Texas history Bowie, start to finish.

[Jason Fry]

I’m starting a long term knife project today that’ll take me several months. I’ll be using unusual things, and using some different techniques than I’ve ever used.

Starting out with some nails and a couple other relics from San Jacinto.


After soaking them in vinegar for a few days, then brushing off the rust, I built a canoe to put them in. The flat sides are 1/4” 1084, and the short sides are mild. Inside the can, I put some of the nails and some 1095 powder. Hoping tomorrow to weld the billet.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[twosixteens]

Sounds like a fun project can’t wait to see it finished.

[R.W.T]

I watched your episode of
Forged in fire again last night. In !!

[Jason Fry]

As planned, today was forge welding day.


The canister welds went just right. Here are the billets.


From that point it’s just a lot of weld, draw, restack, weld. This is the San Jacinto nails billet stacked at 19 layers.


I stopped just after I welded up my core billet, 1231 layers. Have my San Jacinto billet at 19, and another 17 prepped. Have the math planned to get to 1836 with roughly 240 layer skins.

Here’s the FRY from the other can.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Artos]

Tagged

What series / episode was the FiF episode...I may or may not have seen it but would like to catch it again for sure.

I was listening to a couple of buds who collected Bowie's & stated back then the fighting style with the bowie was to come down swinging with the spine in attempt to break bone (arm / noggin / collar) & then stab the gut & come up with the edge...yikes!!

Any idea of the blade length you would like to achieve??

[Jason Fry]

Season 5 episode 26, Qinglong Ji.

It’s hard to tell, I have to get the steel put together and see how much material I will have. Likely get enough for a pretty big Bowie and a hunter of some kind, but it’s too soon to tell.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Artos]

Thanks!!

Is there something set in stone on how a clone of an original bowie should be shaped or did the 'large knife' simply gain ground because of Jim's name & can take on various styles?? Do we even know what Jim's knife looked like?? I reckon it ended up on a battle field or back in Mex??

Guess I need to some research on the subject.

I saw a couple of 'clip blade' bowie's show up on gunsinternational today...asking $1800ea

[Jason Fry]

Bowie is a very subjective genre. This knife will be in the 2500 range minimum. I’m at three days labor already just on the steel, and I’m not done even with that yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[texan16]

Looks like a heck of a project Jason, will be tagging along.

[ATXArcher]

Cool project. Following.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobc]

Following for updates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Calrob]

Following, dont you have a Bowie at the capitol?

[Jason Fry]

Gave one to the governor, yes. Idk where he put it, lol.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WildThings]

When you say nails from San Jacinto. What were the nails used for

[Jason Fry]

The story on the nails. The battle of San Jacinto only involved roughly 1/3 of the Mexican forces in Texas. After the battle, the rest of the Mexican army regrouped at Madam Powell's boarding house to decide what to do. While there, they got word that Santa Anna was still alive and that he said to go home. As they retreated southward, they got stuck between the floodwaters of a couple of rivers in an area that became known as the "Sea of Mud." The nails I have are from the excavation of Powell's, and the harness decorations and grape shot are from the Sea of Mud excavations.

https://texas-history-page.blogspot....am-powell.html
https://tshaonline.org/publications/books/665

[diamond10x]

I can’t wait to see the finished product! Definitely a really cool build, will be following along.

[Hardware]

Tagged!! Cool build.

[Outback]

Tagged! This thread really excites me and has me thinking. We have some cool old stuff at our ranch that dates back to the 1800's when our family acquired it. It would be cool to make knives out of it.

[WildThings]

Originally Posted by Jason Fry

The story on the nails. The battle of San Jacinto only involved roughly 1/3 of the Mexican forces in Texas. After the battle, the rest of the Mexican army regrouped at Madam Powell's boarding house to decide what to do. While there, they got word that Santa Anna was still alive and that he said to go home. As they retreated southward, they got stuck between the floodwaters of a couple of rivers in an area that became known as the "Sea of Mud." The nails I have are from the excavation of Powell's, and the harness decorations and grape shot are from the Sea of Mud excavations.

https://texas-history-page.blogspot....am-powell.html
https://tshaonline.org/publications/books/665

Thanks for that info Jason! I'm familiar with those events that you speak of. Dr. Dimmick's book is very interesting and I am look forward to your build. An interesting video is of the Dr talking about all those events. Here's the link to it

Dimmick

[BBRU]

What would it cost to build another one like the one you gave Gov Abbott. I fell in love with that knife when I originally saw that post.

