Hi, This is my first try at a bowie. It is 9" from tip to guard and 13.5" overall. W-2 tool steel clay hardened in water for three seconds and canola oil till cool. The guard is 416 stainless and the spacer is 416 and titanium (I used titanium because I had it and it was the right thickness). The handle is stabilized maple burl. The hamon is quite active, with many subtle features including a choji "secondary hamon that runs along the tips of the ashi. Unfortunately I had no luck photographing it. Well here it is, hope you like it.







Thanks for looking, as always feedback is greatly appreciated. -Justin

wow really nice, i have been playing with the idea of a bowie, lots of work involved tho, still working on consistent quality

That is BEAUTIFUL, I hope to do stuff like that someday soon!!

Looks good to me!

Just freakin amazing

Wow, Thanks for the kind words guys. I posted it on the ABS sight and the master smiths who commented only suggestions were about handle length maybe being a bit longer, so I feel like I'm starting to do something right.
Joshua, I am always of the point of view to go ahead and try it. Quality of the finished piece will be determined by experience and personal quality standards. I think the second is more important as I see smiths who have been doing it for years make knives that look pretty rough, and I see people who put out fantastic work after just a few. I always give it a try and just make sure I learn from my mistakes. I know there are many things I would do different with this knife next time. Also the knives that don't meet muster for fit and finish or design are good to use for testing. Stuff you don't want to do a knife you're really proud of.
Thanks again guys, -Justin

That looks great, Justin! How did you do your polishing> The hamon looks nice and frosty.

Gorgeous hamon, Justin, and an awesome blade all around. Is that Aldo's W2? This may be your first Bowie, but clearly this ain't your first time at the rodeo. :)

Steve, I use sandpaper up to 2000g. then I use pre-polish from a rock tumbling kit, backed with the used 2000g paper. this does quite a bit to bring out the hamon. Then I etch in vinegar, clean with Flitz and etch again. sometimes I repeat the last few steps a couple times and I am always evolving how I do it.
Matt, yes it is Aldo's W-2. I have been really impressed with it. It is much better for hamons than the 1095 I had before and it is super tough and holds a great edge.
-Justin

would W2 be a good starting steel for my first bowie?
thanks for the encouragement
Josh

Hi Josh, I have been using W-2 for the better part of a year and have had good results. I have also had good luck with 1084 and 1095. The main reason I use the W-2 is my interest in hamons and the low manganese and pinch of vanadium sp? make the W-2 ideal. So yeah it is good but so are several others, I usually use what I have. -Justin

ok thanks justin, i have a bunch of scrap but i would really like some quality steel, i just didnt want to go spend that much money on quality steel only to fint that it wouldnt be the best bang for my bucks
josh

Very nice. I really like the handle too. I wish the posting pics worked for me as I have my first knife I would like feedback on but it's no where close to yours. Merry Christmas.

RD

Hi Josh, I would call Aldo Bruno (New Jersey Steel Baron). You can get on his web site to see what he has, but I would call him to place the order. I used scrap for a good while but it worth the money to get some known steel. If you know what you have you can follow prescribed heat treat methods, and the longer you work with a steel the better you get to know it, allowing you to get the most out of it.

Thanks Dave, it sounds like lots of people have been having problems. Maybe contact the admin.? I feel it is important to get feedback, for me the forums are my only resource for this, there are times when there is an obvious problem with your work but it won't be obvious to you but someone else will see it imediately. This is very helpful in getting better. Good luck getting your pics up, I look forward to seeing them.