Robert Logan had a scrap to pull off his Tiny Fighter.
ABS apprentice smith and member of the Texas Knifemakers Guild, Robert Logan, has developed a varied catalog over his nearly nine-year career. His work in kitchen cutlery has raised eyebrows in some corners of the knife world. Yet, his smaller projects are certainly worth consideration.
Such is the case with Robert’s Tiny Fighter, a minuscule fighter whose detailed execution is hard to miss—even if it’s no larger than a penny. The knife measures a scant 2.875 inches in overall length, with a 1.6875-inch damascus blade (192 layer 1084-15n20). Setting it all off is a mammoth-ivory handle and a beautiful guard featuring engraving by Alice Carter.
Robert Logan
Robert has tinkered with miniatures previously, making a couple of dozen scaled-down versions of his Mini Cleaver Belt Knife. But the Tiny Fighter, he said, was his first crack at venturing deeper than a simple slab handle in a miniature piece. Without special equipment for the job, it was especially tricky.
“Honestly, the most challenging thing about making tiny knives for me is just holding on to them,” Robert confessed. “I don’t use grinding jigs, so just holding on to the thing to grind, it was hilarious.”
John Dennehy’s replica of his father’s Dan D Alamo Bowie, was accepted by the site on the 190th Anniversary of the historic battle.
We should always remember the Alamo, but 2026 is a particularly good year to keep the battle top of mind. It’s the 190th anniversary of the defining fight for Texas independence, and a fitting backdrop to a father-son knifemaking tale.
When Dan Dennehy donated his custom Dan D Alamo Bowie to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 1968, little did he know that a reproduction of the very same knife would be presented almost 60 years later to representatives of Alamo Trust just a few months before the historic anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo.
Made by Dan’s son John, the presentation reproduction is based on the original donated by Dan to the DRT in 1968. Save the engraving on the accompanying brass plaque. John did the entire repro project, which included 5/16-inch O1 tool steel like the blade material on his father’s original Dan D Alamo Bowie, and an embellished oak presentation frame.
Engraved number 5 of 10 by Pearce Richardson, the brass plaque reads: “Commemorative Dan D Alamo Bowie” over “In Honor of Those who Lost their Lives defending the Alamo in March 1836 and to the late Daniel J. Dennehy, Knifemaker, whose Alamo Bowie has proudly been on display at the Alamo since 1968.”
“It’s an honor that we can say we have knives from a father and son in our collection,” Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham said. “We are grateful to both Dan and John, two generations of knifemakers who chose to create works of art honoring James Bowie and the Alamo.”
John’s project started soon after his father’s death in 2011.
“The Alamo let me take pictures of Dan’s original knife in the spring right after his death,” he said. “I used those pictures and his knife pattern to make the reproductions. I wanted to jazz up the handle a bit since they are special editions with ivory Micarta and imitation ivory Micarta, along with some brass spacers for bling.”
From his own retelling of the story, Dan was inspired to make the donation during a visit to the Alamo, when he realized the historic site then didn’t have a single bowie knife. The namesake of the blade—Jim Bowie—was among the heroic men who fought and lost their lives at the battle.
The original Dan D Alamo Bowie is displayed inside the lobby of the Alamo Exhibit at the Ralston Family Collections Center, according to Lanham. John’s knife resides in the Alamo’s artifact vault.
There are other storied knifemakers whose works are displayed at the iconic Texas site, including a reproduction of the Joe Musso bowie by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Gil Hibben.
A founding member of The Knifemakers’ Guild, Dan Dennehy was also a member of the Cutlery Hall of Fame and the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame, and for many years conducted knife-and-tomahawk-throwing demonstrations at the BLADE Show. John makes knives and sheaths and has conducted seminars on how to make sheaths at both the BLADE Show and BLADE University.
New York-born, Dan was always a Westerner at heart, John pointed out, known as “Tex” in the Navy and wearing cowboy boots and a hat most of his adult life. He also loved and revered the history of the Alamo, finding it as sacred a location as native Texans.
“Having one of his knives on display [there] was one of his most cherished accomplishments,” John said.
Fowler had a lasting impact on handmade knives and knife writing.
The cutlery world recently lost one of its most steadfast creators and philosophers. Ed Fowler, a man who epitomized the spirit of the custom knife movement, passed away on January 17.
