Big knife ideas! What ya got?

K

KFU

Part Time Knifemaker, Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2007
Messages
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I have some 1 1/2" wide stock that I have had sitting around for awhile now. I was thinking about doing a run of 4 or so of something different between orders. Im not much of a big knife guy but do enjoy something in the 6" blade range when camping. What do you guys like in a bigger knife? Blade shape, handle shape, etc. Its going to be 1/8 inch so Im not looking to do a chopper. Here are some things I have come up with:
Spear point Camp knife
Kephart
Monster Nessmuck
Clip point Fighter
Willow blade camp knife


Anyone have any suggestions or should I just scrap it and grind it down to make smaller knives?
 
Chris id be down for a Monster Nessie.... 6-8 in blade range?
Yeah a 6-7 in keppie to, but like the idea of the ness :thumbup:
 
how about a malaysian parang style camp knife with a blade around 10-12 inches

Something like this only full tang...
outdoor+parang+knife.JPG
 
this is a version that Rick Marchand makes... Its a little smaller, but now that i think about it 8.5 inches is a better size unless you are planning to go to the rain forest. My vote would be fore something like this.
IMG_0002-1024x927.jpg


Parang
1084FG Steel
14 3/4″ OA
8 1/2″ cutting edge
5 1/2″ Handle
7/32″ spine, distal taper, tapered tang
handle is leather backed, hemp wrapped and epoxy soaked
sheath is 10oz cowhide, hand dyed, stitched, tooled and wax dipped.

If you want to grind one out to give it a shot i am willing to fund the experiment :D
 
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Man, I feel like I am back in 9th grade on my first day in Algebra I . . . . . . :eek:
I have no clue what tapers, tangs, Nessies, Kepharts / Keppies, spines, parangs, willow blades, Scandi grinds, or all the numbers in front of the steel means or how they are connected to a knife . . . . :confused:
but just give me a plain ole' vanilla cone with 5"-6" blade, spear point or drop point, at least a 4"+ handle (similar to Strider fixed blades), make the damn thing sharp enough to cut rope and fuzz sticks, can scrape a firesteel with success, and a good sheath that is molle capable, and viola, this farm boy is happy . . . :)
Simple knife for a simple man with simple pleasures in a simple life . . . . . . ;)
Be safe.
 
Don't worry Just1More, Google is your friend. Hell, I had to look 'um up before I could reply.
 
lol...your killin me J1M...ok let knife class begin...i am putting to geather a post for you ;).

and from my post above:
Distal tapering refers to a blade's cross-section thinning from its base to its tip....meaning the spine (not sharp side :p) of the blade is thinner at the point than where it joins to the handle.

Tapered tang is referring to doing the same thing only tot he knife's tang. If you were looking at just the spine of the knife it would start thin at the tip and get fatter as it approached the handle. When the handle starts the spine (which is no referred to as the tang) will start to get thinner again.

now...learning by pictures...my favorite

Distal Taper
spine is thin at the point and fatter as it approaches the handle
Bladesmithing257.jpg


Fill tang left...tapered tang right
tapered_tang.jpg
 
Alan buddy, much appreciated for this lesson, seriously. I have tried to find a couple of books with the terms, but no luck. I am one of those old school guys that if I read or see it once, it is in there for good. Sally swears I have a photographic memory, sometimes I think she is right . . .
I thought I knew a "little" about knives until I had BA make my first one and he hit me with about 75 questions of what, who, how, when, and where I wanted things on the knife . . . heck, all I wanted the damn thing to do was cut . . . . . :)
He went completely over and above what anyone else probably would have done and did a step by step process with photos of him making my knife and explaining what each step was for, how it was done, why it needed to be done, etc. etc. On top of this was the 30+ emails & 15+ P/M's here on the forum, along with a "few" personal phone calls to clarify what an email couldn't . . . I had no clue it took so many steps to make a knife until I saw that thread . . . and not once did he "lose his temper" or patience with me . . .
This is the one reason why I will probably not have any other knife maker make my future knives for me, he has a customer for life, both he & KFU. If you get a chance, you should look in his threads, it's titled "Knife for a Hometown Guy" or something like that. Pretty interesting thread, even if you know the why's and how's of knife making, just to actually see it in progress.
Thanks again for the lesson, can I go to recess now ??? ??? ??? ;)
Thanks buddy.
Be safe.
 
