilla]

Worth the Effort!  Love that.  I need to get some jawbones.  How do you treat the backs?  from the teeth, I see you use both jawbones, but do you trim out the inside of the bone so they fit?  Would love a brief explanation if you don't mind.   Save me ruining a few jaws.

That looks totally awesom!!!!

[ChurchandSon]

Thanks,
yes I flattened the backs on a sanding block, put in two iron pins, used pine pitch(for correctness) and epoxy(for my sanity)

[ChuckBurrows]

Nicely done Randy ( and I did get your last email - just been swamped)

Mo - I generally get my coyote jawbones from Moscow Hide and Fur, Eidnes Furs, or Ebay - as Randy noted - you will need to flatten the inside surfaces and dependent on customer/final use, I use a good epoxy or period glue (if a heavy blade I also have used poured pewter to get the balance) and pins - normally brass or copper pins and annealed to help the peening along with chamfering the bone. One problem with commercial bones though is they are often bleached which tends to make them brittle.
After gluing and pinning I mostly cover with deer or elk rawhide - as Randy did here. It adds to the strength although I DO NOT recommend using jawbones handled knives for heavy, general duty. Traditionally they were strictly fighting knives.

[ChurchandSon]

Thanks Chuck....
I tried some commercial cleaned bones from a local science distributor  but they would split/shatter when I tried to drill.These were dropped in a bucket of pond scum back in the summer (Those little microbes have big teeth) and dried out in the horse barn window for about 3 months. They act more like hard wood than bones now.....One problem I've had is keeping the teeth intact, resorted to epoxy...
And as always, appreciate your inspirations and sharing of knowledge....

[ChuckBurrows]

Randy - Like you I have found that some/most of the commercial bones/jaws are often brittle due to them being either over boiled or bleached - my "trick" with these is to soak them in something like Watco Oil and then let them dry. IF I can get them fresh with some "fat" still on them I "cook" them at low heat in just enough water to cover them - when the water cooks off I then hang to dry. The fat soaks into the bone and keeps them from being brittle and also gives them a nice greasy yellow color.

And yep the teeth can/will get loose so like you I glue them in - thinned epoxy or super glue or if doing PC hot hide glue,pewter, or pitch.

[Mogorilla]

Thanks for all the hints.  Love the look of those.   We have a store in Independence (Whispering Winds for any local folks who don't know about it).  They have some bones periodically.  Passed on a set of coyote jaw bones because I was not sure how to handle them.   I have done powder flasks out of beef leg bones, one I dug up, while in-laws were digging a pond. The reacon it had been burried for about 30 years.  It is like working hardwood.   Others I got from Petco, and boiled myself, then let dry for a few months.  The guy in Petco thought I was a nutter.  I had a 9 lb toy poodle then (had to put him to rest last month.  he had a good 18.5 year run, but man I miss him.)  Okay, all teary now.  But had the dog with me at the store when buying two big leg bones.  Guy asked me if I had another dog.  Told him nope, this one is a beast.  Dog was sniffing the bones at the time.  Guy just gve me a strange look and rung me up.   Will have to get some Jawbones.  I always have gotten good service with Moscow.  Thanks again for the hints and tips.  You guys are the best.

[ChurchandSon]

You are welcome Sir..
And thanks Chuck for the tip on heating fresh ones..Fox hunters brought Coyotes here back in the '80's as an alternative sporting animal and the #### things love it here...Neighborhood cats and chickens seem to be candy to them...I saw a pack of about 10 last week devouring a roadkill buck, took unloading my car pistol into the bunch to persuade them to let me remove the rack......