Ed’s journey in the industry began in 1962. Over the following six decades, he became a driving force in the evolution of functional cutlery. While he didn’t invent the use of 52100 ball-bearing steel, he was arguably its greatest champion, popularizing the material alongside his then-controversial methods of multiple quenching during heat treatment. For Ed, a knife wasn’t just a tool; it was an ongoing experiment in maximum performance.
To the readers of BLADE Magazine, Ed was a household name. For over a quarter century, he penned his monthly “Knife Talk” column, which consistently ranked at the top of reader surveys alongside BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® member Wayne Goddard. His writings were eventually compiled into two essential volumes: Knife Talk I: The Art & Science of Knife Making and Knife Talk II: The High Performance Blade. Whether he was conducting demos at BLADE Show or teaching at BLADE University, Ed was always eager to share his findings with anyone who sought a deeper understanding of the craft.
A former ABS master smith, Ed eventually founded the High Endurance Performance Knife Association. This organization was a reflection of his own soul—dedicated to understanding the limits of steel and ensuring every knife reached its absolute potential.
Ed’s voice was unmistakable. In his writing, a knife was never an “it”—always a “she” or “her.” He spent his life in a relentless search for what he called “Excalibur,” his version of the perfect knife. He drew deep inspiration from the legends of the past, including Hall of Famers Bill Moran, William Scagel, Rudy Ruana, and the 19th-century bowies of Henry Huber.
He was perhaps most famous for his insistence on testing. Ed had no patience for makers or companies that didn’t put their blades to the trial, and he was never shy about saying so. This commitment to truth in steel earned him a fiercely loyal following. Many of his readers didn’t just follow his column; they traveled across the country to visit him at his Willow Bow Ranch in Riverton, Wyoming, to spend time in the shop with the man who helped define the modern high-performance blade.
Remembering Others The Knife Industry Has Lost:
Betty Dowell, Driving Force Behind Knifemaker Ted Dowell, Passes
B. R. Hughes, Pioneering Writer And Bladesmithing Teacher, Passes Away
After more than 40 years at the helm, “Mr. Blade” hangs it up.
It had to happen sometime and that time is now. After over 40 years of writing for and editing BLADE® Magazine, it’s time for me to hang it up as BLADE editor.
If you had told me when BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bruce Voyles hired me in 1985 that BLADE would be the focus of my work life for the following four decades, I might’ve said, “Yeah, and Donald Trump will be president one day, too.” However, working for BLADE has been a blessing to my family and me, and I am most thankful for the privilege of having done so.
Why retire now? Last July, it hit me; at 72 I need to spend more time with my beautiful wife Susan and others who I love before I start leaking oil. So, my boss, Caribou Group Media Publisher Jim Schlender, and the rest of the BLADE brain trust started planning for the future of the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. The result: Elwood “Woody” Shelton, who has been doing a standout job as our online editor, will be my replacement as BLADE editor—and we think he will be a most accomplished one.
For the past several years Woody also has coordinated the BLADE Magazine Knife-of-the-Year® judging at the BLADE Show, as well as the factory knife judging at BLADE Show Texas and BLADE Show West. In the process and along with his online duties, he has become well-acquainted with the knife industry and those who drive it. Besides, he is captivated by knives like the rest of us.
As for me, I will continue as a consultant for BLADE and chairman of the Cutlery Hall of Fame, coordinating the nomination and selection process of new inductees and serving as emcee at the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony during the BLADE Show, this year June 5-7 at the newly named Cobb Convention Center-Atlanta (formerly the Cobb Galleria Centre). As a result, I hope to see some of y’all there. I also hope to write on occasion for BLADE, as well as participate in other related projects.
What will I miss? Much more than I can cover here but the simple pleasure of opening each issue of BLADE I edited after it hits my mailbox will be one. Others will be all the great knives I have handled and written about and the thousands of fascinating folks I have met over the decades. Included among the latter are those knifemakers and their knives that I’ve helped shed light on by publicizing them in BLADE.
Among many knife VIPs the author has been privileged to know over the years include, from left, Ethan Becker of Becker Knife & Tool, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Steve Schwarzer and custom knifemaker Bill Herndon.
The highlights for me have been many. A few include visiting the Boker manufactory in Solingen, Germany, and seeing the wonders of nearby Cologne with Ziggy Felix, wife of Boker’s Ernst Felix, as my tour guide; exploring the Alamo with Cutlery Hall of Famers B. R. Hughes and Jim Batson; spending hours interviewing Cutlery Hall of Famer Bob Loveless in his Riverside shop; and my inductions into both the ABS and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Halls of Fame.
