Guard project for Kabar bowie

deltablade

deltablade

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Jul 29, 2006
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I am doing my first guard project, and on a Kabar bowie, by filing my pwn guard from a steel bar. Looks like the flats at the back of the blade where it transistions to the tang are not exactly aligned. How should I proceed to fit the guard? Should I remove material from the flat at the top of the blade? Or leave as is and use JB weld to fill the gap at the bottom of the blade? I will finish the handle with micarta spacers, leather washers and a pommel.



 
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I would carefully file the guard to fit the blade snug. Then cut your leather and micarta washers (treat the leather) and stack and press them
on the tang. Then pin the pommel and everything is held snug. You could glue everything as you went. The stamp looks to be a recent model.
I wouldn't recommend you silver solder the guard on with this first try. Then sand or file the handle to your preferred shape. And post us another
photo. Good luck, DM
 
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IMG_6391.jpg I have done the filing as best I can, and the guard to tang/blade fit is much improved. Next step is to shape guard, then add handle material. Progress!!
 
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Great work man! For an absolutely seemless fit, if you carefully file the top of the guard...around the circumference of the inlet, the blade will "seat" in the guard a few thousandths which will make it a seemless fit. But it's looking great as is man! Keep us informed on it.
 
thanks for the encouragement. I might try your suggestion, yet not sure what it is. Would that be to say scribe the outline of the blade on the front of the guard, then inlet inside the outline so the blade goes a few thousandths into the guard?

If so, what type file would do that? and how could I get the bottom of the inlet
flat so as to be flush with the flats on the blade?
 
Needle files, I got cheapo chinese diamond needle files from Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply.
Use a sharpie, color the Inside of the guard.
Fit it to the tang, pull it off, and file a little where it rubs.

If you take your time it will appear as if there is no seam.
I've did an Cold Steel SRK back in the day this way. Took forever, it's still good looking.
 
I would(and have) used a flat carbide bit in my drill press. But needle files will also work. We are only talking about a very small amount of material.
 
Guard shaped and blued, components ready for assembly, except that I am still trying to figure out how to glue the wooden pommel on . I have drilled a pilot hole to position it over the hole in the end of the tang, then plan to assemble handle components and glue pommel to tang, then widen the hole thru the pommel to same size as tang hole (1/4"), the glue and peen a copper rod thru the hole in the pommel and tang to secure everything

 
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this tutorial may help.
http://brisa.fi/tutorial_nordic_knife
Instead of a pipe on the bottom I used another piece of wood with a slot in it and a third piece of wood as the bottom brace.

The top piece (not in the photo) is drilled thru and tightened with wing nuts to put the tension on the handle and keep everything tight while the epoxy dries.
Vaseline where you don't want the epoxy to stick and clean up wet epoxy with vinegar.

Hope this helps!
 
getting ready for final shaping. It is definitely amateur, yet, for me, much improved over original. The pins always give me fits.

 
All shaped up, and now treating handle...Obenaufs Heavy Duty LP with heat from hair dryer for leather, and watco oil on the osage. The osage will darken nicely over time with exposure to the sun. The handle feels really good, and makes the bowie's 9" blade handle very well for me. This was a learning process, results definitely amateur, (my hat is off to the skill of you professionals), yet very functional as I had hoped.







and compared to original

 
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Deltablade, take a bow & be proud my friend! Great work. I enjoyed following your thread. Thank you for sharing. I hope you enjoyed yourself and keep at it. Great thing about making/repairing/modifying knives, is how quickly ones talent increases. If you saw my knives from just a couple years ago, compared to how, it would amaze you. You absolutely have a talent worth feeding brother. Take care.
 
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