Bowie grinds

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Nick Riggi

Well-Known Member
I know the KITH knives this year were Bowie's, so I wanted to ask some advice as I will be sending 4 out for HT next week and then working on them.
We're most of you grinding the bevels using a contact wheel or the flat platen?
Also, is it better to grind the main bevel or the swedge first?

Appreciate the help and responses in advance.
Happy New year!

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So I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I grind my swedges using my flat platen post grinding bevels and post HT. I totally stole this method from John Wilson because I think it’s genius lol I hand sand my bevels to 600 grit before I grind the swedge then I just leave a 120 belt finish on the swedge. I’m gonna post a picture of a knife I finished up awhile back but just know that I had some serious help from John to help get me there
 
I like to grind the swedge in first. I used the flat platen for swedge and bevels...but all I have is a flat platen. I used 3/16 stock on the four Bowie's I made this year and did knock some meat off the pre heat treat.
 
I do all my grinding post HT. Even though this is thicker stock than I usually use, u was still planning to do all grinding after the HT.
I will plan on having lots of new belts on hand!

I was also considering grinding the swedge first on a flat platen Seen a few videos showing that way.
Pretty sure I will also do the main bevels on my contact wheel.
 
At John Doyle's suggestion I did the swedge on mine last. I used a flat platen with a table rest and a piece of wood cut at 20 degrees(?) as a jig. I think that was the angle. The jig idea was courtesy of John Wilson. I couldn't do mine free hand.

I did end up going back over the main blade quite a bit afterwards though. But that was mostly because I was a bit sloppy. It wasn't intentional. My Bowie for the KITH was 5/32 AEBL and I did all of my grinding post heat treat.
 
I use Nathan's radius platens for the swedge. I recently used one for a very shallow hollow grind on a brute de forge bowie
 
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