After...

.......After the heat treatment...

I'm Happy!!! 🙂

Thank you very much Lin! 😉

Jean-louis

Very nice hammer work! I really enjoy seeing top quality forging. After handling a couple of Lin's I can say that it truly is an excellent way to make a one piece knife. There really is no way to hide mistakes or poor hammer skills. Really well done Jean Louis! Thanks for sharing!

Chris

Jean Louis, I can see you taking this design and easily making it your own. You did an exceptional job on it. Thank you for taking the time to study it and sharing what you made. I love the Regel flare that you put on it.

I had several bladesmiths look at and handle one of my X-Rhea Bowies at the 2016 Blade show. I got a great reception for it. Most understood exactly my intentions with this design. A few made suggestions about filling the handle with wood, etc. If it were to have wood, I would make it in a conventional type of construction.

The point of this design is to take one material and make a functioning knife. The small blacksmith style knife has been made for centuries and while I like the historic significance, I usually don't find them comfortable and sometimes the handle has a springiness to it that I don't want. So, I started developing a forging process of my own which allows for varying blade style and thicknesses, a sturdy, well balanced handle, and room for individual taste.

As far as I know, the X-Rhea Bowie is the first large knife of it's kind. I set myself a challenge to make a Bowie with one material, which would be steel of course, forging it into something that functions and resembles a conventional knife as opposed to a car spring, sharpened, with tape on the handle.

Making this knife poses a lot of challenges, not the least of which is good ergonomics. That, along with proportion, strength, and balance makes this design, when executed well, meet all of those factors for a good knife.

Jean Louis, I think you accomplished all of those things very well with your knife. For you to look at my knife and then make one so well with your own style, clearly shows the mark of a master at metal movement. Congratulations!

Thank you for sharing Jean Louis. The step by step is something I will keep and may try one day.

Thank you very much Lin for your words!

this is a very good exercise to forge that puts things in their place and, therefore, allows progress and understand better.

My advice for those who want to do, left more than raw material to the back of the guard, and thinner near the little finger.

Good luck! 🙂

jean-louis

Very impressive forging work, Jean-Louis. Love these Lin Rhea´s designs! Perhaps try, but seems very difficult

Great job, Jean-Louis. Congratilations!

Jean-louis

Nice work, I as well enjoyed seeing the steps and end result.

Anthony