Big Bowie

[hotfxr]

My jig to grind in the blood/stiffening groove.

[hotfxr]

Close to being done. Needs some hand filing on the cutting edges, some more sanding on the scales and hardening and tempering. I got a coal fire going in the forge so heat and quench three times (two with water, one with oil) and into the Weber grill for tempering.
I have it nest to the Timber Rattler, the previous bigger than someone else's knife. As you can see it comes in at just 20" and still weighs upwards of two pounds. But this is just the practice one. I have two more blanks left to make into blades and I have a better idea of what I am up against now.

[Hanshi]

I got to admit, hotfxr, I am impressed with your work.  I'm also very happy that you're eating, ahem, you-know-who's lunch. 

[Red Badger]

[beowulf]

not bad  just one question , I`ve been making knives of one sort or another since 1975 , what in tarnation is a stiffening groove ?   A fuller is a rounded or beveled longitudinal groove or slot along the flat side of a blade (e.g. a sword, knife, or bayonet) that is made using a blacksmithing tool called a spring swage or, like the groove, a fuller.or ground into the blade using a modern grinder . A fuller is often used to lighten the blade. When combined with proper distal tapers, heat treatment and blade tempering, a fullered blade can be 20% to 35% lighter than a non-fullered blade without any sacrifice of strength or blade integrity. This effect lessens as the blade is reduced in length. A blade is said to be "fullered" after introduction of the groove.
Fullers used to be called "blood grooves" or "blood gutters" by some antiquarians, although their purpose has nothing to do with blood.

[hotfxr]

not bad  just one question , I`ve been making knives of one sort or another since 1975 , what in tarnation is a stiffening groove ?   A fuller is a rounded or beveled longitudinal groove or slot along the flat side of a blade (e.g. a sword, knife, or bayonet) that is made using a blacksmithing tool called a spring swage or, like the groove, a fuller.or ground into the blade using a modern grinder . A fuller is often used to lighten the blade. When combined with proper distal tapers, heat treatment and blade tempering, a fullered blade can be 20% to 35% lighter than a non-fullered blade without any sacrifice of strength or blade integrity. This effect lessens as the blade is reduced in length. A blade is said to be "fullered" after introduction of the groove.
Fullers used to be called "blood grooves" or "blood gutters" by some antiquarians, although their purpose has nothing to do with blood.

LOL The reason I wrote it that way is because I know nothing about making knives and my cadre of armchair quarterbacks have called it several different things. The two top ones were blood and stiffening. I put it in because I liked the look of it. Now I'm going to go and look up what "Distal Taper" means.

[beowulf]

you`ll like distal taper !

[Winter Hawk]

http://myarmoury.com/feature_properties.html shows both distal taper and profile taper.  Handy stuff to know!

~WH~

[hotfxr]

http://myarmoury.com/feature_properties.html shows both distal taper and profile taper.  Handy stuff to know!

~WH~

Thanks!

[hotfxr]

Forgot I had this post going. Just for general knowledge, that groove is called a "fuller" and is used to lighten and strengthen the blade. Lightened because it is removing material and strengthened because it increases the surface area that is tempered. Just thought I would throw that out there.

[beowulf]

 

Forgot I had this post going. Just for general knowledge, that groove is called a "fuller" and is used to lighten and strengthen the blade. Lightened because it is removing material and strengthened because it increases the surface area that is tempered. Just thought I would throw that out there.

far you have come young padawan !

[hotfxr]

Finished the first one, hated it. It was too long for the width of the blade and way too front heavy. Sharpened it up and gave it to a friend who lusted after it for pig hunting. Yeah, we have some seriously unbalanced folks out here on the West side of the country. Got two more blanks to work on, but they are for another post.