Bladite said:
wow, that's some awesome work
i'm tempted to try this myself, but i have very little idea how to go about it... do you have instructions on your method, and step by step photos?
i'm assume you glue up that big square block, and carve that down somehow, metal and all?
bladite
Hi Bladite:
I started with a few kits. Then a Puukko kit. Worked up to more involved stuff.
This Morseth blade really formed backwards from the guard. All my puukko's have. I made the guard from 1/8" nickle silver sheet. The hardest part is the hole the blade goes through. It must be exact. I threw 3-4 away before getting one to fit. Then I roughly shaped the guard on a belt grinder and file work. Then silver soldered it on. Next came the making of the tang hole in the buffalo horn and nickle spacer. Next was epoxy it all together and clamp it up for a day.
Then I center drilled the maple burl block and filed out the tang hole. An agonizing process in my opinion. Epoxied and clamped again.
Then I got the whole handle assembly pretty much the way I liked it (note not wanted it. I never know how the handle will turn out until I work with it and it evolves in my hands). The pommel needed something to balance the look of the knife so I added the spacers and buffalo horn on the end. They are held on with epoxy and there are three 1/8" pins through it and deep into the handle and they are peened. Then clamp and wait a day again.
Final shaping came next and sanding to 2000 grit. Then I moved to the buffer and it shined! Since the wood is stabilized it didn't need any finish, but I waxed it anyway.
Next came the sheath. I made a pattern fron a manilla file folder and fussed with it for awhile. Cut the 8-9 oz veg tanned leather from a big piece I had on hand and then thought a lot about the sequence of steps to take in making it.
I think it went like this. Cut pattern, fuss with it until close to final shape, dye inside, tool outside, dye outside, stitch dyed belt loop on, glue in dyed welt. Let sit for hours in clamps. Drill stitching holes, stitch. Tweak end finish shape in 4x36 belt sander, touch up with dye. Admire, critique and enjoy that great leather sheath smell.
Form fit sheath by dampening leather and letting it dry with knife inside.
A lot of times I will stop my work. Some times for days as I think about how it's coming and what the heck to do next. Or figure out how something should look and puzzle over how to make that happen. I fuss a lot over them.
When done I have learned a bit more and try to do better the next time.
I have never sold one or even shown them to friends. Except my Cantina friends. The things are starting to pile up now. Starting to cover two night tables and get on a dresser. They give me pleasure to look at them and handle something I made (mostly). They are all different and even though I know their imperfections I do so enjoy handling them. My four favorite HI kuks keep them company on one night table. OK so I live alone and I can be a bit of a slob.
Mostly I make them with blades in the 3" long range because I can carry them as an EDC. I guess I'm saying they are useful to me. A picture just flashed into my mind of having a belt full of EDC's strung around my waist! But, one at a time is fine.
They also serve the purpose of keeping me busy. I like the different woods and spacers and the use of tools. It actually helps keep me out of mischeif.
Sorry for the rant. Thanks for listening.
