Brush Chopper

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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This is a left over project from last year. The customer is coming into town and I have to drop this off this afternoon,so I thought I would post it first.
The blade is forged from 5160. Handle is stabilized persimmon heartwood. Blade has a front digging tip, a piercing point, a vine/rope cutter, and the all important bottle opener. Balance ,shape,and blade geometry are designed to give maximum chopping impact .The last four blade edge inches at the ricasso is straighter and sharper,for cutting chores. My buddy calls it a "canoe machete" ,because of the sheath. The sheath was drying outside and got caught in a thundershower. It made a bunch of strange color zones. I was going to make a new one,and the customer said,"Naw ,I like the Mountain Man look of that one."
Stacy
 
Stacy,
That's a beauty, one of a kind I'll bet. I also like the sheath's colors, because it matches the uniquieness of everthing else.

Tops though, is the grain lines around the lanyard hole. The wood is really very nice and could be used on much "finer" knives. I hope you have more.

Thanks for sharing and your participation here.
Richard
 
That persimmon has a neat story. A while back Ed Fowler wanted a piece of persimmon for a knife he was making. I had some, but not as big as he wanted. I got hold of an old time furniture maker in NC that I buy wood from now and then. He said he would look around and see if he had some persimmon wood. He called back a couple of days later to say he had found three flitches that his dad had cut God knows how long ago. Mostly pure heart wood.I told him to send me a piece to make some handle blocks from. He shipped me 4' of the stuff, 2" thick.I cut out the best patterned pieces and had most of it stabilized.Last I heard, Ed still hadn't got around to making that knife.
Stacy

IG - Any tool that will open a beer is a good tool. You and I remember when you HAD to have a can opener to open a beer (can and bottle).
Stacy
 
The customer is right, the sheath looks cool stained like that. If he lets the blade patina naturally it will look very classic, IMO. I haven't seen a blade quite like that before, it looks pretty handy. Nice work!
 
The customer was ecstatic over the knife. He loved the sheath as it was. He plans on using it for splitting kindling to cutting vines and briars on his property. I had offered to blue the blade for him, and he said,"Naw, It'll be dark soon enough."
He had stood there for nearly two hours,and watched me forge this blade at a history day in Smithfield,VA , last year (forged out of a piece of 1.5X1/4 5160). He came up to me later and asked if I could make him one like it. I said if he wasn't in a hurry, I would finish that one for him. The price was very low due to the reason that I would probably not have finished the blade, and I liked the guy.(He definitely was NOT a high roller). Sometimes money is not the main point ( actually, with me, it is usually not the point. I just like forging.).
Stacy
 
thanks. I saw your original posting, and was intrigued by the design. I have a left over chunk of 1/8th by 2" 440c, which is not my preferred steel, but I suppose it would do the job.
 
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