Custom Forged Blades by Dan Weatherby
D. WEATHERBY FORGE
Welcome to D. Weatherby Forge. I specialize in a unique form of bladesmithing. I take used rifle barrels from my family's company Weatherby Inc. and I forge them into functional blades. Each blade is not only functional, but is also a piece of art. Please explore this site for more information about my work. Whenever I finish a new blade it will be displayed in the available products link listed above. Below is a gallery of my past work and detailed descriptions of materials and methods used. Feel free to contact me about custom blade orders!
BUFFALO FIGHTER
This 7-inch Bowie style knife inspired by the Randall Model 1 is forged from a Weatherby .30-378 caliber stainless steel rifle barrel. The blade features a mirror polish showing the subtle San Mai Damascus pattern with O1 high carbon steel forming the cutting edge heat treated to 57-58 HRC. The double guard and pommel are nickel silver. The stacked handle has a section of black Cape Buffalo horn from my father's successful hunt in Zimbabwe over 20 years ago. This section of horn is sandwiched between stacked leather, black Micarta, and nickel silver spacers. It is followed by a piece of polished caribou antler. The pommel displays a Weatherby .30-378 shell casing illustrating the blade's unique origin. Overall length of the blade is 12 inches.
Bowie Fighter With Elk Antler
I forged this full tang hybrid Bowie out of a Weatherby .338-.378 magnum chrome moly rifle barrel. A stainless steel tube was inserted into the chamber of the barrel and within that 1084 high carbon powdered steel mixed with 52100 steel ball bearings before forging. This created a very unique GoMai Damascus pattern (meaning 5 layers) with the chrome moly barrel forming the top of the blade followed by the silver stainless line waving through the middle and then the high carbon powdered steel and ball bearings forming the cutting edge of the blade with an RC hardness of 60. The handle is comprised of polished elk antler accented by red and black Micarta liners as well as custom mosaic pins. This elk antler was harvested by my father Ed Weatherby from one of his successful hunts years ago. The blade thickness is 3/16 inch and the blade length is 6 1/2 inches with and overall length of 11 1/2 inches.
Amber Stag Go-Mai Bowie
This Go-Mai Bowie has a 7 inch blade with an overall length of 12 inches. I went with stainless fittings with a little brass spacer flare in the middle. The handle is comprised of Buffalo horn and amber stag crown antler. I used 01 high carbon steel for the cutting edge hardened to 61HRC. The barrel was from a Weatherby accumark 410 stainless steel. I put a 304 stainless steel tubing into the chamber before I put the O1 core steel creating a beautiful go-mai Damascus pattern. I forged the blade down to it's final 3/16 inch thickness on the anvil leaving the hammer and scale marks on the flats of the blade.
High Plains Bowie
This Damascus Go-Mai was forged out of a Weatherby .30-378 Accumark rifle barrel. I inserted a 304 stainless steel tubing inside the barrel and then a rod of O1 high carbon steel inside that to form the cutting edge of the blade. The handle fittings are nickel silver and the handle itself is polished Buffalo horn. A Weatherby .30-378 mag case head is on the pommel harkening to the blade’s origin. The sheath I custom made with leather and antelope hide harvested from my grandfather Roy Weatherby decades ago.
THE LEOPARD
This Bowie was forged out of a stainless Weatherby .300 magnum barrel. I put 52100 1/4 inch ball bearings and 1084 powered steel in the chamber before forging creating a unique San Mai Damascus Leopard pattern. The guard and spacers are nickel silver and the handle is comprised of Buffalo horn and stabilized Eucalyptus burl from my property here in California.
SAN MAI BOWIE
This 13 inch Bowie knife is forged from a .300 Weatherby magnum stainless steel rifle barrel. The unique process of forging a core steel, in this case O1 high carbon steel, into the 410 stainless steel rifle barrel, creates a damascus pattern knows as "San Mai" which means "three layers." This unique process creates not only a beautiful pattern, but also a more durable blade. The O1 tool steel is heat treated to 59-60 RC for great edge retention. The double guard, pommel, and spacers are nickel silver. The handle is comprised of African Blackwood and polished elk antler. The African blackwood was brought back from Africa by my grandfather from one of his safaris decades ago. The elk antler is a tine from an elk harvested by my father from one of his successful hunts. The pommel features a vintage .300 Weatherby magnum shell casing illustrating the blade's unique origin.
RATTLESNAKE BOWIE
Forged out of a Weatherby .416 magnum rifle barrel. This is a very unique piece. Before forging I inserted a stainless steel tubing with a 52100 high carbon rod inside forming the cutting edge of the blade creating a Go-Mai Damascus pattern. The handle is stabilized Australian Mallee burl and of course it features a .416 case head on the pommel illustrating it’s unique origin. I also custom made a leather sheath with rattlesnake skin to pair with the beautiful handle.
