Camper...Cruforge V and micarta

silver_pilate

silver_pilate

Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
3,974
I finished this one up tonight for a customer. It's 1/4" Cruforge V, flat ground, hand sanded to 600 grit, black linen micarta and red vulcanized spacers secured with acraglas and corby bolts. The knife has a 4.25" cutting edge, 9" OAL, and is balanced at the index finger groove. This steel really takes a good edge, especially with a good stropping. The sheath is kydex with a Tec-Loc. Hope you guys and the customer like it.

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Thanks for looking!

--nathan
 
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JBS, I'm really liking the acraglas so far. It's a bit more of a pain to mix, but not much. I just use a couple of small syringes and some plastic rinse cups with wooden popscicle sticks. The nice thing is you always mix the resing to hardener in a 4:1 ratio no matter the amount. Then stir gently for 4 minutes and you're set to go. I ordered a passle of 2-rifle kits from Brownells. I've used it on 2 knives so far, and I've hardly made a dent in the first kit. Each kit should last for 10-15 knives or more, I'd guess. It is a little bit thinner/runnier than typical two part epoxies, but hardens very nicely and cleans up well with WD40 before it fully sets up. It has a slight amber color to it, but I haven't noticed any visible lines between scales and steel.

--nathan
 
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Looks terrific---I can't imagine the customer not being pleased. :thumbup:

As to acraglas, it really is a wonderful adhesive--many times stronger than the hardware-store epoxies. It colors easily with the epoxy dyes you can get, too. I like powdered dye much more than the liquids---especially for working on knives since it takes so little of the stuff and most of the liquid packets can't be resealed.
 
I REALLY like that, in fact, I LOVE that knife!! It looks like a handy, but solid & tough user.
 
Thanks everyone! I delivered this one to the customer personally today. He actually saw the knife on here this morning after I posted it and seemed pretty pleased. I'll let him comment further on here if he so desires.

And I've got a wonderful all-but-new Martin (DXME) guitar to show for it :D. Man, I love the way Martins play! We worked out a trade: guitar for two knives and help in him making his own blade later on. I don't really do trades, but I've known this fellow for a while, and I am very pleased with the guitar. Thanks for the business, Jimmy!

--nathan
 
Beautiful knife, looks like a real user. What did you think of the Cruforge V? I made a test knife out of it and it cut like crazy. I was hacking at a 2X4, cutting brass pinstock in half and it still shaved. Cool stuff, not much of a hamon though.
 
Yeah, it hardens too deep to create much in the way of hamons. It does seem to cut well, though. Makes a very keen edge and holds it well. I didn't do any 2x4 chopping with this one, but I did slice up a good bit of cardboard and nylon rope (all I had handy) as well as some leather, and it held up well. I touched it up again before delivering it just because I like to deliver a new edge to my customers.

I haven't had any forging experience as of yet, but I hope to get the opportunity to soon once I get a forge set up. I've heard from others that is works really well under the hammer.

--nathan
 
Yep, it is like forging play-doh. Well, not quite, but it does move well.
 
I'll have to get some more of this steel for forging. I have a few bars, but definitely would like to work more of it. I do have a bunch of W1 rounds as well and some 52100 bearings that I will have to forge down eventually, but the 1"x1/4" bar seems like it would lend itself to forging really well.

Oh, and thanks for the positive words on the knife, Matt. I appreciate it. I've been meaning to pick up one of your knives for quite a while now. Maybe soon.

--nathan
 
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