I've been hanging around this forum for a little while now, popping my head in every now and then. I figured it's time I put up a knife that I've made and get some feedback, as much as you can I guess from just pictures. Having a knife in your hand tells you so much more.
This is about the 10th knife I've ground out and heat treated myself. The steel is 15N20. Blade is just under 3" and OAL is 7 1/2". I have a small charcoal forge, but this one was done with a MAPP torch. I tried to treat it like 1075/1080. I brought it to the Curie point, and then tried to bring it just a shade hotter and held it as even as I could for about 2 minutes. It was quenched in canola oil (I'll try to get something better when I can) and tempered at 400-410* two times for an hour. Flats are satin finished at 330 grit, the bevel is polished.
The handle is Russian olive and crab apple, both were dead trees. The Russian olive I cut from my mom's front yard and the crab apple was in the yard of a friend. Nickel silver pins and tube. This is probably the thinnest handle I've made (including bought blades, maybe 30).
The beads are from the same wood, turned on the drill press.
I use mostly Scandinavian grinds. I do a lot of puukkos and such. I find myself really attracted to them.
Thanks!
Walter
This is about the 10th knife I've ground out and heat treated myself. The steel is 15N20. Blade is just under 3" and OAL is 7 1/2". I have a small charcoal forge, but this one was done with a MAPP torch. I tried to treat it like 1075/1080. I brought it to the Curie point, and then tried to bring it just a shade hotter and held it as even as I could for about 2 minutes. It was quenched in canola oil (I'll try to get something better when I can) and tempered at 400-410* two times for an hour. Flats are satin finished at 330 grit, the bevel is polished.
The handle is Russian olive and crab apple, both were dead trees. The Russian olive I cut from my mom's front yard and the crab apple was in the yard of a friend. Nickel silver pins and tube. This is probably the thinnest handle I've made (including bought blades, maybe 30).
The beads are from the same wood, turned on the drill press.
I use mostly Scandinavian grinds. I do a lot of puukkos and such. I find myself really attracted to them.
Thanks!
Walter