REDWOOD BOWIE
This Bowie was forged out of a Weatherby 6.5-300 magnum stainless rifle barrel. I put a 52100 high carbon steel rod into the chamber before forging to create the cutting edge of the blade. This combination of steels made a beautiful San Mai Damascus pattern. The handle is stabilized redwood and the guard and pommel are nickel silver. A 6.5-300 weatherby mag shell casing adorns the pommel illustrating the blade’s unique origin!
THE BUTCHER
This butcher’s knife was forged for Irish Oaks Ranch, a local meat supplier with some of the greatest meats in the country. It features a 6 1/2 inch traditional butcher’s knife blade shape with my unique San mai Damascus. A stainless steel .300 Weatherby magnum caliber barrel forms outside layer and O1 high carbon steel forms the edge of the blade with an RC hardness of 60-61. The handle is comprised of African Blackwood and caribou antler accented by mosaic pins in the center.
PIONEER HUNTER
This full tang clip point hunting knife was forged out of a Weatherby 6.5-300 magnum rifle barrel. The unique forging process of inserting a high carbon steel rod in the stainless steel rifle barrel creates a Damascus pattern known as San Mai. This three layer pattern offers a blend of both beauty and durability. The high carbon steel, in this case O1, forms the cutting edge of the blade with an RC hardness of 60-61 after heat treatment. The blade length is 4 1/12 inches with an overall length of 9 inches. The blade was forged on the anvil down to it’s final thickness of 5/32 inch leaving the original forging marks and scale on the flats of the blade. The spine features custom vine filework done by hand. The handle scales are stabilized Eucalyptus burl with black Micarta liners along the tang. The scales are secured with two custom mosaic pins.
Safari Hunter
This custom Safari blade was forged out of a Weatherby .460 magnum chrome moly barrel. This is the first blade of its kind. I inserted a stainless steel tube into the chamber of the barrel and then a piece of O1 carbon steel into the stainless tube before forging. This created a very unique San Mai Damascus pattern with the chrome moly etching dark along with the carbon steel and the stainless tubing staying bright running through out the blade. The fittings are nickel silver and handle is comprised of African Blackwood my grandfather brought back from Africa decades ago and in the center is a section of Zebra bone. I handmade the sheath with zebra skin also from one of my grandfather’s safari’s decades ago. Finally I put a Weatherby .460 mag case head on the pommel illustrating the blade’s unique origin
THE OUTBACK
I forged this drop point blade out of a .300 Weatherby magnum stainless rifle barrel. The core steel inserted in the barrel before forging is O1 high carbon tool steel. This steel forms the cutting edge and when combined with the stainless barrel creates a Damascus pattern known as “San Mai.” I added a bit of vine filework to the spine for added flare. The guard and pommel are cold blued mild steel that I actually took from and old workbench from Weatherby inc. before they moved their shop to Wyoming. The handle is made from stabilized Eucalyptus burl which I harvested from my property here in Paso Robles. There are brass spacers to tie in the .300 brass shell casing on the pommel which illustrates the blade’s unique origin.
DEER SKINNER
This 4 inch upswept skinning blade was hand-forged from a stainless .270 Weatherby magnum rifle barrel. O1 high carbon steel forms the cutting edge of the blade with an RC hardness of 59-60 after heat treatment. The guard and pommel are nickel silver. The handle is a multi-piece construction comprised of nickel silver and black Micarta spacers, African Blackwood, and polished deer antler . This African Blackwood was brought back from Africa by my grandfather Roy Weatherby after one of his safaris decades ago. The pommel features a .270 Weatherby magnum shell casing illustrating the blade’s unique origin.
DEER SKINNER VARIATION
WEST COAST HUNTER
This 4 inch drop point blade was hand-forged from a stainless steel .300 caliber Weatherby rifle barrel. O1 tool steel forms the cutting edge of the blade with an RC hardness of 60-61 after heat treatment. There is a section of file work on the spine for added handling. The guard is comprised of a brass spacer in between two nickel silver and two black Micarta sections. The blade features a partial hidden tang handle with a section of manzanita burl, followed by African Blackwood with a solitary nickel silver pin. This Blackwood was brought back fromAfrica by my grandfather Roy Weatherby after one of his safaris decades ago. The lanyard hole has a .300 Weatherby magnum shell inlay on both sides to represent the blade’s unique origin.
WEST COAST HUNTER VARIATION
This blade is the same as the West coast hunter with the exception of the guard and spacers as well as the lanyard hole not displaying the Weatherby shell casings. This particular blade was forged from a Stainless Weatherby barrel in .30-06 caliber per the customer's request. It also has 52100 high carbon steel for the cutting edge with an RC hardness of 61.
ELK HUNTER
This is the same as the original Elk hunter with the exception of the San Mai pattern being more drastic as well has having longer 5 and a half inch blade. Core steel forming the edge is O1 instead of W1 high carbon steel.
