Am I nuts?

F

froggy the gremlin

Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
16
After a successful deer season, but a catastrophic failure of of my skinning knife, a home made drop point hunter, I need a new knife.

I've got a Tom Maringer beauty, but I don't want to use it (and abuse it) but pass it down to my daughter instead, along with my story of meeting Tom. I'll pass this down as well, since she like things I make.

It's not that I'm avoiding spending $130 on a knife, but that as a reasonably handy old swab, I think I'd like to make my own.

I've got a decent metals shop, 2 HP grinder, lathe, drill presses, MIG and stick welders, and even a forge and anvil, and decades of shop experience, although not at knife making. I am a much better woodworker; I can kick out a set of pistol grips in an hour or so. Any knife handle will not be a problem.

I've just ordered a D2 blank from Texas Knife and thought I'd use Ipe for the slabs and aim for a 4" drop point hunter with maybe a Lamb Improved handle. My Bob Loveless DPH had one, but I don't see that made much; how come?

My biggest concern is how to set up and grind the blade since I'd not done anything like this before. Not only the overall design, but the blade bevels and edging.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help.

Froggy
 
Is your grinder a 2x72 belt grinder by any chance? If so, you're home free.

I like the old Lamb patterns a lot. You mean vintage Gerber, right?

You can pick up vintage Gerbers with Lamb handles pretty easily. The blades are M2 at about 64 RHC. They are great knives, IMHO.
 
practice grinding bevels on wood scraps first.
 
Go check out 3riverblades on YouTube, he's got some awesome videos on grinding bevels on knives. Full flat, hollow, saber, he does it all.
 
There are a few schools of thought on this, and I'll give you mine. First, face the fact that you're going to make more than one knife. A lot of new knifemakers have a knife they want to make and they start with the mindset that their first attempt at knifemaking is going to produce what they see in their heads. This is your first knife, not your last knife. Even if your first knife comes out great, chances are that you'll get as crazy as the rest of us and want to make 100s more. Put your D2 aside and get a bunch of 1084 from Aldo (www.njsteelbaron.com). Wood doesn't behave anything like steel, so I recommend learning to grind on steel. This is where the 1084 comes in. It's as close to being free as you can get, and it will make great knives. Use your 1084 to learn the ins and outs of grinding, finishing, assembly, etc. (and even some HT since you have a forge). Once you start to be pleased with your products, pick up your D2 again and have at it.
Welcome to the craft, and have fun.

- Chris
 
Yep, Hesparus is right on the money.
I started making in order to make my ideal field dressing knife.
By the time it was done over a year ago, what I wanted in a field dressing knife had changed...
I finished the second one just a couple weeks ago and it's exactly what I wanted. It took nearly two years and nearly 40 knives. :)
 
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