Cleaning up the sides of ricasso/choil

[J. Doyle]

With the stock removal method, do you guys clean up the sides of your knives first or grind your bevels first? I've been profiling, then grinding bevels, then cleaning up the choil, ricasso, tang area.

Last night, I profiled a blade, then cleaned it up, then ground my bevels. Seems it might be easier to keep it flatter that way. By the way, this is 1080 and 1084 that has mill scale on it.

Or do you just use precision ground so you don't have to worry about it?

John

 

[silver_pilate]

I always "de-bark" the profiled steel first. That gives me a clean and true surface to work from. Many makers will tell you to start with the ricasso first and build the rest of the knife from there.

--nathan

 

[Will Leavitt]

I second Nathan's advice, the blade is based around the reference of the flats on the ricasso. After forging I profile then get the ricasso flat and work from that reference point. Dykem or a simple marker really helps to see what's going on with your grinding.

 

[chris609]

I always flatten ricasso area first then grind bevels in fact i flatten them and bring them to almost final polish.

 

[J. Doyle]

Thanks guys. Sounds like that's the route I need to go from now on. It did seem much easier. :thumbup:

 

[SBuzek]

If you don't do the riccasso first it is a lot harder to get the edge centered up.
I profile,flatten and sand the sides,then grind the bevels.
Stan

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Not to sound like a parrot here but finish the ricasso choil area, with nice clean edges and a 320 or 400 finish on the ricasso flats; the rest of the blade will seem to appear from nowhere if you work in this fashion.


Happy grinding, Fred

 

[Del Raso Knives]

A 12 to 18 inch diameter disk sander will become your best friend. I work the same as the other guys. Profile, drill pin holes, debark/flaten blank to 400gt, scribe center lines, fit guards, grind bevels and hand finish, taper tang and off to heat treat.

Most new guys freak out when I tell them I fit guards before grinding the bevels, worried all that work will be trashed if they stuff up the bevels. I didn't always follow this sequence but find it easier now. I haven't ruined a blade for years but then there is always tommorow.

Buy or build yourself a disk, it will improve your work and save you time:thumbup:

Peter

 

[Will Leavitt]

A local maker that's been around a loonnnggg time uses a slow, horizontal 9" disk running off of a foot pedal to flatten his blades. It's a gear reduction drive with a disk on the output shaft. Works really well.