Another piece of damascus... what to do...

tryppyr

tryppyr

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Feb 5, 2010
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I can't let my hands stay idle too long. While I wait for the next shipment from Aldo, I have one more piece of damascus I bought off this forum that has been sitting unused way too long. Time to put it to some use... but I have a problem. Maybe you can help.

The piece is only 8 inches long, and I'm more accustomed to working on larger blades. Here's a look at the billet:

DSCN8273.JPG


I was thinking of another dagger, but I really want to do something fresh... something I haven't attempted before. Any ideas?

- Greg
 
Looks like some of Mike Turners stuff. I really like how it turns out when finished. Do you have a welder Greg or know of someone who does? You could always do a hidden tang blade and weld on some threaded rod for the rest of the tang so you dont have to use more then a couple of inches of the billet for the tang.
 
If it's thick enough and you have access to a forge or even a rose bud torch you could forge the end into a hidden tang, that's one way to stretch material.
 
I have an OA torch, but still no experience using it, and certainly no forging/welding ability at this point. I suppose I could build a small firebrick forge, but I also have no anvil or proper tongs and hammers, let alone the more esoteric tools I know nothing about.

Slip joint, eh... I'll look into that and see what that requires.
 
Look up local welders and you can have a hidden tang welded on for probably less than $10.00.
 
Bob Loveless also made some smaller knives that I personaly like a lot.
The first pic might fit in to your dagger-desire.
The second one should also look good in damascus. How about with white ivory or bone scales with domed brass(gold?) pins.........

20121019_091433.jpg

small-knives-d.jpg
 
Hmmm... all interesting options. I am thinking about what a two-blade folder would take. That would certainly be outside my comfort zone.

I like the other options too.
 
I vote folder, but say a simpler friction folder. You can do scales, and the flipper/thumb bar could be filed a million ways.
And, if you make it slim enough it could go everywhere with you.
 
tryppyr said:
Hmmm... all interesting options. I am thinking about what a two-blade folder would take. That would certainly be outside my comfort zone.

I like the other options too.
Click to expand...

A two bladed folder is IMMEASURABLY more difficult than a single blade. A friction folder with damasteel blade, back spacer, and bolsters would be pretty nice. They're it all on some nice liners and maybe mammoth ivory covers, you'd be in business.
 
how about a re-curve/hawkbill of some sorts....... i'm currently mentoring a kid who is making a friction lock pruning knife for his father out of some scrap Damascus i had laying around, its coming out really nicely, i almost want to make one myself
 
Don't ask me why but to me a barrel knive would be the right folder to make for Greg.
Maybe because the design is interesting and unusual
 
I would forge a hidden through-tang out of it, you will still have 6" for the blade with a 5" tang... Or, find someone in the same state that would do it for you if you have no forging experience. Heck, send it to me and I'll do it for you for the price of shipping, I'll even forge a point on it which will give you another 3/4-1" of blade if you want.
 
Okay, I've been thinking about this quite a lot. I've disassembled a couple of folders to ascertain how they work. And finally, I decided that I don't want to cut right into this piece of damascus until I have a better feel for what I'm doing.

So I went through my scrap pile and found two pieces of damascus cut off scrap that I can use to make small (2.5 inch) folder blades. I'll try those first and see how that goes. If I like the result, I'll move up to the larger scale.
 
Here's what I have so far. It's 2.75 inches long tip to end. This is a piece of scrap from the raindrop damascus material. Too thick for this knife, but I think I can make it work.

DSCN8274S.JPG


DSCN8275S.JPG
 
Greg, you might have a hard time getting it to snap closed without a little more of a bump on the bottom of the half stop. I'm not saying it very well, maybe someone else can help better.
 
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