In addition to Batson, Hughes and Loveless, four other unforgettable Hall of Famers who molded the industry by the sheer power of their work ethic and personalities and who were my privilege to know include: A.G. Russell, who influenced the collecting community and custom and factory knife industries like no other; Bill Moran, the father of modern damascus and the ABS—some resumé, eh?; Wayne Goddard and his ability to explain details about knives, how to make them, steels and more so that even I could understand them; Frank Centofante guiding the Guild so successfully while simultaneously providing a constant stream of one-liners; the list goes on. Oh, and Ed Fowler, his sheep-horn handles, lifelong search for Excalibur, his dogs and pet rattlesnakes, etc. Need I say more?
I will miss them and many more, including having the lasting honor and satisfaction of helping in providing you with the world’s best knife magazine for so many years. See you down the road and, in the immortal words of the Reverend Captain Samuel Clayton (Ward Bond) in The Searchers, “Watch that knife!”
The latest American-made factory knives are sharp and sweet.
Reiff Knives Rangewolf
Knife type: A lightweight, compact utility model for hunting and EDC Designer: Stu Shank Blade length: 3” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Blade grind: Full flat Blade finish: Stonewash Blade pattern: Drop point Handle material: G-10 or canvas Micarta® Handle material options: Black & orange G-10, black G-10, OD green G-10, green canvas Micarta, black canvas Micarta Weight: 4.5 ozs. w/G-10, 3.9 ozs. w/canvas Micarta Overall length: 7.12” Special features: Full spine gimping along 3/4 of the blade; gimped ramp on front of scales for pinch grip; textured, ergonomic handle for secure, comfortable use; recessed lanyard hole; gimping fore and aft of handle for added grip Sheath: Leather pocket model w/UltiClip (2 leather options); leather scout carry belt model (2 leather options); Kydex model w/2x IWB Pull-the-DOT belt loops MSRP: $325 Available: NOW
Kershaw Bareknuckle Duralock
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Boker USA Backcountry
Knife type: Fixed blade Blade length: 3.6” Blade steel: 154CM stainless Blade @the thickest: 0.09” Blade finish: Horizontally brushed Blade pattern: Drop point Construction: Full tang Handle material: Black G-10 Weight: 2 ozs. Overall length: 7.5” Sheath: Black Kydex MSRP: $199.95 Knife to know: The Backcountry is the first Boker knife made on American soil since 1945; detailed gimping at blade spine and near the tip; includes hole for a lanyard Available: NOW
Boker USA Backcountry Fixed Blade Knife Orange G-10 02BU0001
Knife type: Pocket fixed blade Designer: Anthony Marfione Jr Blade length: 2.5” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Blade material options: Will be available in Magnamax steel starting with the tanto pattern in 2026 Blade pattern: Bowie Blade finish: DLC Handle material: G-10; also available in carbon fiber Overall length: 6” Special features: Pressed G-10 scales available in different colors; comes w/lanyard Sheath: Leather by JRE Industries w/reversible UltiClip MSRP: Starting at $265 Available: NOW
Full model name: 4 3/8” White Smooth Bone Handle w/Carbon Fiber Bolster Lawman Knife type: EDC folder Designer: Bear & Son Cutlery Blade length: 3.25” Blade material: D2 tool steel (also available in damascus) Blade grind: Taper (flat) Blade finish: Satin Blade pattern: Drop point Handle material: White smooth bone & carbon fiber Lock type: Slide lock Pocket clip material: Steel Weight: 3.5 ozs. Closed length: 4.62” Special features: Ball bearing washers MSRP: $123.99 Available: NOW
Bradford USA Guardian 3.5 XL
Knife type: EDC fixed blade Designer: Bradford Knives Blade length: 4” Blade steel: AEB-L stainless Blade grind: Sabre Blade finish options: Stonewash, nimbus or black DLC Handle material options: G-10, carbon fiber or Micarta® Weight: 4.7 ozs. Overall length: 8.25” Sheath: New vertical and horizontal model MSRP: $199 Available: NOW
Winkler Knives WK Belt Knife
