Making a Bowie knife from a file

Hello everyone and welcome to the forge, In this week's episode I make a harpoon point Bowie knife from a Nicholson file and a piece of Elk antler.
As always I appreciate you watching and if you would hit that subscribe button and ring the notification bell to be informed when my newest content posts. #knifemaking #forging #bladesmithing #blacksmithing
Music from www.epidemicsound.com

[@bdcfu]

So glad I found this channel. Amazing work and great instruction on how you do things. This really helps new knife makers.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@renepicard8113]

Great job

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@Hisdudeness799]

There’s just something about an antler Bowie, love it.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@18deadmonkeys]

one day I'm gonna upload a 10 hour hand sanding video so blade smiths can have something to watch while they do their hand sanding.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

That would be awesome! It would make me feel like someone else is going through the pain with me lol.

[@stardusk1726]

Pls do hand sanding is the worst I will fund it if needed

[@iamshredder3587]

Great, so that we'll keep watching your riveting video instead of keeping a close eye on the hand sanding process and end up missing a few little scratches and divets and having to go back and do it all over again? Or possibly even overdoing it and rounding the grind lines over or taking too much off and having to go regrind and make a whole new (albeit smaller) knife or even scrapping the whole thing? Dude, that's diabolical! You're one sick puppy! I like it. 😁👍

[@18deadmonkeys]

@@iamshredder3587 LOL

[@Gdwmartin]

Love the look of that Bowie. Seems like we have similar feelings about antler too. Great Job, thanks for sharing. Also want to add that I like that you can tell it was a file at one point. The same goes for your wrench knives. I have a friend who is a retired (if he can actually stop working he would be) mechanic. He'd love something like that.

[@bernardstevens3613]

Beautiful Knife Matt! Just the right size! Thanks for sharing!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you checking it out!

[@hanksbud2544]

Excellent work, great bowie build. Thank you

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks, and Thank you for watching!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Great looking knife, Matt! 👍🏻

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks man!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Beautiful job. Forge On. God Bless.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks man! I appreciate you checking it out!

[@castingtechnology3338]

Interesting how you put in bevels before heat treat. I'm making a file knife right now, it's a hundred year old file and it's hard as a rock, even with normalizing. I love your videos, entertaining and educational.

[@marciodr1963]

Beautiful shape and finishing. 🏆🏅🌟👍

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks, I appreciate you watching!

[@spurs3483]

Beautiful knife! Thanks for the video.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@jezzgates67]

Beautiful. Well done sir 👍

[@shirlmiester]

Another beauty. thanks

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@Anderson-HandForged]

another gorgous knife matt it came out amazing well done brother Mark 😃👍👍

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@willroberts6777]

Awesome work!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you checking it out!

[@trevorkubonga1140]

That's a very beautiful knife, I'm inspired thanks.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching.

[@SwitchbackXThunter]

Very nice!!!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@travisbartlett1977]

Very cool knife. I've seen a few do this with wraps. Once I get to feeling better about knife grinding I will give it a go. Another great video

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@TMichaelJKnivestmichaeljknives]

Great work brother!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks, I appreciate you watching!

[@OhanaAinaWoodworks]

Well done!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@gregpassmore7716]

Cool build, we'll done

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@StrayWolfForge]

Nice knife!

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you checking it out!

[@oneshotme]

Great looking knife and a heck of a job making it also!! Enjoyed your video and so I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@oneshotme]

@@Mysticmountainforge You're welcome!

[@bearfootknivesgunforge9183]

She came out very nice brother

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks Man! I appreciate you watching!

[@saxonknivesaustralia]

Looks good

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@rondangeli4175]

Like the contrast in texture the file marks form with the ground parts of the blade. Knife has a mountain man look to it, .

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! The mountain man/frontier style is the direction I am currently taking my business. John Cohea, Harvey Dean, Burt Foster, and J. Neilson are who I take a lot of inspiration from.

[@rodneymiddleton1044]

very nicely done ..............

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@rodneymiddleton1044]

@@Mysticmountainforge no worries mate , I make my own knives down here in Australia 🙂

[@vdsmade]

Super dzieło 👊🏻😎

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@espadasartesanaismedievais3288]

👏👏👏👏🙌

[@randyblackburn9765]

Looks good , is that an older file , I have heard that the new ones are cheap steel with hardened shell . The stag looks good too ,did you sear it with a torch?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks, Yes these are older and harden up nicely, I put them through a few tests before my Wakizashi build. They developed a nice hamon too when clayed. I did sear it with a torch, it was a piece that was mainly white but had nice texture so I used the torch to bring out some color in it. I appreciate you watching.

[@jimtaylor6663]

That's a beautiful build! What did you use to darken the guard and pommel? They have a fantastic finish.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I used super blue gun blueing solution you should be able to find it any any sports and outdoors shop, Wal-Mart also has it in their outdoors section, it will be with the gun cleaning kits. I appreciate you watching!

[@jimtaylor6663]

@@Mysticmountainforge Thank you Matt!

[@BubuH-cq6km]

😎 👍🏼

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@Garage4Life]

great work , good profile. what was finishing sanding grid ?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I finished off at 400 on this one.

[@Garage4Life]

@@Mysticmountainforge great , thanks :)

[@brnobre4301]

👍

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks for watching, I greatly appreciate it!

[@bdcfu]

What did you use to darken the guard and pommel.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

I used super blue solution, you can find it in the outdoor section at Walmart, or on Amazon. I appreciate you watching.

[@neanderthaloutdoors9202]

Very nice indeed but why such a big hole through the antler and no pins, legit question as I'm a very amateur file knife maker myself and I'm alway's looking for tips, plus, when tempering using an electric oven, at what temperature in celsius and for how long please ??