Nessmuk, Kephart (or Keppie), Parang, and willow all refer to different styles of knives.

The Nessmuk (or Nessie) is a thin bladed knife with allot of belly. its an excellent slicer and skinner. It was made famous by George W Sears (the outdoors man and writer for Field and Stream Mag....see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Sears). His pen name was Nessmuk. He was a proponent of using 3 cutting tools to cover your needs in the woods. A small double bit axe/hatchet, a thin bladed slicing knife for skinning and such (hence the name for the knife :D), and a double bladed folding pocket knife.
nessmuk%20k&s.JPG


The Kephart (Keppie) is the blade style made famous by yet another famous outdoorsman/naturalist by the name of Horace Kephart (see here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Kephart). To read what Horace had to say about a woods knife you can check this link out here (http://dawnpiper451.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/the-first-tool-kephart-on-outdoor-knives/)
kephartcleanlanyardhandled2mlknives.jpg


The Parang is basically a machete, but of Asian descent. Unlike the ones commonly found in America they don't wobble as much. You have already seen a pic since i posted it above, but you can check this video out to see a comparison of a few different kinds. this guy actually makes some pretty good movies. if you interested you can check you his YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/junglecrafty).
[video=youtube;vlOQQAFn6Cs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlOQQAFn6Cs[/video]

Willow simply refers to a blade shape that resembles that of a willow leaf.
Lil_C_Amboynia_White_Liners_400.jpg

NW_willow_leaf_BCM_t.jpg

images



Scandi refers to a grind on a knife that originated from Scandinavia (or so i hve heard...not 100% on that though). You will often see it on bushcraft style knives. For more info on grinds see here...http://backyardbushman.com/?page_id=13
wolfpack-ad2.jpg

a20791512e7e6eee636522_m.jpg



ok i think that covered all of you questions :) let me know if you have any more.
 

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Damn Alan.....Nice presentation. Can't think of anything else to say. Word escape me.
 
OK LIL! I WILL MAKE IT! €mail me what specs you would like including blade width dimensions and Ill see what I can do.
 
Liveitloud said:
You know what I want to see. I have blown up your email box with it haha.
Click to expand...

KFU said:
OK LIL! I WILL MAKE IT! €mail me what specs you would like including blade width dimensions and Ill see what I can do.
Click to expand...

. . . . aw c'mon guys, Chapter XIX, Section LMX, Part XX, Paragraph VIII, Line III in the BA/KFU Forum Chapter By-Laws & Posting Rules reads in whole:

" No forum secrets allowed" . . . . . :D :D​
( you're killin' us ) . . . . . .:confused:
Be safe.
p.s.: B/F Rule #25a . . . . "Pic's or it didn't happen" . . . .
 
so what's the difference between a kephart and a spear point camp knife?
and I haven't been posting much, because I've been playing with a piece of 1/4" x 1 1/2" 1084, some brass, and some mystery wood from south of the border...
I'll be sure to post up a couple of pics when it and the sheath are done -- made a lot of mistakes, not pretty, but not surprised - it's been almost 20 years since I last made a knife...
 
Not much difference Vik except for the handle shape I guess. Oh hell, we are gonna see you posting up some stuff for sale soon! Good luck bro, its HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!
 
1066vik said:
so what's the difference between a kephart and a spear point camp knife?
and I haven't been posting much, because I've been playing with a piece of 1/4" x 1 1/2" 1084, some brass, and some mystery wood from south of the border...
I'll be sure to post up a couple of pics when it and the sheath are done -- made a lot of mistakes, not pretty, but not surprised - it's been almost 20 years since I last made a knife...
Click to expand...


. . . . . almost there vik . . . . . ;) ;)
Be safe.
 
I have been thinking abot a parang to Alan. I might see what I can do with that. I have one of those ML Keppies in an EDC size. Love the knife but the handle is too short and too round at the butt. Your hand kind of slides off of it. If it was a little longer it would be great.
 
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