Check out the knives I'm working on!

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fourcornersrocks

Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
61
Here are my first few knives and other metal projects. I just started recently and I'm hooked!

I welcome any comments or criticism! Everything needs more work before heat treat, need to go back to the first few and take out loads of scratches etc... I should countersink those holes too, need to get a bit for it.

I ground the 3 knives on the bottom of the picture and the bottle opener first in my tent/porch workshop. After that I built a workbench out of an old broken porch and put it in my carport. I've been working out there every day since I built the bench.

The tanto is mild steel and the only thing I have finished so far besides the bottle opener. I want to do my heat treat myself so I am going to save up for an oven. I might make a forge too, have slowly been aquiring everything as I can afford to. Everything besides the tanto, kubatons, and letter opener are O1.

I'm going to do stone handles on one of the knives and the letter opener. I collect the rocks myself and have some great material as it is my other hobby. I have customized a few Buck knives with jasper handles and am currently working on a 110 with black jade, red liners and filework.

Last night I made the 2 kubatons, they still need a little work. I'm going to make some more of the "bamboo" style ones, I can come up with some odd stuff like that after about 4 hours of grinding. :D

I have an old craftsman 4x36 grinder I use to do most of my grinding. I cut the steel with a jigsaw. Files and sandpaper for the rest, I like the hand rubbed thing and am just starting to get it. I use a jewelers saw for some cutting, works faster than I thought it would. I just got a harbour freight drill press for my birthday, very cool.


knivesall.jpg

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openert.jpg

IM
opener2.jpg
 
Those are looking pretty good, I like your bottle opener.
Whats the scallopped rod for?
Chris
 
Patrickknives,
Thank you, I appreciate the comments.

Blindhogg,
Thanks, the bottle opener was a lot of fun. It taught me what a file, some oak, and cheap steel would do.

The scallopped rod is a kubaton I'm working on. It is supposed to look like a piece of bamboo. I like it quite a lot, it feels light in the hand and very grippy as well as substantial for serious self defense. I'm still trying to figure out what patina I will use on it, it would look nice in tan. I probably need gunkote for that.

I'm considering losing the brass gaurd on the dagger and going with some 1/4" mild steel for it instead. My fit on it right now is a little sloppy plus some blued mild steel for the gaurd and bolsters would look cool.
 
I finished up one of the kubatons just a minute ago! I have two more etching right now I'll post later.

I made this from 1/2" mild steel, it is heat colored.
kubatonokphoto.jpg
 
What does everyone think about the use of mild steel for the kubatons, bottle opener, and letter opener?
I see lots of it on gaurds but on these items is it acceptable? I don't want to make junk even though I am just having fun.

I should have used some good steel on the chisel grind tanto, wish I would have now! I made it to try out some ideas I had. I thought either the shackle opener or the bottle opener would ruin it but it came out fine.

I have some 1/4" 5160 coming in soon so I can make another if I want!
 
I pulled these two out of some coffee etch just a minute ago.
kubatonnoone003crop.jpg



I file worked the end of the shorter one.
kubatonnoone005closeup.jpg

They are both too thin around the lanyard hole area, need to taper less next time!
 
If you want those kubatons brown, you can use some Birchwood Casey Plum Brown gun barrel finish. Think old muskets/muzzleloaders, they often had a brown finish instead of a blued. For tan, some of that baked on gun coating would be fine I think.
 
Suddeth thanks I appreciate that!

Craig, I should have tried some plum brown, I actually have some. I think on my next one I'll use that. Thanks for the help.
 
For some reason, I can't load the pics. I'll check it out tomorrow when I get to some good wi-fi.
 
fourcornersrocks said:
What does everyone think about the use of mild steel for the kubatons, bottle opener, and letter opener?
I see lots of it on gaurds but on these items is it acceptable? I don't want to make junk even though I am just having fun.

I should have used some good steel on the chisel grind tanto, wish I would have now! I made it to try out some ideas I had. I thought either the shackle opener or the bottle opener would ruin it but it came out fine.

I have some 1/4" 5160 coming in soon so I can make another if I want!
Click to expand...