ELK HUNTER VERSION 2
This is another veriation of the Elk hunter. It has a natural pattern of the two steels forge welded in the San Mai pattern. This blade was forged out of a Weatherby .30-378 Stainless rifle barrel. The cutting edge is O1 high carbon steel. The handle is comprised of elk antler from my father, African Blackwood from my grandfather, and manzanita burl.
DEER HUNTER
This 4 and a half inch drop point blade was forged from a Weatherby 6.5-300 stainless steel rifle barrel. A hardened high carbon O1 steel core provides the cutting edge of the blade at an RC hardness of 59-60. The stainless steel barrel creates a softer jacket on the outside of the more brittle cutting edge providing a more durable blade overall. This unique method not only provides functionality but also creates a stunning look. The guard and pommel are nickel silver. The spacers are nickel silver and black Micarta. The handle is comprised of African Blackwood brought back from Africa by my grandfather, Roy Weatherby, decades ago from one of his safaris. The Blackwood is followed by a piece of deer antler. The pommel features a Weatherby 6.5-300 shell casing to signify the blade’s origin.
DARK HORSE
This 4 inch drop point blade is forged from a stainless .30-378 rifle barrel. The core material is O1 tool steel heat treated to 59 HRC. The acid etch reveals the San Mai damascus pattern with an aggressive look. The guard and pommel are brass and the handle features stabilized leather spacers with thin brass accents followed by African Blackwood, brought back from Africa by my grandfather decades ago. The pommel displays a .30-378 cartridge illustrating the blade's origin. The spine of the blade has a section of jimping for added grip.
THE YUKON
This blade was inspired by a caribou hunt I took with my father in Alaska when I was 15. I can remember gazing at custom knifes in the local hunting stores similar to the design of this blade. It features a 4 1/2 inch clip point mirror polish blade forged out of a Weatherby 6.5-300 caliber stainless steel rifle barrel. The core material which forms the cutting edge of the blade is O1 high carbon steel. After heat treatment the hardness is just about 60 HRC. This blade has a section of filework at the base of the spine for the thumb and a large area above the guard for the pointer finger when choking up for finer work. The guard and pommel are nickel silver. The handle is comprised of stacked leather, nickel silver, and black Micarta spacers with a polished section of caribou antler. The pommel dispalys a 6.5-300 Weatherby mag shell casing to represent the blade's origin.
8 INCH CHEF'S KNIFE
This 8 inch stainless /high carbon San Mai Damascus chef knife was forged out of a 410 stainless steel .300 caliber weatherby rifle barrel. The core forming the edge is 52100 high carbon steel heat treated to 61 HRC. The handle is comprised of African Blackwood with maplewood and black micarta liners. I custom made the mosaic pins and of course it features the shell casing inlay on both sides to illustrate its unique origin.
6 INCH CHEF'S KNIFE
I forged this 6 inch chef’s knife out of a .300 caliber Weatherby rifle barrel. The San mai Damascus pattern turned out very interesting with a 52100 core forming the cutting edge at about 62RC hardness. The handle is comprised of stabilized walnut burl with maplewood and black micarta liners. I used mosaic pins for some added flare. The structure of the blade was forged by hand so I could create the integral guard. The spine of the blade is right at about 2.5 mm.
6 INCH CHEF'S KNIFE PAIR
A pair of stainless/high carbon San Mai 6 inch chef knives forged out of 410 stainless .300wby mag rifle barrels with a core steel of 52100 forming the cutting edge. I used African Blackwood and curly maple for the handles with G10 Micarta liners fastened with my custom mosaic pins
DROP POINT HUNTER
This drop point hunting/camp knife features a 4 1/2 inch San Mai Damascus blade forged from a Weatherby .300 caliber stainless steel rifle barrel. The cutting edge is made from O1 high carbon steel and is heat treated to 59-60HRC. The partial hidden tang design has a single nickel silver pin in the center of an elegantly contoured African Blackwood handle. This wood was brought back from Africa by my grandfather Roy Weatherby on one of his safaris decades ago. The guard and spacers are nickel silver.
THE YUKON VERSION 2
This blade is the same as the Yukon model listed above but with two differences. It was forged from a 6.5-.300 Weatherby stainless rifle and the guard, spacers, and pommel are made of brass.
LIGHT DROP POINT HUNTER
This blade was a gift to my twin sister, Jessica, after her store-bought blade broke in the field while she was field dressing a deer in Montana. It features a 3-inch drop point San Mai Damascus blade forged from a .300 Weatherby mag. stainless barrel. The cutting edge is made of W1 high carbon tool steel. It is a partial hidden tang design with a single nickel silver pin. The guard is made of nickel silver, black Micarta, and Brass. The handle is made of African Blackwood and curly maple.
SAW BLADE SKINNER
I got my hands on an old large sawmill blade made from 8670 high carbon steel. I made two full tang skinning knives from it. This blade features curly maple handle scales, black Micarta liners, and mosaic pins. I did some vine patten filework around the entire spine of the handle, all done by hand with small needle files. Hardened to 60-61 HRC.