Knife type: Outdoor/tactical fixed blade Designer: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Daniel Winkler Blade length: 4.5” Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel Blade grind: Flat w/false edge Blade finish: No-glare black oxide Blade pattern: Trailing point Handle material options: Walnut (pictured); black, brown, green & black, & natural (WASP); G-10 camo; maple Weight: Varies based on handle material; as pictured 7.2 ozs.; as pictured plus sheath, 11.4 ozs. Overall length: 9” Special features: Full tapered tang, thumb index filework Sheath options: Lined Boltaron® w/leather cover; black leather w/synthetic-handle knives; brown leather w/wood-handle knives; clip system facilitates multiple carry options/positions; Discreet Carry Concepts: spring steel belt clip (Monoblock) MSRP: $350 Available: Select configurations currently available; all others available for order (2-3 month turnaround)
Rick Hinderer Knives XM-18 3.5″ Bowie
Full name of knife: Aluminum Automatic XM-18 3.5” Bowie Knife type: EDC folder Designer: Rick Hinderer Blade length: 3.5” Blade steel: S45VN stainless Blade finish: Stonewash Handle material: Aluminum-orange w/Lava Flow FCF inlay Weight: 5.12 ozs. Lock type: Button lock Closed length: 4.75” Special features: The titanium half liners are patent pending MSRP: $475 Available: Spring 2026
Chris Reeve Knives Backpacker
Knife type: Outdoors Designer: Chris Reeve Knives Blade length: 4.019” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Blade grind: Hollow Blade finish: Stonewashed Handle material: Canvas Micarta® Handle material options: Black or natural canvas Micarta Weight: 3.8 ozs. Overall length: 8.527” Special features: Drop-point-shaped blade w/ample belly; scales may be removed for extra-lightweight use Sheath: Kydex MSRP: $300 Available: NOW
Spyderco Para Military 2 Lightweight
Model number: C81PBK2 Knife type: EDC folder Designers: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Sal Glesser & Eric Glesser Blade length: 3.47” Blade steel: CTS® BD1N stainless Blade grind: Full flat Blade finish: Satin Blade pattern: Modified clip point Handle material: FRN Weight: 2.8 ozs. Lock type: Compression Lock® Pocket clip: Metal Closed length: 4.82” MSRP: $175 Available: To be announced
Spyderco Para Military Lightweight Clip Point Knife
Knife type: EDC folder Blade length: 3” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Blade grind: Flat Blade finish: Stonewash Blade pattern: Wharncliffe Handle material: Aluminum Lock type: Linerlock Pocket clip: Tip up Weight: 2.8 ozs. Closed length: 4.1” Knife to know: B.O.S.S. Tech (Balls of Stainless Steel technology) leverages a ball-bearing system providing Gerber’s smoothest, most consistent deployment to date; stainless steel balls reduce friction for seamless opening every time; the cage system is designed to keep the balls contained for stable performance over the long haul MSRP: $159.99 Available: NOW
Gerber Fastball Liner Lock MagnaCut Knife Urban Blue
Truly an American design, the bowie continues to inspire today’s makers.
While its roots may be from across the sea, ties to the makers of old Sheffield and elsewhere, the bowie is today distinctly American. And it has been for more than two centuries.
Made famous by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Jim Bowie and the fabled Sandbar Fight, no doubt present at the Alamo where Americans fought and died for freedom, and seen in countless photos of soldiers going to war—posing with the burly bowie in a proud moment—the iconic knife was also immortalized on the silver screen with the classic The Iron Mistress and other films. There is no other style of knife that more clearly defines the American spirit.
“Bowies are the quintessential American knife, deeply steeped in the mythos of our collective history,” observed ABS journeyman smith Matt Parkinson of Dragon’s Breath Forge. Shawn Shropshire of SDS Knifeworks agrees. “The bowie is the most iconic or at least the most recognized of American knife designs,” he said. “At the time of the Sandbar Fight, there was no single pattern that was called a ‘bowie knife.’ It varied in size, blade shape and even materials. Cinema later created what most people now recognize as the bowie knife, something with a large blade, clip point usually, with a double guard.”
ABS master smith Lin Rhea commented, “I do indeed believe the bowie knife is America’s knife design. It was created to fill a need. The country was expanding and was very wild and without law and order. The average traveler in the lawless wilderness needed a reliable defense weapon that could be carried on their person, that never misfired and was less conspicuous than a sword. The fact that a large knife was used in self-defense by Jim Bowie in the infamous Sandbar Fight just boosted the design into the realm of legend.”
