Making the Blade and Tang

• Bowie knife diagram
  
  To begin making a Bowie knife blade and tang, you will need a blank sheet of steel at least 17 inches long by 2.5 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. Choose a type of high grade steel that's suitable for knife making. Click on the diagram included with this article and print it out. Use the dimensions indicated on the diagram to cut the shapes of the blade and tang pieces for the Bowie knife. You can use a hacksaw blade, a metal cutting band saw or a cutting torch to cut out the pieces from the steel. This technique does not require you to forge the blade.
  
  Use grinders and metal files to shape the cutting edge of the blade. The curved portion of the top edge of the blade is also beveled to a cutting edge. Drill two rivet holes in the tang using a drill press or an electric drill with a metal-boring bit.
  
  

Making the Hilt

• Get a piece of brass plate that's 3.75 inches long, 1/2-inch wide and 1/8-inch thick. Shape it to the oval shape as shown at the bottom of the diagram. The rectangular hole in the middle should fit perfectly over the tang. The hilt should rest flat against the blade as shown in the center image in the Bowie knife diagram.
  
  

Making the Handle

• Select a smooth, hard and durable material for the handle such as hardwood, bone, antler or micarta. Get two pieces of the material that are 5 5/8 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick. Drill rivet holes through each of the two pieces at the same diameter and spacing as the rivet holes in the tang. Bevel one side of each piece half round using a grinder.
  
  

Assembling and Finishing the Bowie Knife

• Slide the hilt onto the tang so that it is resting in the place where the tang and blade meet. Place the handle pieces on either side of the tang. Insert the rivets through the holes and peen the rivets into place. Finish sharpening the blade with a whetstone or disk-array knife sharpener. Polish the blade to a near-mirror finish with emery paper. Polish the handle with fine sandpaper and finish it with polyurethane varnish.