South Texas Stampede Mk IV

This is the South Texas Stampede Bowie Knife.

I learned a lot of lessons when I creating the Zac Cason Bowie knife, from both working on the model, as well as from Zac himself and from other contributors. I applied those to some other models I'd made, but then I decided it would be nice to revisit an old favourite design of mine, the Bowie knife.

Rather than go for a high-tech feeling like I did with the AJM Xtreme Bowie, I decided to try for a more traditionalist feel that would follow the lines and looks of the older "James Black" style American Bowie Knives, emphasizing a deeper clip point and bigger talon, with the blade being tapered down in reverse from its widest point being near the end of the blade.

Designing the South Texas Stampede wasI learned a lot of lessons when I creating the Zac Cason Bowie knife, from both working on the model, as well as from Zac himself. I applied those to some other models I'd made, but then I decided it would be nice to revisit an old favourite design of mine, the Bowie knife.

Rather than go for a high-tech feeling like I did with the Xtreme Bowie, I decided to try for a more traditionalist feel that would follow the lines and looks of the older "James Black" style American Bowie Knives, emphasizing a deeper clip point and bigger talon, with the blade being tapered down in reverse from its widest point being near the end of the blade.

The knife was designed iteratively. Earlier versions featured a half tang with a peened cable that was deemed too weak for the knife. Current versions have it with a full-length tang that ran through the handle terminating in a 1-1/4" diameter semispherical peen for more strength.

This iteration, the Mark IV, shows the 14" Recurve blade with the Bowie's trademark clip point and a convex grind for a better combination of sharpness and edge retention. One thing the Mark IV lacks that the other iterations have is a fuller. I didn't think that was necessary.

Unlike many of my other knives, the blade of the Mark IV is not monosteel, but instead, the model depicts a San-Mai blade (high carbon inside, low carbon outside, look at the edges). The exact composition of the blade I am unsure of; at the moment I've been considering compositions such as Deloro Stellite No.1 Cobalt Chromium Alloy as an inside material supported by ASTM A 401 Chrome-Silicon outsides. I've also considered AISI 6195 on the inside supported by AISI 4140. In both cases the heat treatment would be very different but the results similar; a hard inner 'core' and edge supported by a strong, tough, and elastic exterior.

The handle is specified to be made of Brazilian Rosewood or Gaboon ebony, which would be hand-rubbed and oiled. The spacers are to be made from blued steel or 304 stainless steel, and the rest of the furniture to be made from cast C260 brass, which would be formed into shape via investment casting or plaster casting.

Enjoy the view.