Wrapped up in fact, fiction, myth, legend and lore, the bowie is a constant in the theme of adventure and survival. Although it does exhibit common attributes—among them impressive size—across the design, there are variations on the theme. To this day, the bowie remains a favorite form of expression for custom knifemakers who tip their creative cap to the history of the design and imprint their own skill, expertise and perspective on this truly American blade.
Barbary Coast Bowie
Matt Parkinson’s California-style bowie is deadly dapper. He describes it as “graceful and sleek,” featuring his own wootz steel and sterling silver bolster, pommel and guard. (SharpByCoop image)
Parkinson chose the San Francisco theme to highlight his take on the classic bowie. Representative of the days of the Barbary Coast and the rough-and-ready youth of a nation stretching from sea to shining sea, the idea captivated him.
“I have long been intrigued with the California- or San Francisco-style bowie,” he remarked. “They are graceful and sleek in a way that many bowies are not. In designing this particular piece, I looked at as many examples of this style as I could, both originals and contemporary. I didn’t copy anything but tried to match the design cues I saw in the originals that made them so iconic.”
Matt’s San Francisco Bowie features a 6.25-inch blade, an overall length of 11.75 inches, a bone handle and generous applications of stylized silver in shell and pin. “The blade is forged from my own wootz steel,” he noted, “and the bolster in front of the guard was cast, as was the shell pommel, and the guard and frame are all fabricated from sterling silver.
“One of the things I most admire about the California style bowies is the uniquely American lineage. Much of the bowie styles we think of are influenced by the Sheffield and London makers …This isn’t the case with the California makers. The knife they made for the 49ers used local materials and was a show of wealth, as much jewelry as a weapon. I kept these ideas in mind in making this one. The cow bone was a logical choice and a nod to local materials, as was the choice of sterling silver over nickel.”
Antiques Actualized
Aiming for historical accuracy circa-1830 style, father-daughter makers Josh and Karis Fisher pull off this dynamic duo. Josh’s bowie (left) was inspired by an original Schively-Perkins piece, while Karis (right) crafted a rendition of the Daniel Searles bowie. (SharpByCoop image)
The father-daughter ABS master smith duo of Josh and Karis Fisher share their own interpretations of the bowie with a pair of stunning knives touching the past. Each took inspiration from circa 1830 bowie designs: Josh the Schively-Perkins and Karis a Daniel Searles.
“I kept my reproduction similar to the original and as close in size as I could, so it would look and feel like the real knife,” Karis said. “I was mostly working from photographs, which made studying overall design really important. I also made a few changes to incorporate my own style. I left off the original silver pins and did hand checkering instead. I also changed the ferrule and butt cap. I didn’t use silver wraps. Instead, I used a combination of liners and spacers to match the original while adding my own style.”
“A few techniques that I used on my bowie were hand-checkered African blackwood on the handle and the silver ferrule and butt cap that I had to silver solder together, which was a challenge. It’s definitely a functional knife,” Josh reported. “While it’s on the larger side, it’s very well balanced due to the silver wraps on the ferrule and pommel.”
Capturing the notion of the bowie’s place in Americana, Josh related that his work in 80CrV2 carbon steel and sterling silver is true to such spirit. “It is a reproduction of an actual antique bowie knife,” he stated. “In my opinion, a bowie is a large fixed-blade knife, at least 10 inches in blade length, that is on the thicker side. I think typically they should have a clip point, but there are some exceptions as you can see in mine and Karis’s bowies.”
Small & Spruce
James Fleming’s gentleman’s bowie is diminutive in comparison to others but no less representative of the style. The damascus blade is complemented by an ancient walrus ivory handle with a nickel silver spacer and Parkerized steel bolster. Overall length: 11.5 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Working at Wasteland Forge, ABS journeyman smith James Fleming has produced a gentleman’s bowie, diminutive in comparison to others but no less representative of the style. The 6.5-inch damascus blade is complemented by an ancient walrus ivory handle with a nickel silver spacer and Parkerized steel bolster for an overall length of 11.5 inches.
“I wanted to make a knife that capitalized on the mosaic damascus pattern,” James explained. “I think the gentleman’s vest bowie complements the pattern. The knife is pretty recognizable as a bowie. It’s not as large as a regular bowie but has the same look and purpose. It fits the term ‘vest bowie’ perfectly. It is small enough to be concealed but large enough for defense in any western saloon. This is the kind of knife you’d see stabbed into a poker table after accusing someone of cheating at cards!”
