Wanting to reproduce a Michael Price knife but ???

[Black River Smith]

The knife I would like to copy can be found in the Peacemaker book pages 127 & 137.  It is the one with stag grips.  Sorry I can not get picture.

My question is how is the bolster put on when the flaired handle appears larger than the width of the blade back?  I have cut bolster slots to slide down the handle and then press tight but this has me baffled.

If it is solder or brazed doesn't that affect the tempering.

[Delmonico]

If it is solder or brazed doesn't that affect the tempering.

One just wraps the blade that needs the temper in wet rags, the blade stays cool.  Brownells sells a heat damper stuff thats even better. 

[Ned Buckshot]

I just pulled out the book and at first glance it does appear to be wider than the blade. But a closer look and some carefull measuring of the picture shows it is ever so slightly narrower. I guess it is just kind of an optical illusion!

Ned

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[Black River Smith]

Thanks for looking at the measurements.  It does not appear to be a symmetric bulge but a slight offset also.  So that would allow an up and over one side then the other slide.

[Ned Buckshot]

I think you're right. It doesn't look too difficult a patern to reproduce of course I havn't tried it yet!

Ned

[ChuckBurrows]

Info from those who have studied that type of M Price knife in detail state that the grip is framed i.e. the tang is a tapered piece, the guard is fitted, and then another piece of metal is fitted to the tang and the the outer edge is shaped. The handle slabs are then applied and the several pins common to the type hold the whole thing together. It is a fairly complicated setup but is harder to describe than make.
IIRC Dr Jim Batson is the man to contact regarding the how to..........http://antiquebowies.com/

[Professor Marvel]

Greetings -
Whilst I do not have access to the afformentioned book, I was able to peruse a few historical knives thanks to Chuck Burrows who posted an excellent link.

Based on the knives there, and looking at a few of them with butts seemingly larger than the throat by the guard I think I can understand the issue and throw in my 2 bits.

One interesting  coffin-handled knife I built from a blank had a two-piece grip frame as I think Chuck described -the blade end had
small tang that the guard was slipped over, then the rest of the larger coffin-shape tang was attached to the blind "mini-tang" .
I am attempting to attach a small pic to further elucidate.

Another option, from my time as a volunteer blacksmith at small hysterical sites, was to initially forge the tang uniformly thick but perhaps an inch wide; then fit the guard; then finish forging the tang into the broader coffin-shape, but with a tapering thickness. The guard can be slid a bit back and forth for final finish of the blade and tang, then driven tight or soldered in place.

The completed knife often confused admirers who posed the question "How the h**l did you get that guard on?"

Whereupon I would wax philosophic regarding the ability of metals to expand on heating and shrink when chilled, and of various secret alloys that were elastic at critical temperatures, watching their faces all the while until someone finally realized their chains were getting yanked....

yhs
Prof Marvel

[ChuckBurrows]

As the good Professor noted there are some that ascribe to the re-forged tang theorem as well.

As for M Price and others such as Will & Finck here are some examples (BTW - Mssr Price was not only a builder but an importer of cutlery as well)




In both images there are knives which appear to have stick tangs - thus one can make a historically correct "San Francisco Bowie" in this manner which is much simpler....here are some examples of modern version as well as originals  http://www.sanfranciscoknives.com/makers.html
Click on the images for a larger image

and a repro with some old linen micarta in lieu of ivory for which I made the period gun engraving inspired carved sheath and did the aging..........




And then there is this book - Knifemakers of Old San Francisco
http://www.knifeworld.com/kmofoldsf.html

[Black River Smith]

Gentleman,

Thank you for all the very good info.  I have been gone Friday and Saturday, so I am just now able to respond.

After ChuckBurrows first posting I came up with the same mental picture as Professor posted.  I believe this can be done by me and was the missing piece that I could not conceive on my own initially.  I do understand that this is about the only way.  I envision having to spot silver solder the second piece of handle metal.

ChuckBurrow, thank you for posting the page of one of the knives.  Yes, the third knife of the left with the stag grips is what has caught my attention.  I like the spear tip blade and what I believe is a sharp upper edge(not a false edge like bowie's).

While the other knives with solid handles, screwed on, would be easier to create / finish, I do not believe they are for me.

I do like the blade on the middle knife in the second picture.

Correct any wrong observation that I have.  I would appreciate it.

[GunClick Rick]

Here's some from the book Gamblers of the old West