Building My Own Pen Blade

[purple95]

After reading the posts in a current thread discussing pen blades and their use, I thought I would show one that is currently "under construction".

I purchased my current traditional EDC, a nice stag Hen & Rooster medium stockman, about five years ago. The knife originally was equipped with a spey blade which was of little use to me so I drug out my ancient Norton stone a few years ago and went to work.

Here is the current iteration of the blade as I slowly work the shape to my liking. I may remove a little more of the belly as time, and use, continues.

I've found the blade extremely useful for......well, whatever I don't want to use the other blades for and it's a perfect shape for cleaning fingernails.

Here's the stockman in my shop this afternoon after we installed some new quarter round in the kitchen and cleaned the outside fish pond filter. There are no slackers in my EDC rotation and the knives work hard for their room and board.

Shortly after posing for the picture, the H&R got a well deserved bath to clean out the gunk from the pond filter, the residue of which can be seen on the main blade.

dan

 

[TLARbb]

Good job. I like that better than the spey too. - Ed

 

[Blues]

The knife originally was equipped with a spey blade which was of little use to me so I drug out my ancient Norton stone a few years ago and went to work.

Here is the current iteration of the blade as I slowly work the shape to my liking. I may remove a little more of the belly as time, and use, continues.

dan

I'm trying to mentally figure how many hours that progression took on a Norton stone...Nice work! :thumbup:

 

[purple95]

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm trying to mentally figure how many hours that progression took on a Norton stone...Nice work! :thumbup:

Not hours.......years!!

Well not really. The first two sessions were about one hour each and then just a few swipes at a time since then. I've played around with it for two or three years. I didn't want to remove too much material resulting in a overly thick edge to sharpen.

It's been a fun project and of course now the knife is "mine", lacking much, if any, collector or resale value. But it's turning into one FINE knife for EDC.

dan

 

[midnight flyer]

Nice job on the geometry of the blade. It looks very usable, and not at all "home shop" modified.

I am impressed that you took the time and had the patience to do all of that steel removal on a stone.

Great job!

I am now seriously eyeballing an inexpensive stockman I have for blade modification.... (can you hear it screaming for mercy across the room? )

Robert

 

[moonman]

Looks good!

 

[sappyg]

that's perect. that's the way this H&R should have been built to begin with.

 

[coyote711]

Dan, the pen blade you crafted looks great! :thumbup: I also like a clip, sheepsfoot, and pen on stockmen, but haven't been able to find one in the steel, handle material, and size I like - they all come with the spey instead. I don't know if I have the patience you've shown here, and I may resort to the use of power equipment, but at least this has opened up the whole stockman lineup for consideration. Thanks for posting!

 

[JAlexander]

I'm one of those weird people who actually like spey blades, but I really like your modification.

James

 

[purple95]

Thanks again everyone for the kind words. The H&R remains a work in progress.

Nice job on the geometry of the blade. It looks very usable, and not at all "home shop" modified.

I am now seriously eyeballing an inexpensive stockman I have for blade modification.... (can you hear it screaming for mercy across the room? )
Robert

Robert,
The blade geometry was just, to paraphrase Indiana Jones, made up as I went along. My goals were to make the blade shape useful, aesthetically pleasing, and to keep the edge thin at the tip to allow for adequate sharpening.

Grab your stockman and have at it. Take your time and enjoy the project, don't make it a "job". I hope you enjoy the process as much as I have.

Dan, the pen blade you crafted looks great! :thumbup:

I don't know if I have the patience you've shown here, and I may resort to the use of power equipment, but at least this has opened up the whole stockman lineup for consideration. Thanks for posting!

coyote,
I used the stone so I didn't have to worry about mucking up the temper and also so as not to remove too much material too quickly.

You've clearly been around enough to know that, but.....just a thought from an old man. Something about patience and virtue, I think.

I'm one of those weird people who actually like spey blades, but I really like your modification.

James

James,
Isn't it great that there is all this room (and knife/blade styles) in our hobby for EVERYONE to enjoy it?

dan

 

[PocketEdge]

No doubt you and this knife have quite a relationship going! That's what I love about tools in general and especially ones you can carry in your pocket wherever you go!