The damascus pattern came from Fleming’s experimentation with Mareko Maumasi’s pattern-making process. He named it “Nazar,” which translates from the original Turkish as “evil eye.” He added, “I was also inspired by Lin Rhea in the way he makes his fittings. The nickel spacer is domed around the guard and bottom spacer, and it’s hammer textured to give it a nice look and feel in the hand.”
Mammoth Achievement
Attracted to larger bowie designs, Gene Kimmi pulls it off with a giant gem. Featuring ladder-pattern damascus—fashioned from dies he made himself—the 15.25-inch behemoth is further bespoke with a crosscut mammoth tusk handle. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Gene Kimmi was intentional with his contribution to the bowie’s visual discourse. “I have always had a liking for the larger bowie knives,” he remarked. “When I made some laddering dies for my press, I knew one of the first knives I would make out of ladder-pattern damascus would be a large bowie. This one has some clam-shell type filing on the guard that I haven’t done before. The handle is heirloom/museum fit to the guard also.”
Gene’s bowie features the ladder damascus in a 9 7/8-inch blade and crosscut mammoth tusk handle with G-10 black pinning for an overall length of 15.25 inches. “The design is easily recognizable,” he asserted. “Anyone who sees it instantly thinks bowie. The lightness and the fit to the hand are attributes that everyone who handles it comments on. The uniqueness of the mammoth tusk handle adds to the beauty of the damascus. When I think of a bowie knife, I see a straight-backed blade of at least 6 inches. Limits can be pushed on the style and attributes of a bowie, maybe because of the mystery of the bowie knife’s beginning.”
User-Friendly Fighter
Shawn Shropshire wanted a bowie that not only looked sharp but also worked with the user. What he cooked up was this stag-handled beauty. With a 7.5-inch blade of 1084 carbon steel and a user-friendly bronze guard, the knife is easy to carry and manipulate. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
The famed Randall Model 1 provided some context for Shropshire to fashion his bowie of a 7.5-inch, 1084 carbon steel blade and stag handle with bronze bolster and an overall length of 12 inches. The proprietor of SDS Knifeworks blended the pattern with a desired functionality.
“I love making the larger versions of the bowie knife that many people think of, but as much as I enjoy them, they just aren’t very practical,” he reasoned. “This size and style is much more useful and easier to carry. It’s still a classic-looking pattern and functional without being so large that it is cumbersome and difficult to carry. I love the classic-looking lines paired with the look and feel of natural stag.”
After perusing photos of historical blades and the work of other makers, along with hours using a sketch pad, Shawn was pleased with the result. “In my opinion, this particular blade would have been right at home during the mid-to-late 1800s and at any time considered a bowie knife,” he advised. “I think most people today might refer to it more as a fighter because our notions of what a bowie knife is have been heavily influenced by cinema. The movies usually represent bowie knives as larger than life. Some were but many were not. I do think this blade hints at the history of what an American bowie is with the overall shape and the stag grip without instantly screaming ‘bowie knife.’”
Throughout the creation of his bowie, Shropshire kept user friendliness front and center. Aside from visual appeal, he designed it for easy carry with shorter “legs” on the guard and a coined spacer to help break up the smooth lines it exhibited.
The Legend Continues
The bowie theme lives—in thought, folklore and tangible craftsmanship. Staying true to its American heritage, the style has gained lasting fame and a following the world over.
Wire wrapping the handle of a dagger is the finishing touch to the process, but requires a fine touch and patience.
Once the wire grooves and flutes are complete, the entire handle finished to its final state and the tang slot broached, insert the wires and lock them in tightly. As mentioned, 24-gauge wire looks good. If you want to use silver, Argentium or fine silver are both better choices than sterling, which tarnishes more quickly. Twenty-four-karat gold is terribly expensive but is the ultimate in luxury.
If you have Rolls-Royce taste but a Toyota budget, consider gold-filled wire as an alternative to pure gold. It’s brass at the core but at least 20 percent gold by thickness, and consequently much more durable than simple gold electroplate. It usually comes in 14k only. As a reference point, not long ago 12 feet of 24-gauge pure silver wire could be had for a little under $9. The same length of 24k gold in the same size was $1,050. The same length of gold fill was about $20. Save the 24k gold for times when you want to make a statement or your customer pays for the gold in advance.
