Knife Making |
Knife Making |
Jun 28 2012, 09:40 PM
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Moderator Group: Members Posts: 4,459 Joined: 25-August 09 From: way on up thar Member No.: 6,983 |
Time to learn something new. (I blame Woody for this)
I am going to build a custom knife... and hopefully many more after I get skilled enough. I've learned a lot through the internet and am ready to get started, I'll post my progress. Hopefully I won't screw it up too bad. So far.... I bought a fixed-handle knife blank. The overall length is 7" and the blade length is 3-1/4". It is 1/8" thick. Good steel - 440c with a hardness of 56-58 RC so it should hold an edge really well. This blade style is called "Western Skinner" and will make for a nice fish & bird knife when completed. While I'm waiting for parts... I decided to practice some decorative file-work today. I plan to incorporate something like this on the Skinner. This is a vine pattern that I practiced today on a piece of leaf-spring metal that Woody gave me (also 1/8" thick). I used several different needle-files to do this work. I'm ready to try it on the real thing. -------------------- /l ,[____], l---L-OlllllllO- ()_) ()_)--o-)_) BLACK SANDS MATTER! Very Happy CP Lifetime Member CP CORE TEAM Referral Code CE213 |
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Aug 5 2012, 01:55 PM
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#2
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Moderator Group: Members Posts: 4,459 Joined: 25-August 09 From: way on up thar Member No.: 6,983 |
While that's drying...
I've designed my first blade. This is my sketch of what I'll be building next. I'll make a template of this drawing and transfer it to the bar stock steel. The metal I will be using is also pictured. ATS-34 is an excellent steel for knifemaking. This piece is annealed but not heat-treated yet. That will make shaping and detail filing less difficult. Once I cut, shape, and detail the knife blank... I'll send it out to be heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 58-60. When it's returned, I'll begin work on the handle. This method of knifemaking is "Stock Removal". This will be my first try at it and hopefully produce an original piece that I can call 100% my own. My design is based on the very old Nessmuck style of knife which was extremely common in the 1800s. Kind of an all-purpose knife used by the settlers, cowboys, miners, hunters, ranchers, etc. Handle materials and handle styles for this knife can be basically anything the builder chooses but the common trait of the Nessmuck is the blade shape which is similar to a modern skinner. I guess I chose this blade shape/style cuz I'm kinda old fashioned. -------------------- /l ,[____], l---L-OlllllllO- ()_) ()_)--o-)_) BLACK SANDS MATTER! Very Happy CP Lifetime Member CP CORE TEAM Referral Code CE213 |
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