Ultimate AK Bowie

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
Here's what I consider the Ultimate AK Bowie. We didn't throw caution completely to the wind...:eek:....but sure tried!

The owner (who I believe is indeed pleased...:D) initially requested a regular "upgrade", with one change: make it a hand-and-a-half handle.

Well, the more I got to thinking about what this person was going to use this for...:eek:....I knew I was going to have to make it mean-lookin, tough and high performance - all at the same time.

So, I contacted him to see if he would accept a few "revisions" to his initial plan.:D


Here's a complete list of the modifications:

  • Handle removed, cleaned down to bare metal
  • Tang forged out to a longer, curved shape
  • Blade re-heat-treated with clay to get a quench line (hamon)
  • False edge ground in (and hardened as well)
  • Handrubbed finish
  • Convex edge
  • Mild steel fittings
  • Black fiber spacers
  • Stabilized wood handle: Vitex & Olive
  • Through-tang pinned at the butt with a mosaic pin
  • I added my Maker's Mark because of how much work was done
Well...can't think of anything else right now...so without further ado...the knife that's been in the works for over a year-and-a-half (did I mention being very, very slow at filling orders? :foot: ) :

RisharBowie001.jpg




RisharBowie002.jpg
 
Here are some progress pics I made:


First, a pic showing the stripped blade next to a drawing I made several years ago:

1206008b.jpg


The blue lines indicate what I wanted to see done. The red lines show the problem areas - tang not straight with blade (curves upward), hardened zone not long enough, etc.



Next is a pic of the tang "as forged":

asforged.jpg





I still needed to draw it out a little more, and set the shoulders for a guard.

tangshaped.jpg




Finally, the blade after being heat-treated with clay - to create a hamon line, and harden the false edge as well.


Satori1.jpg





I was real happy that through all the process of heat-treating, forging, etc...I was able to keep Bura's marks intact, as well as the sword of shiva.


Overall, a fun (but exhausting) project. Aren't they all?
 
Very nice!
Great work, Daniel.

It reminds me a bit of the big Jack Crain blade from
the movie "Predator"

John
 
Beautiful! I love the desert ironwood handle on the one you did for me, but if I could make two changes to mine based on this it would be to angle the front guard back like this, which I'm convinced would make a better fit for the sub-hilt, and take up the ricasso area like you did here which just looks better. Of course, had you done that you would have probably had to retemper as well.

I'm sure this balances very well also because of the longer tang.

Thanks for sharing. I hope to get one of these someday, your schedule and willingness to do it permitting!

Would you happen to have before and after length/weight specs? Mine ended up at 14" and 32 oz.

Norm
 
oops...I always forget stuff like that. It's already boxed up. IIRC, the balance is around the front of the cho. It doesn't seem as heavy as yours was, Norm. Might just be me...or, like you said, the longer handle.
 
I can't see how the owner could not be pleased. It went from a simple idea to Dan's own vision of what one of these knives could become -- very much in line with what the owner had in mind, although he didn't quite know it at the time. Never mind that there were several hurdles along the way, at least one of which was potentially fatal to the project. Dan handled it. (Ha-ha! "Handled" it!)

Yessiree, that D.R. character is a pretty lucky guy, whoever he is.

As for the added maker's mark, I consider that to be the functional equivalent of Caroll Shelby putting his name on a Mustang.
 
If anyone's work is worth a year-and-a-half wait, its yours, Daniel. Great work! :thumbup:

Bob
 
Dayum but that is Beautiful Daniel!!!!:thumbup: :cool: :D :thumbup: Two thumbs up fer shure!!!!
 
I was going to ask if people used olive wood for handles . The wood I saw was nice and it doesn,t look as good as that .
 
Dan, I am speachless. I recently got an AK bowie. Been staring at it for weeks. It needs something done, and I'm certainly gonna give it a try, but what???

Great work, as always. I'm so lucky to know you!
 
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