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BIG leaf spring knife

J

jimbowie

Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
119
this is a big knife made out of a leaf spring. the blade is 12'', the handle is 5 1/2'' making this knife 17 1/2'' overall

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It is made out of a leaf spring. alot of people say a leaf spring is no good for a knife, I don't know if it is true or not. a lot of people I've talked to say you'll never get a knife made out of a leaf spring very sharp. is it true?
 
IIRC,leaf springs are 5160 steel.I have several 5160 Bowie's.They are very sharp.

Doug:)
 
Traditionally, many Khuhris have been made out of leaf springs for decades, if I'm not mistaken.
Looks nice.
 
I like big bowies.

I like the general profile shape of the tip and belly on this one, and I like the whole "backwoods" home-made character too. As long as you're using some kind of bare minimum decent steel, there will be lots of other things more important to how the knife performs. If you're curious about how it will hold up, why don't you go out and use it? Just be careful though... I have a strong dislike for straight & slick handles on big knives like that. Almost got myself killed one too many times.
 
the possum said:
I like big bowies.

I like the general profile shape of the tip and belly on this one, and I like the whole "backwoods" home-made character too. As long as you're using some kind of bare minimum decent steel, there will be lots of other things more important to how the knife performs. If you're curious about how it will hold up, why don't you go out and use it? Just be careful though... I have a strong dislike for straight & slick handles on big knives like that. Almost got myself killed one too many times.
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Hi possum

I have used this knife many times as it is most definately a working blade, this knife is definitely tough, but you are right about the handle, it is to straight for a knife this big, but I like the looks of a straight handle.
 
...but I like the looks of a straight handle
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Just to clarify, I meant I like to see some contours, palm swell, and a generous sized pommel/butt to keep the hand in place. I don't necessarily think the general shape of the handle has to be curved downward like is so common these days, depending.

On a working knife, to me, something cannot look good if I also believe it will not function properly. Form follows function, and all that. Granted, I think it's possible to come up with a design that would work very well and still look less than gracefull, but the function has to be there before I can ever see beauty at all. Just speaking in general terms here, by the way.

Now that we got that outta the way, how does it perform? Any interesting anecdotes you care to share?
 
the possum said:
Just to clarify, I meant I like to see some contours, palm swell, and a generous sized pommel/butt to keep the hand in place. I don't necessarily think the general shape of the handle has to be curved downward like is so common these days, depending.

On a working knife, to me, something cannot look good if I also believe it will not function properly. Form follows function, and all that. Granted, I think it's possible to come up with a design that would work very well and still look less than gracefull, but the function has to be there before I can ever see beauty at all. Just speaking in general terms here, by the way.

Now that we got that outta the way, how does it perform? Any interesting anecdotes you care to share?
Click to expand...

your absolutely right. in order to look good it should perform good. it's like an automobile, you could have the best looking car in the world but if theres no engine it's not so good lookin.

it performs quite well. I chopped up some logs with it and it would still shave! to test the tip I poked it in and out of a big thick piece of wood I use to throw at about 20 times. I slammed it into a tree as hard as I could a few times, not a scratch. it is definitely a very very very strong knife.
 
Well, I don't know what the steel of the leaf spring is that got used for this knife, but a common (probably THE most common these days) steel is 5160, which is used among others by Ranger knives an they have a very high reputation.
 
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