With a hook chucked in a hand drill, hook the resulting large loop, pull it tight and turn on the drill. Keep the tension constant—as you twist the wire it will pull you toward the vise.
Buy your wire dead-soft from your favorite supplier. You need about 20 percent more wire than twice the combined length of your wire grooves.
To twist the wire evenly, you must twist all of it at the same time. Clamp the two ends together tightly in a vise. With a hook chucked in a hand drill, hook the resulting large loop, pull it tight and turn on your drill. Keep the tension constant—as you twist it the wire will pull you toward the vise. If it breaks off at the vise, just re-clamp it and continue twisting. There’s no rule about how tightly the wire should be twisted, but tighter twists look better. If you aren’t sure it’s tight enough, twist it some more.
Annealing The Wire
Drill diagonal holes inside your groove, starting halfway between the broached hole and the edge.
The next step isn’t required but will make things easier. Most metals, including gold and silver, work harden. After all of that twisting your wire will be hard and springy, and it’s much easier to install your wires if they’re dead soft.
To soften the wire back to its original state, you must anneal it. To do this, coil it tightly around a 2-inch piece of pipe or something similar, and tie up the coil. Using a propane torch, heat the coil evenly until it glows slightly. One trick to make sure you don’t melt it is to color your wire thoroughly with a Sharpie® marker. When the ink burns off, it’s time to stop.
Don’t forget your essential tools—including your Bob Ross Happy Little Tree Mints.
Pick up the coil and drop it in water to cool it rapidly. It’s now dead-soft again but is likely discolored from oxidation. To remove the discoloration, let the coil sit in warm pickle solution that is available from any jewelry supply vendor. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of pickling, you’re better off dealing with the trouble of work-hardened wire.
Wire Installation
To install the wires, a little bit more work on the handle is necessary. Starting from the end points of your wire grooves, cut new grooves into both ends of your handle for at least half the distance between the outside of the handle and the tang slot. A Dremel or Foredom tool is best for this, but you can use a file also. If you use a file, go ahead and groove all the way to the tang slot—it’ll be easier that way and invisible on the assembled knife. These grooves need to be equal in depth to the diameter of the wire so that the handle will fit tight against the guard or pommel when the wire is installed and the knife is fully assembled. Cutting the line at an angle rather than perpendicular to the circumference will help when you pull things tight later.
Drill diagonal holes inside your groove, starting halfway between the broached hole and the edge. Drill at an angle toward the center so that the hole for the wire exits into the tang slot about a quarter inch from the top and bottom of the handle, in line with the end of your groove. Make the holes slightly larger than your wire diameter.
After the handle is fully assembled and the glue is set up, perform a final finish check. The wires should be tight and fully seated in the grooves.
You’re almost to the fun part. Cut your wires at least an inch longer than the length of the groove to give yourself some extra to work with. To install the wire, thread one end through the hole you just drilled into the tang slot, grab the end with some small pliers, and bend the end back up toward the handle end, locking it in. Though not strictly necessary, you can pin the wire with a toothpick in the hole and a drop of CA Glue or 5-minute epoxy for extra security. This can be cut off and sanded flush later. Pull the wire tight, seating it in your groove, and repeat the process to lock in the other end. This method guarantees that your wires are as tight as they can possibly be. The wires and glue and toothpicks should lay flush with or below the surface of the ends of the handle. Cut off the excess wire inside the tang slot to ensure the wire doesn’t interfere with the final fit-up of your knife.
Finish Check
After the handle is fully assembled and the glue is set up, perform a final finish check. The wires should be tight and fully seated in the grooves. You can lightly buff the wires for extra shine but use a light touch to avoid unintended polishing of the handle. Tarnished wires can easily be brightened up with a Sunshine® Polishing Cloth. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back.
That’s A Wrap
Silver wire wraps the rosewood grip of Duane Bomar’s dagger. The 10-inch blade is a damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. Overall length: 15 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Precision flutes and carefully inlaid twisted wires transform a utilitarian grip into a truly exemplary expression of craftsmanship. By selecting materials that balance luxury and performance, you anchor your design in both history and function. By following the instructions in this series, you’ll be able to master this exemplary style, and use the experience as foundation for future creativity.
