Hey Folks,
I'm a new member on iKC and I have an interest in mid 1800s Bowies made in Sheffield for the American market.  I am currently making some Bowies for the reenactor market based on pictures and descriptions in various books.  There are some things I can't glean with this approach and I put together some questions for those who have first hand knowledge:

• Where guards press fit??
• Was cutler’s rosin used under handles??
• What was the general blade thickness of large Bowies (9”-12” blades)??
• Did the large bowie blades have a distal taper??
• Are the bevels on large Sheffield knives flat or convex
   (due to the large stone grinding wheels they used)??   
• Do you folks know of any info on making paper mache scabbards??

thanks for the help,

Dave Suitor