[Tx_Wader]

Your Bowie knives are over the top Jason. The one you emailed me the other day had me drooling but I can't swing it right now "my wife says".

[Jason Fry]

Another half day worth of welding and I’m closing in. 1232, 19, and 17. Soon to be recombined into 1836. Two more restacks and I’ll be there. At least another half days work, maybe full.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CabezaBlanca]

In for this!

[Jason Fry]

Last night in the spirit of "when am I ever going to use this" I did a little algebra to figure out how many of the 17's, 19's, and extra layers I needed to get my cladding billet to 150 layers exactly. I ended up having to go to 2" tiles stacked high, but I have my billet prepped for the next forging session. After that weld and draw, I'll have a 150. One cut, a layer of nickel in between, and re-draw and I'll have 301 layer to clad the 1232. Nickel in between the clad and the 1232 will get me to.... 1836.

Fisk asked me last night why 1836, since Texas statehood was 1845. I told him statehood is for suckers, independence is the way to go

[fish4food]

Texas!!!


Can’t wait to see finished product

[Jason Fry]

So because EVERYTHING is cancelled, I got an unexpected four day weekend. I won’t spend the whole time in the shop, but will get some good work in. At least one of the days will include welding up the Damascus for this knife. Weather report says today is probably the best one for that.

Yesterday I put the finishing touches on a cool knife. The blade on this one is buggy seat spring, found in a field near the old community of Shiloh, TX. Guard is wagon wheel, and handle is ash wood wagon tongue.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WildThings]

Gorgeous knife Jason!

[Throwin Darts]

Cool project


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Fry]

Go time...

The big one on the rt is San Jacinto. Doing two others today as well, since it’s supposed to rain tomorrow and Monday.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Fry]

It’s a long drawn out process.

The 150 ready for a single cut and re-weld, and the 20 welded and drawn out. That was 2.5 hours worth.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fish4food]

Getting closer!

[Jason Fry]

Stopped for the day. 1836 billet is cleaned and cut, ready to tack then weld.

Also forged a 204 layer hunter blank that I plan to ladder, and a 140 random bar 1.5 by 18” for later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Fry]

My helpers make everything take slightly longer. They wanted a helmet like daddy’s.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Fry]

Four days worth of forge work has me to this point. Final billet is set up to weld.
301, nickel, 1232, nickel, 301. Weld it up, and I’ve got 1836. I did incorporate four layers of nickel sheet in the cladding. Ought to make some nice bright lines on the top half of the the blade.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WildThings]

Looking good

[crittergetter76]

Enjoy seeing the progress. Looking forward to the finished product!

[be12hunt]

Man this is awesome. In for the rest.
I may have missed it, but are you selling this or keeping?

[Jason Fry]

I have four kids and a wife. I don't keep anything, lol. This one doesn't have a customer yet.

[Goldeneagle]

Cool deal Jason!


I just found out that we have one of the FIF contestants working here in our shop. Nelly Potter was in season 1 and 3 I think she said.

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by Goldeneagle

Cool deal Jason!


I just found out that we have one of the FIF contestants working here in our shop. Nelly Potter was in season 1 and 3 I think she said.

My mistake. Her name is Kelly.

[Jason Fry]

Alright, another half day of work and we’re getting closer. I drew out the 204 blade I laddered, and also did a canister of “trash can” Damascus from little scraps of other billets. Then I welded the 1836, drew it out to shape.


You can see where I used layout fluid and marked the lines where I wanted to mill grooves for pattern development.


Here’s the grooves.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Fry]

Next I forged the bevels in, leveling out those grooves. Here it is all forged to shape. In the oven now to normalize.



Here are the other two also.

I saved a little bit of the 1836 bar, enough to do a Hunter later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moon]

Not to bad of weather for it. Its taken shape nicely Jason

[Jason Fry]

Reveal

Quick check of pattern at 120 off the grinder.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BeardedAg08]

Freaking cool!

[Artos]

sweet!!

[WildThings]

Wow!!

[Jason Fry]

Originally Posted by Goldeneagle

My mistake. Her name is Kelly.

Funny thing I notice about that pic, the Lincoln gloves. When we were there, they put black tape over EVERYTHING with a logo. Did the same when they were at my shop. I still have black tape over most of my tool logos, and on my welding gloves.

[cattlelackranch]

Looking good. Let me know when your done and I’ll give it a bone chop and ice block challenge.

We’ll see if “It will Keeeel”

[twosixteens]

Very nice Jason