Original Bowie knife

[johnboe522]

Hi all

I have just been given an original Bowie knife with an antler handle but the very tip of the blade is broken off as someone users it as a pry bar.

Any ideas as how to put the tip back on?

It has been bench grinded to a rough point, is it just a case of sharping it loads on a waterstone ?

Any ideas?

Cheers JB

 

[WULF]

Not sure it can john but pictures may help.

 

[johnboe522]

Hope these work!?!

 

[robin wood]

It looks fine. Point would sharpen up either with stones if you have a good coarse one to start if not then emery paper stuck to a board starting say 120 grit then working down 240, 400, 600 1000 then on to your fine stones.

 

[WULF]

With you saying any ideas how to put it back on i thought you mean't it had 'snapped off'

nice bowie and as robin says its easy to sort out.

 

[johnboe522]

Yeah ha it was worse than I remember! Feel a bit daft now !! Cheers gents might put a new handle on it on day it has a bit of a random feel to it, I will probably never use it in the bush as it was my dads

 

[WULF]

Its good to feel daft sometimes

 

[Robbi]

please don't re-handle it, it's lovely just as it is !

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice knife. What kind of finish is on the blade to give it that golden colour? or is it just the light?

 

[johnboe522]

It's stainless steel, think its just the light am afraid the blade is stamped with

Original Bowie knife then a German stamp of some sort and a number think 101 will double check later on

I don't know anything about Bowie really

 

[Perrari]

I agree with Robbi. Dont re handle it It would ruin it ! That's how it is meant to look with the age it has. In fact I wouldnt do anything to it apart from sharpening.

please don't re-handle it, it's lovely just as it is !

 

[johnboe522]

I agree with Robbi. Dont re handle it It would ruin it ! That's how it is meant to look with the age it has. In fact I wouldnt do anything to it apart from sharpening.

Ok it will stay as it is !! Would hate to ruin it I will post more pics later if any on is interested to see more

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Would a real Bowie knife be made in Germany ?.............looks a bit like something from Solingen...
Good looking knife though.............has it got a sheath.?

 

[thebushcrafter99]

I agree with Robbi. Dont re handle it It would ruin it ! That's how it is meant to look with the age it has. In fact I wouldnt do anything to it apart from sharpening.

+3 looks great as it is and i like that handle so why change it! ;D just start sharpening on 400 grit diamond stone or the very coarsest you want to start with is 200 grit sandpaper on a block

 

[johnboe522]

More pics any info about it would be great

 

[WULF]

Theres a bit of info on this auction site,about half way down..
http://www.neaca.com/Blades.html

 

[Culloch]

IIRC the Colonel himself preferred a rounded tip as it didn't lose any penetration and allowed a reverse (backhand) cut without the point snagging. Nice blade John, I'd suggest sending it to Longstrider & letting him work his magic over it!
It'll come back refreshed & so atom splitting sharp you might change your mind about using it!

 

[blacktimberwolf]

To be brutally honest Solingen Knives are pretty mediocre quality wise, ....useless in the field. The steel is of low quality, never keeps a sharp edge & liable to break under shock. As it is a treasured possession my advice to you would be, sharpen it by all means but to keep it as a collectors piece & not as a user.

 

[santaman2000]

That's not been my experience. Mine took everything I could throw at it.

 

[British Red]

To be brutally honest Solingen Knives are pretty mediocre quality wise, ....useless in the field. The steel is of low quality, never keeps a sharp edge & liable to break under shock. As it is a treasured possession my advice to you would be, sharpen it by all means but to keep it as a collectors piece & not as a user.

Wow - every knife produced in an entire region of Germany has exactly the same metallurgy and heat treat I suppose? Much the same way that all Sheffield knives are identical irrespectiive of maker, steel and heat treat.

That really is a startlingly educated insight.