I started this little Bowie a couple months ago by forging the blade entirely by hand on a 200 year old anvil. Sometimes I just want to do that, you know?

Here is a picture of the blade (7 1/2 inches) just before I started the thermocycle. Its at forging temperature now.
 

Now I have it ground and ready to heat treat. As you can see the shape of the blade was planned from the beginning.
 

The next picture shows the guard ready to attach to the blade. I forged the guard from a piece of a bar of 416 stainless. I show the bar in the upper right of the picture.
 

Here the guard is on and the handle is fitted. At the time of that picture, the buttcap was not on so I just snapped the part that was done.
 

The buttcap is done. Pardon the cotton lint.
 

Here is the over view.
 

It's a light, well balanced, little Bowie. Thanks

sweet one indeed!

Great flow on that one Lin, and the color and texture transition on the handle is quite nice.

Beautiful in all respects.  It's amazing how much control you have during the forging process...you really got it close to the finished profile.  Flawless finish work, as usual.  As a side note, we have a couple of anvils from the 1820's at the Fort Atkinson blacksmith forge.  They've been repaired and restored, and sit on the exact spot the originals did beginning in 1820.  The forge shares the same footprint as well.

That is gorgeous! I love the simplicity of the fittings and guard shape.

Very classic lines, sweet! I am amazed by the forged shape, it is so close to the finished profile.

Beauty for sure. I am just going to have to do one with stag soon. The beauty of stag is a big appeal to me. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

Nice    I really like the attention to detail that goes into each of your knives.  The flower that you often use on the buttcaps of your knives is beautiful.  Adds a nice touch to an already beautiful knife.

Matt

Thanks guys. I like to add something like the flower on a knife every so often. It makes things interesting.

Looks like to me every handle needs to be stag! They just look right on a fine blade. Lin looks stunnin!

Lin,

Every time I see one of your knives I find myself reaching for my wallet! That's a gorgeous knife.

Allan

had to come back and look again, such a classy little Bowie!

A fantastic creation!

Steve
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Potomac Forge
Member, W.F. Moran Jr. Foundation

WOW What great Photografy,
That is really pretty
great job guys.

Another great looking knife.

great craftmanship!

      Beautiful!!!