A-2!!!!!

T

Taz

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 28, 1999
Messages
2,566
Hello again! I jsut got my 50 grit ceramic belts and the A-2 from Mcmaster-Carr today. I ground out the blade of my uncle's skinning knife. right now, it kinda looks like a buck vanguard with a LOT of belly. Blade is about 4" with a half inch choil or cut out thingy, about 7.75" total. Now I just have to shape out the handle, drill it and get it heat treated! The grinding went incredibly well tonight. I got the tracking problem solved. Put a bunch of masking tape of the big driving wheel and now that belt stays where it should be! The steel is 1/8" thick, so it has a nice, thin shallow flatish grind to it. I can't believe how smooth the finish is, even after I used a 50 belt! The 0-1 got very rough with the 50, but the A-2 is still pretty smooth. I have the feeling I will like to work with this stuff. I think I might change the handle up a little. I think I will forget the bolster and just do a full stag handle. Any opinions? should I keep the bolster in? It will have an integral guard, so that won't be a problem. I also might get rid of the second finger bump, too, so the handle will be wider and less sanding and grinding of the stag handle. the handle would be kinda like Mr. Blackwood/Dr. Lathe's large hunter, but with less of a bump at the end. On second thought, that bolster looks good on his!
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Meeting/5520/page2.HTML

The dimesions are like this one and I like the look of the full stag handle! the blade itself looks kinda like the Buck Vanguard.

Decisions, decisions, decisions! I will try to get the knife scanned this Weds at work before it goes out for heat treating, probably Mr. Bos.
 
you should polish your blade before heat treat. it's very tough to get out grind marks after heat treat.
 
Just one hint and a comment. I think you will find it easier if you do all your drilling before grinding. It's always nicer to have a good solid flat surface to drill into.

As for bolster or other challenges, I think you need to do what you feel comfortable with until you have a couple knives under your belt, then crank the bar up a notch or two and try the next challenge. If you try to do too many new things at once, it is very easy to ruin all your good work with one little screw up on a detail. Go slow, progress at your own pace, and ask a lot of questions.

All of the pleasure is in finishing a nice knife. It is far less important that it be complicated or challenging. So make yourself happy first and just do what feels good.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show
 
Hi. Thanks for the replies! I won't be tapering the tang, as I don't know how to do that and I don't have a disc grinder to do it on. I think I will stick to the handle completely out of stag. Has anyone used the Jantz Stag? How is it? In my other post about stag, they said to look for a small core and lots of enamel. Is jantz's stuff like this? How about from Rade Hawkins of the custom knife directory? I think it will be easier for me to do the full handle of stag, rather than try a bolster on it. It is only my 4th knife!
 
Taz, being a small shop and a super guy, I think you'll find that Rade Hawkins will select the piece you want personally. Plus, you get to talk to one of the most respected people in knifemaking.

I wasn't speaking of tapering the tang, BTW. I meant grinding the blade. It's easiest if you drill all the holes first. That way they are more likely to stay square.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show
 
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