I just got pictures back from Johnny Stout of a knife I did a few months ago.  It was intended to go to Governor Abbott (of Texas) to celebrate the passing of HB1935 which legalized bowie knife carry.  Unfortunately hurricane Harvey literally rained on our party, so we haven't closed the deal with the governor.  Because of the governor thing, many different people had a part in this project.  Since this was a bowie, going to the governor of Texas, to be delivered at the Alamo, by a Texas knifemaker, I went with a collection of Texas historical materials.

The blade is forged W2, donated to the project by Aldo Bruno.  I forged it to shape and did the heat treat at my home in Hawley, TX.

The handle is sycamore wood, spalted, from the grounds of the Texas Capitol building in Austin.  My brother was friends in college with a guy who worked grounds crew and brought the wood home as firewood.  It was ultimately dyed and stabilized by Terry Dunn, of LaVernia, TX.

The guard and spacer are wrought iron, blued.  The material was given by Will Frary of Grapevine, TX, and came from the rail of the first railroad into Dallas, TX in 1872.

The coined spacers are 1836 capped-bust half dollars.  Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836.

The stand includes mesquite from Abilene, given to me by my cousin, also a 6th generation Fry Texan.  The wrought iron square nails forged to shape for the stand are from the house of 1840’s settler Allen Urquhart, who founded Jefferson, TX. The nails were donated by Don Millhouse of Fredericksburg, Tx.

Thanks to all who contributed to this project!  We're still working on the governor, but things are stalled in that regard, so for now we'll have to just celebrate the pictures.

Lovely and very well done.

Beautiful knife. Really like all the historical elements worked into the design.

From an other Texan, that is a cool knife! and cool that it is going to the Governor!

                                                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith 

You need all that info engraved on a brass or nickel silver plate and fastened to the stand!

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

You need all that info engraved on a brass or nickel silver plate and fastened to the stand!

Or at very least detailed on a label on the underside. 

Handle turned out great.  I like the end and how you did the pins to match the shape. 

We're already WAY over budget, so he'll just get a nice letter describing what all's in there.  Statutory limitation of $500 for gifts to the governor.

Rout a depression in the bottom and glue the info in it and then seal it with a good coating of  a clear sealant.