Schively Bowie Progress: The Sheath

Jud came by North Pole yesterday (Saturday) and brought the Bowie project along to show work on the sheath.

The .999 pure ingot arrived Thursday just in time for Jud to pick it up. Great things are in store!

An Exciting New Bowie from Jud

This knife is a special project that Jud has envisioned for some time. The form is inspired by the Bowie knife by Schively on page 100 of The Bowie Book, but Jud plans to feature his interpretation of the fine Colt Engraving of the master 19th C engraver Gustave Young.

The blade is bi-metalic thanks to Jud's top secret method of welding 12L14 to 1095 to get the perfect combination of a hardened edge and a large more tool friendly metal canvas for engraving.

(Hint: I just ordered 50 grams of .999 pure gold from JM Bullion!)

Early Shaping

Refining the Handle & Guard 

The Handle Features an Unusually Colorful Piece of 

Fossil Walrus Ivory from the Ocean Floor 

Near Nome Alaska

Progress On the Po' Boy Rifle

Here a few coats of finish have been applied to the Po' Boy Christian Springs Rifle showing how Jud builds up the finish and enhances the appearance of wear on the wrist and fore-end of the stock.

New Artistic Achievement from Kade Skidmore

My weekly trek yesterday to Judville showed up a new surprise. Apprentice Kade Skidmore had just finished and attractively photographed an impressive knife for a client, complete with expert engraving. In the course of the conversation it was revealing and enlightening to hear the old master and the young apprentice trading tales and showing scars from accidental cuts and gouges from their knife making - one wound on Jud still healing. Just goes to show that "baptism in blood" is not dead! Antonio Stradivari would be proud!

 

SOLD! (Christian Springs Style Poor Boy)

I apologize to our readers - due to some technical glitches, I was a week late getting the last entry published on the blog. In the meantime, the rifle has sold. I hope to have some pictures of the finished rifle by the time of my next visit to Jud's shop.

In the meantime, Jud is enthusiastic about building another "entry level" rifle and custom features will be entertained although they may raise the overall cost of the project. Jud's idea is to get accurate rifles with correct classic lines and proportions into the hands of beginners and hopefully young people at an affordable price.

A New Po' Boy Rifle from Jud - for sale!

I visited Jud just after Christmas and found him hard at work on a new "entry level" (which in Jud-speak means elegant and beautiful but with a Siler Lock) Poor Boy rifle which he proposes to sell for $4500 - a bargain! It features raised carving, a poured pewter forend, and a fancy sliding wooden patchbox. Part of the charm of this piece is the exemplary curly maple stock wood.

Pictures of the rifle, still in the white, follow: