- Joined
- May 10, 2000
- Messages
- 3,351
These choppers came about as a result of some performance testing I did this spring.
They were designed for hard use, they are crudely finished, and they make no excuses and offer no apologies for their appearance. For these knives, the only thing that matters is making the cut. The blades are belt finished, the flats retain their fire scale from the forge, while the spine and tang profiles are filed and blued. Rough & ugly.
The handles are on the smaller side and are designed to offer a secure grip in bare or gloved hands. The handles arent polished or sanded and still bare all the marks from final shaping with files. Handle pins are stainless steel and each knife also has a stainless steel lanyard tube for an added measure of security.
The steel on this first one is L6. This is an extremely tough tool steel - one of my favorites - and it can take a lot of abuse. Its what I used on my JS performance test and it excelled in all categories. The blade was forged, fully hardened, tempered four times, and the spine, tang, and ricasso were drawn back with a torch four times as well.
The handle is a piece of old growth redwood cut down many years ago and lost on the bottom of a river where, over the course of many decades, the minerals gave it a darker, almost bluish hue. After shaping the handle with files, I gave the wood a few coats of Danish oil and left it as is. No need for a slick mirror polish here.
The blade profile on this one is also a bit pokier than the others. It's more of a classic all-around camp knife, well suited for everything from food prep to clearing a camp site and processing kindling.
The steel on the other three is 1084, which will take a wicked edge and retain its sharpness through lots of use. Like the L6 blade, these were also fully hardened, tempered four times, and drawn back on the tang and spine four times. The slight recurve on the blade profiles allows for a bit more of a forward balance than the L6 camp knife, so they will really excel at chopping and woodcraft. The handles on these three are all linen micarta one in bone, one in red, and one in OD green. The micarta isnt quite as warm as the redwood, but it can withstand temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors extremely well. No maintenance required.
The premium leather sheaths were custom made for these knives by David Seward. They hold the knives securely, protect the edges, and look good doing it. This is the first time I've worked with David but definitely not the last. He does great work at good prices and is a pleasure to deal with. I would not hesitate to recommend his work to other makers and collectors.
Thanks for looking and as always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.
They were designed for hard use, they are crudely finished, and they make no excuses and offer no apologies for their appearance. For these knives, the only thing that matters is making the cut. The blades are belt finished, the flats retain their fire scale from the forge, while the spine and tang profiles are filed and blued. Rough & ugly.
The handles are on the smaller side and are designed to offer a secure grip in bare or gloved hands. The handles arent polished or sanded and still bare all the marks from final shaping with files. Handle pins are stainless steel and each knife also has a stainless steel lanyard tube for an added measure of security.
The steel on this first one is L6. This is an extremely tough tool steel - one of my favorites - and it can take a lot of abuse. Its what I used on my JS performance test and it excelled in all categories. The blade was forged, fully hardened, tempered four times, and the spine, tang, and ricasso were drawn back with a torch four times as well.
The handle is a piece of old growth redwood cut down many years ago and lost on the bottom of a river where, over the course of many decades, the minerals gave it a darker, almost bluish hue. After shaping the handle with files, I gave the wood a few coats of Danish oil and left it as is. No need for a slick mirror polish here.
The blade profile on this one is also a bit pokier than the others. It's more of a classic all-around camp knife, well suited for everything from food prep to clearing a camp site and processing kindling.
The steel on the other three is 1084, which will take a wicked edge and retain its sharpness through lots of use. Like the L6 blade, these were also fully hardened, tempered four times, and drawn back on the tang and spine four times. The slight recurve on the blade profiles allows for a bit more of a forward balance than the L6 camp knife, so they will really excel at chopping and woodcraft. The handles on these three are all linen micarta one in bone, one in red, and one in OD green. The micarta isnt quite as warm as the redwood, but it can withstand temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors extremely well. No maintenance required.
The premium leather sheaths were custom made for these knives by David Seward. They hold the knives securely, protect the edges, and look good doing it. This is the first time I've worked with David but definitely not the last. He does great work at good prices and is a pleasure to deal with. I would not hesitate to recommend his work to other makers and collectors.
Thanks for looking and as always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.
:thumbup:
