Two Bowies - Part 5

Both knives are glued together and the handles are fully shaped. I sanded the surfaces to 400 grit and now I am in the process of applying the finishing layer of epoxy resin.

The smaller knife is practically completed now, all that remains is to buff the handle with wax and to sharpen it. For safety reasons, however, I will postpone the sharpening until the sheaths are done too.

The bigger knife has the blade currently only glued up at the hand guard. Once the glue sets, I will fill the hole in the handle with slow-curing epoxy, just as I did with the kitchen knives last year. It guarantees better filling of the cavity and is also cheaper.

As far as surface finish goes, for the bigger knife, I went for wire-brushed bronze that I will let go get a natural patina over time, although I can still change my mind on that. I filed the nut at the end of the tang, into a chrysanthemum design. Once it is fully glued together, I will file down and peen over the end and I will also add some texture to the center of the flower with punches.