Description
This western style bowie was made with Japanese techniques and has the takedown construction of a Japanese sword, facilitated by a hidden mekugi peg under the paracord shell wrap. The overall look and feel of the knife is reminiscent of the Australian commando knives made c. 1944 for survival and utility use in various environments in the Pacific rim. A maple nata style scabbard with additional emergency-use cord completes the carry.
The blade began as an old file and was hand forged in a charcoal fire at a demonstration event in 2013, shaped with files, differentially hardened using traditional water quench yaki-ire, and sharpened by hand with natural Japanese water stones.
The hand carved maple handle began as a piece of discarded furniture built in September 1968. The tang and handle are constructed in a similar manner as a Japanese tanto and a single bamboo pin holds the assembly together. The handle is wrapped with flat paracord (core removed) and the lanyard hole is lined with a small copper pipe peened into a tube rivet.
The blade is 5.25″ long and the overall length is just under 10″. The maple nata style scabbard holds the blade in either direction. The scabbard is wrapped with an additional length of paracord which can be used to secure the handle, secure the scabbard to a belt, or removed for use in survival situations.
Specifications
長さ/刃長 Nagasa: 134mm
形 Katachi: hira-zukuri, kaku-mune
刃文 Hamon: suguha
拵 Koshirae: reversible nata style
Material: Reclaimed file steel, copper pipe, bearing bronze, bamboo, rawhide, reclaimed maple furniture, parachute cord
Date: 2018
This piece is in a private collection on Vancouver Island.
Hidden Mekugi Under Flat Cord Wrap Handle
Process Photos
