- Joined
- May 18, 1999
- Messages
- 15,395
I received my Iron Mistress yesterday!!!! What a knife!!!! :thumbup:
Me Likey, a Lot!!!!
Im thinking either the Musso got a bad heat treat or its like the khuks and I havent got down to the really hard stuff yet.
Unlike the Musso the Iron Mistresses edge just laughs at my file as the file skates over the edge on one side and barely bites on the other.
The Bowie is 17 long over all with a blade 11-7/8 and the handle 5 long with a 1/8 thick steel guard. The blade is 2-1/4 wide and is thinner than what were used to with the khuks, being made evidently from 3/16 .1870 stock, but even being that thin the knife is still a hefty 1 pound and 5 ounces!!!!
With the Bowie in its very nice artificial hard leather scabbard the rig weighs a full 2 pounds and 1 ounce and thats with the $5.00 extra leather frog.
The scabbard has what appears to be a steel throat and chape. I havent put a magnet on them to be sure yet.
Edit:
The chape has a rounded point instead of being sharp which is very nice.
Edit:
Please ignore what I said above. I don't know why I was thinking the chape was rounded. When I looked at the pic and saw that it was pointed I had to go look at my scabbard to check it, sorry to say it has the same point. My apologies.
I don't know what they use on the outside of the wood but suspect it's some kind of epoxy with an artificial grain pressed into it as it is even with the top of the chape and the bottom of the throat.
This scabbard is nicer than my other one because the pattern completely covers the area in between instead of being polished smooth at the top and bottom.
The handle is Chiruwa style but with a twist. The beautiful almost black hardwood is split and perfectly fitted so that there is barely a seam at the top and bottom of the handle. There are two rivets about 3/16 spaced evenly on the handle. I can't say enough good things about the handle on this Bowie. It is every bit as comfortable as the handle on the Cherokee Rose and is of similar size.:thumbup:
I also cant say enough about the beautiful wood the handle is made from. It is black with very dark brown streaks running through it, absolutely beautiful!!!!
The point is thin at .0750, a little more than 1/16th inch, about 5/16 from the point but fine for a fighting knife which is exactly what this Bowie is. Its definitely a knife and not a sharpened pry bar and the fit and finish is wonderfully executed. It has already claimed me as its owner by slightly biting my ring finger on the front pad.
Ive started sharpening it but think Ill wait until later today to finish it and use my Norton Fine India Hone on it. Methinks it will put the working edge on it that I want.
When I get it sharpened and the polished finish Scotch-Brited down to a satin finish I'll try for an etch and see what happens. The sharpened clip is hard for at least a ways back and that tells me these are differentially hardened.
Will it perform like a knife? I say a resounding YES!
Will it take the place of a khukuri? A resounding NO!
You can read all about it HERE.
And here is a pic for those who want instant gratification.
Me Likey, a Lot!!!!
Im thinking either the Musso got a bad heat treat or its like the khuks and I havent got down to the really hard stuff yet.
Unlike the Musso the Iron Mistresses edge just laughs at my file as the file skates over the edge on one side and barely bites on the other.
The Bowie is 17 long over all with a blade 11-7/8 and the handle 5 long with a 1/8 thick steel guard. The blade is 2-1/4 wide and is thinner than what were used to with the khuks, being made evidently from 3/16 .1870 stock, but even being that thin the knife is still a hefty 1 pound and 5 ounces!!!!
With the Bowie in its very nice artificial hard leather scabbard the rig weighs a full 2 pounds and 1 ounce and thats with the $5.00 extra leather frog.
The scabbard has what appears to be a steel throat and chape. I havent put a magnet on them to be sure yet.
Edit:
The chape has a rounded point instead of being sharp which is very nice.
Edit:
Please ignore what I said above. I don't know why I was thinking the chape was rounded. When I looked at the pic and saw that it was pointed I had to go look at my scabbard to check it, sorry to say it has the same point. My apologies.
I don't know what they use on the outside of the wood but suspect it's some kind of epoxy with an artificial grain pressed into it as it is even with the top of the chape and the bottom of the throat.
This scabbard is nicer than my other one because the pattern completely covers the area in between instead of being polished smooth at the top and bottom.
The handle is Chiruwa style but with a twist. The beautiful almost black hardwood is split and perfectly fitted so that there is barely a seam at the top and bottom of the handle. There are two rivets about 3/16 spaced evenly on the handle. I can't say enough good things about the handle on this Bowie. It is every bit as comfortable as the handle on the Cherokee Rose and is of similar size.:thumbup:
I also cant say enough about the beautiful wood the handle is made from. It is black with very dark brown streaks running through it, absolutely beautiful!!!!
The point is thin at .0750, a little more than 1/16th inch, about 5/16 from the point but fine for a fighting knife which is exactly what this Bowie is. Its definitely a knife and not a sharpened pry bar and the fit and finish is wonderfully executed. It has already claimed me as its owner by slightly biting my ring finger on the front pad.
Ive started sharpening it but think Ill wait until later today to finish it and use my Norton Fine India Hone on it. Methinks it will put the working edge on it that I want.
When I get it sharpened and the polished finish Scotch-Brited down to a satin finish I'll try for an etch and see what happens. The sharpened clip is hard for at least a ways back and that tells me these are differentially hardened.
Will it perform like a knife? I say a resounding YES!
Will it take the place of a khukuri? A resounding NO!
You can read all about it HERE.
And here is a pic for those who want instant gratification.
