1840's Bowie with pewter & Sheath

This is the finished piece that I previewed in the Pewter thread
The 9 1/4" handforged blade is by our partner in crime , well, er our collaborator Gib. The grip, done by me, is polished elk antler (it's been left "in the white" so to speak -aka unaged - since it's scheduled for schrimshaw). The guard is fileworked brasswith a poured pewter ferrule and butt cap.
The sheath starts out with an oak tan liner and belt loop. The deer rawhide cover has an incised carved pattern which is painted with red ocher and charcoal and is bordered with brass tacks. The beaded cuff is once again thanks to my wife, Linda. The finish/aging on this one is - the cuff leather is stained with dried/ground blue clay and bear oil. The brain tan fringe was dyed using walnut dye. The rest of the fooferaw includes: hawk bells, glass beads, copper beads, tin cone tinklers and buffalo hair dangles.

Hope ya'll enjoy the view

Click on any thumbnail to see more views

 

[Ron LaClair]

WOW! Chuck,...."That shines, that truly shines".

I'm waiting patiently for word from you that it's time to make the sheath for my knife. It has a 9" blade with single guard. I was thinking maybe a tacked pouch type sheath?

 

[Greg Walden]

Really great lookin', and I bet it cleaves just fine too! :thumbsup:

Greg

 

[crockett]

On the butt cap you must have set up the form and then poured the pewter. So it would seem. On the ferrule, was the antler already in place? If so- how did you pour? Also, did you have any trouble with pewter getting on the brass guard?

P.S. Knife and sheath look really good.

 

Crockett re: your questions:
On the ferrule the antler was in place. I filed away the antler about an 1/8" all around and then drilled some 1/16 holes at an angle to the surface:
1) I used manila file folder material for the "mold"
2) When doing a blind pour such as for inlays or the following "blind ferrule" cut a hole 3/8 to 1/2" diameter in the "mold" and tape a funnel on to the hole. Then opposite the funnel take a small pin and punch a pinhole there for the air to escape. Also when pouring a fairly thin inlay or blind bolster drill some small holes at an angle into the grip material for extra hold. The paper mold MUST be taped securely all the way around the ends/edges that way no pewter can escape. When doing a blind pour like this I usually hold the knife in one hand while pouring - as I pour I shake the whole thing up and down slightly which helps the pour - also on a blind pour it is best to add the pin holes so that air doesn't get trapped and cause voids.

The buttcap was done much the same way, filing away the antler, etc. - except it was an open pour - I set the blade in a vice so that the end of the cup was parallel to the vice jaws - i.e. flat. The paper mold was then taped so that there would be 3/16" or so of pewter over the end of the antler.

 

I'm waiting patiently for word from you that it's time to make the sheath for my knife. It has a 9" blade with single guard. I was thinking maybe a tacked pouch type sheath?

Maybe something like either of these....

 

[crockett]

Thanks Gray Wolf. That sheath is mighty fine plunder. On most of the tacked type sheaths one must use a knife without a guard. On your sheath are the upper tacks only through the folded over part, thereby allowing a knife with a guard to be used? Really good idea.
That rifle, is that a miltary percussion musket( 1842 I think) which has been "Indian-ized"?

 

Howdy Crockett-
The upper tacks over the handle were run through both layers BEFORE wrapping around and doing the seam. Actually quite a few originals were made this way for carrying the common trade/butcher knives.
Here's some originals from the book:
"Early Knives and Beaded Sheaths of the American Frontier" by John Baldwin

Here's the backside of one of mine above(buffalo rawhide over oak tan):

The gun is a 12 ga Potsdam musket dated 1820 (stamped on the butt plate) - by the barrel markings it was "percussed" in 1844 IIRC. The tacks are original steel shank (I carefully pulled a couple just to check) which makes it post 1860 or 1870 depending on whose timeline you follow. I got it in Montana back in the early 70's and used it to take a couple of black bears and 4 or 5 deer before retiring it in the 80's.

 

[reddogge]

Gray Wolf,
Your work is outstanding, some of the best I've seen. That first knife is one of the prettiest I have ever seen and I enjoyed looking at it.

 

[gak]

What little I've had to do with rawhide, mainly as a wrap, I have to soak it and then it shrinks. How do you use it on a sheath as it would seem to be impossible to stitch etc. Do you soak it then how do you keep it from shrinking and deforming the leather sheath beneath it. Fascinates me and if it wouldn't be giving away trade secrets, please give whatever advice you can. Thanks.