10 in Tramontina to Bowie Mod
This week I’ve been able to work on a project I’ve had kicking around in my head for a while. I have had this 10 inch Tramontina for about 10 years. It has been through several resurrections as it has alternately been left in car trunks and stored indifferently in my workshop for a year at a time as I have been away in the US. The blade had gotten to the stage of minor pitting at one point.
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I wanted to turn it into a large Bowie, give it a wicked convex, and refinish with a vinegar forced patina. My goal was to produce a large Bowie that could ride easily in the trunk of my car for whatever duty a Bowie could be called upon to perform, you get the point. I think it turned out great.
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Here’s a close-up of the patina and the clip point. I didn’t anneal this blade first, I just powered through it with a hacksaw. About 1/3 the way through I realized I wasn’t getting anywhere, checked to find no more teeth on the saw. That clip point cost me three saw blades so don’t let anyone tell you Tramontina’s have a poor heat treat.
The blade length is just under 9.5 inches. I narrowed the false edge a bit but left it unsharpened and gave the edge a full length convex. I’m still undecided about the handle. I shaped it a bit which took off ten years of grime and left it sort of rustic looking. This is going to be a user and abuser. Mac