I think for the bottle opener and letter opener mild steel should be alright. Although if you wanted to make something like a bottle opener/mini pry bar combo or any other combo tool I'd use a better steel. I like the kubatons but would think that a steel version has to be a it cumbersome to tote around. Aluminum would be a much better choice I think, strength for it's use and lightweight enough to tote it around. Good work so far though keep it up :thumbup: FWIW I wouldn't hold off on finishing until you got an oven, you can get a HT done for $15-20 per blade and you don't have to worry about messing it up. Treat yourself to it so you can actually have a finished fully functional knife. Post HT is a lot of work too so why not get a feel for that while saving for your oven. Best of both worlds
 
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Good looking stuff :thumbup:


On a side note see your in Bayfield. We had 40 acres in Pagosa Springs we just sold a couple years ago and as a kid spent a couple years in Durango. Love the country but the wife can not take the winters so we moved to Oregon similar country and milder winters.
 
Fletch Helical said:
I think for the bottle opener and letter opener mild steel should be alright. Although if you wanted to make something like a bottle opener/mini pry bar combo or any other combo tool I'd use a better steel. I like the kubatons but would think that a steel version has to be a it cumbersome to tote around. Aluminum would be a much better choice I think, strength for it's use and lightweight enough to tote it around. Good work so far though keep it up :thumbup: FWIW I wouldn't hold off on finishing until you got an oven, you can get a HT done for $15-20 per blade and you don't have to worry about messing it up. Treat yourself to it so you can actually have a finished fully functional knife. Post HT is a lot of work too so why not get a feel for that while saving for your oven. Best of both worlds
Click to expand...

Thank you for the ideas.

I might have to try aluminum for the next kubatons, it would work well. Not everyone wants a 4' piece of steel on their keychain! :D

I didn't mention it but I just ordered some brick for a 1 or 2 brick forge. Hopefully I can heat treat some of my smaller items.

Excellent idea about sending off some for heat treat, I have many questions that will be answered once I get to work on some hardened steel.

Thanks again I can use all the help I can get!
 
If you haven't already, read Stacy's sticky on how to make a knife. You'll learn a lot in that alone. A big key to remember is make sure you have all your scratches out before you HT because you'll likely never get them out post HT. Spend the time getting everything right pre HT and it will make your life so much easier post HT. The saying is basically go to 90% completion before HT and the remaining 10% is done post. Good luck, ask questions as need be, read all you can, and keep up posted
 
Mike Turner said:
Good looking stuff :thumbup:


On a side note see your in Bayfield. We had 40 acres in Pagosa Springs we just sold a couple years ago and as a kid spent a couple years in Durango. Love the country but the wife can not take the winters so we moved to Oregon similar country and milder winters.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'm glad you like what I'm making.

Cool... Pagosa, I almost bought a place there. I have lived around Durango on and off since '99, it is a nice area.

Oregon sounds nicer and nicer though, it has been cold here. It got down to
-20 last week and we got 32" of snow in 48 hours. :eek:
 
Fletch Helical said:
If you haven't already, read Stacy's sticky on how to make a knife. You'll learn a lot in that alone. A big key to remember is make sure you have all your scratches out before you HT because you'll likely never get them out post HT. Spend the time getting everything right pre HT and it will make your life so much easier post HT. The saying is basically go to 90% completion before HT and the remaining 10% is done post. Good luck, ask questions as need be, read all you can, and keep up posted
Click to expand...

I read just about anything Stacy posts and try to remember it! :D

I'm getting better at not making errant scratches but not too great at getting them out yet. You can see some actual gouges in the bigger knife at the bottom of the first photo. I tried to hollow grind it with my 2" wheel; don't know what I was thinking! The wavy ricasso is great too, not sure if I can fix it without turning it into a paring knife.

I have been hand sanding lately and I am liking how well it works. I need top go back to my first few and get them done and then really finish my later ones.

At first I was just amazed to make something that resembled a knife, now I'm going for perfection. :D


Quick question- After heat treat when I grind the scale off does the grinder really effect the steel or does it just remove the scale?

Thanks!
 
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