I just finished this bowie from the batch I had started this summer.  Here it is before, the blank which I cut and shaped from the saw blade below it:



And after:


I had in mind something as the last, last ditch weapon against a charging bear: rifle is empty, the .454 is empty, and the wounded grizzly is still charging.  So, as he's crashing into you, you stab him in the neck with this.



Nice, big, no-brainer handle with an iron hilt:


Handle is made of American Oak, stained dark and finished with 5 layers of gunstock oil, fastened with steel pins and epoxy.  This handle design leaves little room at the top and bottom, with a swell in the middle for the palm. A long time ago, I fused a kukri handle design with that of a Muela tac knife I had, added a swell near the pommel, and found that to be the most comfortable and easily retainable handle I had done.  Why oak? As far as I know, all knives had handles of either wood or bone for the longest time. The bowie is the quintessential American knife, and it seemed fitting to make a handle of Oak. Walnut was going to be my second choice. There's just something about wood, iron, and steel that gives a knife "soul".



Blade is 8.5".  OAL is 14.5". I got a good heat treat out of this one: through hardened and draw tempered on the spine.  The steel shows scarring from its former life as a concrete-cutting saw blade.  It's finished in 220 grit paper.  I gave the edges a high polish for better cutting ability.



For more information and pictures, go [url="http://thepanday.blogspot.com/2008/10/bearslayer-bowie-i-just-finished-this.html.... [/url]; Thanks for looking.

nice blade and the handle looks great too
I really like youre knifes the look ver nice!

Now that is a knife....my money would still be on the grizzley though

http://thepanday.blogspot.com/2008/10/bearslayer-bowie-i-just-finished-this.html

try this link instead - it works

So what does it weigh ?

JTK wrote on Oct 13^th, 2008 at 2:28pm:



Not unless  you've already been cut by it.
I think you're just "scared." 

Thanks for the compliments, gentlemen.  Like I said, it's not exactly primitive, but more "rustic" or "antique" looking, so I thought you might like a look.  A couple of specifics:

jeffrey,
it's flat ground from about 1/2" to the edge.  I mirror polish the ends of the edges for better cutting ability.  I haven't done anything with hex bolts; when it comes to knife styles and types, I'm something of a Luddite.  You can email me at mangudai398@hotmail.com for more information.

aardvark,
I didn't weigh it, but I'm guessing it's no more than a pound.  All I have is a bathroom scale, which isn't accurate in measuring small weights like that.

Bleeping Sweet Panday,
I'm in the market for a big knife and that one had me drooling a bit.
Unfortunely I have narrowed it down to about three models out there.
But it's a really nice blade.
Marc Adkins

nice knife, cool that you are recycling steel.

i really like the way you did the gaurd, i have never seen it done that way before.  looks very sturdy.  i also really like the heavily contoured handle, looks super comfy.