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! The reason there is such a big hole through the antler is because you want to get as much of the marrow/pith as you can out so the epoxy will have somethingsolid to attatch too, leaving in a buch will compromise the bond. The reason there isn't any pins is because it is a through tang construction, the tang has all thread welded to it and the pommel cap screws down secure to the handle, I then peened over the thread that was sticking out with a ball peen hammer to ensure it wouldn't loosen off and gave it texture to match the butt cap. If you look closely in the reveal video at the end you can see the sounded over portion sticking up. When tempering I do 400 degrees farenheight in the oven for two one hour cycles, some do it longer it really depends on what hardness you want and the steel type, this works great for me and I work mainly with 1095 and 5160, File metal can sometimes vary in its makeup its always best to do a test knife and check it out in a real world setting, skinning, slicing for a hunter, chopping, whittling for a bushcraft/camp knife. I greatly appreciate you watching!

[@randyblackburn9765]

What temp did you ramp up to in the thermal cycles also what temp did you harden at ? I made a sword from a Swedish O-berg file by welding a handle tang extension . I don’t know what steel it was but I had to heat it to about 1650 before it would harden .

[@Mysticmountainforge]

I heat treat from the forge and don't have a way to judge the temp exactly, I usually go above critical and soak, then to a bright red, then to a dull red for my thermal cycling. As for heat treat I go to a good even heat that is above magnetic, soak then quench, it's not very scientific but I have done it enough to get good consistent results, I do plan on getting a heat treat oven in the future. I do know that these files get good and hard they also behave allot like 1095.

[@randyblackburn9765]

@@Mysticmountainforge from your current videos looks like you’re getting a pretty sophisticated forge shop together

[@Mysticmountainforge]

It's getting there slowly, my next big purchases will be the heat treat oven and a small lathe. I'm hoping to get a motor for my other 2x72 soon

[@randyblackburn9765]

@@Mysticmountainforge 👍

[@rayandbrendabelk9106]

How did you texture the guard and pommel?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

I used some metal burrs and my rotary carving tool. I appreciate you watching.

[@rlaycock86]

Very cool knife, nicely done. Are you listening to Dragonforce?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! It was Sabaton.

[@rlaycock86]

@@Mysticmountainforge I guess I wasn't too far off then as they have a similar sound. Keep up the excellent forging!

[@deerkiller2723]

How long does something like this take?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

From start to finish If I wasn't filming it around 2 days. That is if everything goes right, normally for a knife order like this I will allot myself a week. Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!

[@austinmargetta3301]

Wouldn’t only 2 hours in the oven leave the edge super hard and brittle?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

I haven't had any trouble with knives doing that and most of the knives I sell are to hunters and butchers, I work mainly with 1095 and I edge quench. I haven't had anyone experience brittleness in any of my blades yet. Thanks for watching.

[@jasurbegboyev5684]

👍👍👍👍👍🇺🇿

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@allanwagner4570]

Why not full tang?? You had more than enough file ??

[@Mysticmountainforge]

This was an order for a hidden tang knife with elk antler handle, the client didn't want a full tang knife, and didn't want the antler cut up but left in its natural state.

[@twomenafterdark]

Which file size is that please tell

[@Mysticmountainforge]

It was an 18 inch Nicholson file, I appreciate you watching!

[@markohalloran9455]

My question to these makers... Why are these modern versions of bowie knives made so thick!! Proper original Bowie knives have no need to be quarter inch thick.. my guess is due to saving the warp during heat treatment... Hold a Bowie knife by bruce bump. Mike quesenberry. Don hanson. Their knives are nothing like these thicknesses.. i have three custom Bowie knives.. people forget these are for fighting!!

[@randycarroll7566]

How to contact you about prices an knife build?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

You can find me on Facebook at facebook.com/MysticMountainForge but I am not taking any custom orders of any kind for the forseeable future. I appreciate you watching.

[@rvsbladesnthangs]

You quenched in oil and just about everyone else uses water... I have no idea what to do now.

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Use oil, it works great, you can use water but you will risk it almost certainly getting a crack. I had no issue getting it to skate a file with an oil quench.

[@rvsbladesnthangs]

@@Mysticmountainforge OK man, thank you!

[@randsamuels]

Can you share your template please?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

I am working on creating download file to share in the future. I appreciate you watching!

[@hayquemequemo]

El trabajo es bueno, pero hizo un agujero innecesariamente grande en el asta del mango

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Thanks, The reason I removed so much from the center portion of the antler is because the pith inside if not fully saturated with epoxy can actually seperate from the epoxy which will affect the structure of the handle. It is most usually common practice to remove as much of it as you can. I appreciate you watching!

[@hayquemequemo]

@@Mysticmountainforge gracias por aclarlo, tal vez en el futuro debería estabilizar con resina antes de agujerear. Saludos desde Argentina

[@fredwilley3886]

There is so much steel available in the original file tang, why cut so short and why not thread the file tang?

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Truth, it was an error on my part, all of the other orders I had been working on up to this point had a swivel joint connection to help align the tang because they were made with files that didn't have the handle and I just didn't think about it at the time but it would have been the better rout to go, and doing it over again that is exactly what I would have done. I appreciate you watching!

[@fredwilley3886]

@@Mysticmountainforge in no way was I dismissing your talent and you made a handsome knife. I am a amateur and really like your bevels and how you shaped your blade. Very nice.

[@zov640]

Приваренная шпилька это плохо,цельный хвостовик всегда надо делать

[@Mysticmountainforge]

Truth, I just suck really bad at doing it that way right now, but I am working on making it my prefered way to go when doing threaded tangs. I appreciate you watching.

[@zov640]

@@Mysticmountainforge 🙂👍