Already, I can't wait to get more Steel

You get 10% off on Damascus USA if you get two blanks or more. I want to get these guys next.

Intermission

This was one of the grab bag knives I got from SMKW. It was a well-made, unfinished lockback with the tip broken off. I sanded the blade about 90%, but since it's getting kind of thin, I stopped and sanded the handle and bolster pretty well. Just practice, really. 
I could spend a couple more hours detailing it, but it will never be more than a pretty utility knife. Did I mention that I can use the practice?

I'm starting on the bowie soon. I have a silver ingot I was thinking of using for a guard, but I've never worked with silver; I just know it's harder than brass.  I need to make a real precise rectangular square in it to fit the hilt, so I'm going to practice with some thin brass.  If the brass works well, I'll use it instead of the silver, and get some brass pins. I want to pin it for strength and a way to keep me from sanding off too much wood.  I want the bowie to come out 100%, so it may take awhile.

Boot Knife Done

These are what I've finished so far. The boot knife actually came out better than I thought it would. I gouged it out too far and hit a rivet hole, then compounded the blemish by gouging it out some more until I realized what I was doing. So now it's cut too deep, with a noticeable flaw in the bottom, but I tried to compensate by getting the shaping and sanding as close to perfect as I could.
I also nicked the blade edge almost in the middle with the belt sander. It might be fixed by sharpening, but I don't think I'm that good, so it's done. I'm taking off 5 points for hitting the edge, and 5 more for hitting the pin hole and there is a little too much metal on the belly, which I might be able to correct with the belt sander. The wood turned out almost perfect; I think I'm really getting the hang of it. I'm quicker and more accurate, anyway.
The blade looks good in spite of my clumsiness, so I give this guy about 88 out of 100.

Two Finished

After a whole lot more sanding w/ 600 and 1000 grit. I just noticed in the photo that I missed the front radius on the feather. Oh, well, it's done, and not really a glaring error. I'm taking off a few points for minor wood errors and 4 for the botched finger notch. I give myself a 92 overall for that one. The dagger turned out really well; the lines, fit, and symmetry are good, the front cleaned up well. The wood could have been shaped a little better.

Ugly finger notch and slightly mismatched wood - 92 out of 100. I need a belt sander with a small diameter roller, about two inches.

Only minor blemishes and slight lack of finish (which I could still do, in theory), so I'll take off a couple of points, plus two very small detail flaws for a 96 on this one.

What not to do.

Much Hand-Sanding Later

I'm pretty pleased with the way the dagger is turning out. Although I did sand on the steel, I did much better keeping the original curves.  I'm sanding them with 600 grit now, but I need to do a bit more belt-sanding on two of them.
I should have sanded the fronts before I glued them; the end wood will look raw against the polished parts.  I'm using the edge of the workbench to do the concave radii and work around the handle so all the compound curves will look right. I'm deducting about 5 points for the unsanded bolsters and about 2 points for working the damascus. I think this will finish out about 90 out of 100.
I dug into the steel on the boot knife pretty bad. I need a smaller roller. In trying to  work down to an even curve, I took out too much towards the blade and there's almost no metal where it comes to a point, plus sanding into the steel so deeply heated the blank enough so the scale is loose on one side.  I might be able to skoosh just a little epoxy into the gap and re-clamp it. Frankly, I messed this one up.  Minus about 20 points for gouging in so deeply.  If I can salvage it, it should finish out between 75 and 85.  I need to be more careful with the machine tools; it's too easy to take off too much, but I am improving. 
It looks like the epoxy only works well, but the pins are stronger and the alignment can be more precise.  I'm going to get some 1/8" nickel/silver wire and I need some brass for the bowie, maybe from Dixie Gun Works.

A Rainy Day's Work

These are the results of yesterday's glue-up. I spent most of today belt-sanding with a couple of hours hand-sanding the feather using dry 360 and 400 grit sandpaper. I don't have anything between 400 and 1000, so this is done for now, but I'm going to round that v-notch out. I couldn't figure out how to polish the inside radii, so I used the edge of the bench with newspaper under the sandpaper. Learn as I go, I suppose.
The long parts of the back and bottom are pretty scratch free and the back radius worked out pretty well. the scales are only short in one small area and I dug the excess epoxy out of the front grooves without scratching the blank. You have to be careful not to sand the damascus because the contrast goes real fast. I'm only using 1000 on the blanks, but I couldn't avoid sanding the tang. It's real shiny but no contrast. I'd take off about 5 points for working the blank. I should be able to make a 100% job on the classic small tang, because I'm sure I'll have to make whatever kind of handle before I install it. Possibly the bowie, too. 
The finger guard is not satisfactory, it might even be sort of dangerous as there is no sharp transition to warn the user that he's getting near the sharp part, but I might be able to sand the radius a little better. that takes off a couple more points, say 8 and a couple more for the bit where the scale doesn't quite reach. If I can pretty it up a skosh, I'd rate it between 85-90 out of a hundred (for a really simple handle). It's the nicest I've made, so far.
These are the five damascus blanks as they are. tomorrow, wife and weather co-operating, it's hand sanding the two glued-only knives to finish. I think they'll sand real fast without the pins. The fine sanding with pins darkens the wood. I like it, which is good because I'm not going to re-do it.

Classic Modified

Two more views of the Classic Modified. Photos not so good; It's hard to show the damascus in indoor light. They're prettier than they appear, not counting my funky grips.