Knife Making |
Knife Making |
Jun 28 2012, 09:40 PM
Post
#1
|
|
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 |
|
|
Aug 18 2012, 07:16 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Moderator Group: Members Posts: 4,459 Joined: 25-August 09 From: way on up thar Member No.: 6,983 |
The Nessmuk (I just realized I've been spelling it wrong... correct spelling of the name is ..."muk") is now ready to be sent off for heat treat/hardening. The company I'm sending it to only does heat-treating once a week on Mondays so it'll be a couple of weeks before I get it back.
Once it comes back I will install the handle scales (maybe stabilized Black Ash Burl for this one), polish/buff all exposed steel, then file a secondary cutting edge into it and sharpen. It will be complete except for sheath. I intend to learn sheath-making soon so that this one has a nice little custom home to sleep in. Here's what it looks like now after I reshaped the tang and drilled new pin holes. The cutting edge is very blunt and a little thicker than a dime. Anything thinner would be damaged during the heat-treatment, very important! I also engraved my name and other info (where it will not be seen) as requested by the company that will be performing the heat-treat. The heat-treat service costs $5.50 for this knife and I opted for Cryogenic cooling for an additional $4.00. The Cryo process will add durability and increase edge-retention. Basically they will heat this puppy to somewhere around 2500 degrees, then cool it in a Cryo tank which is about -300. -------------------- /l ,[____], l---L-OlllllllO- ()_) ()_)--o-)_) BLACK SANDS MATTER! Very Happy CP Lifetime Member CP CORE TEAM Referral Code CE213 |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 27th April 2024 - 04:19 PM |