The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
hoffman_axe1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
On this side you can see just a little chunk of heartwood at the shoulder - kind of a nice effect IMO.
Yeah, the Hoffman is super closed and it was just made that way. I was concerned about it, but looking through his work, it seems they are often like that.
That is an absolute masterpiece. Artwork meets practicality.
![]()
Yep. Just a closed design. That can be useful sometimes in swamping.
Cityofthesouth,try this link here:https://yadi.sk/i/ec3rATPGe4n6d
(if it loads for you,AND you're not frightened by the formulae therein,then "...you're a better man than I,Gunga Din!"...
I can help with translation,but the Russian of that study is not the problem,it's the Algebra,and i'm powerless there...
It has loaded for me,will try to look over the info myself tonight,it's been a while since i've looked in that crazy article....
I've just asked a buddy of mine who's good at this algebra crap if it's doable,he said that it is,and actually not very complicated.But:It's an equation that needs to be gotten down to only one variable,and there's at least one problem with this.
The entire deal hinges on having to start with a Point of Balance,for the head(i don't have the PDF open right now,but i think that it's designated as 0).
From which point a line is drawn through the Point of Percussion on the cutting edge,et c.
Well,the axe head then must be unhandled,first,but more importantly-can it be found definitively?
And if that point is only approx.,then does it make any sense to go into such precise math,starting from an eye-ball value?.....
COTS, you do very nice haft work.
I've reached the end of the road on this project - the True Temper Michigan. I think it was a 3-1/2 pounder but I didn't weigh it. Can you say straight grain? Went for something a little different with the stain, the pictures kind of exaggerate the color but ya know, gotta have pretty pictures. Otherwise, same story, different day. I am always amused by the differences in the eyes even among those from the same manufacturer - this one was small.
TTmichigan4 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
TTmichigan3 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
truetemper_hoffman_axes2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
truetemper_hoffman_axes1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
Waive goodbye to this lot.
You're creating such sensual-looking handles that they've become works of art! Down comes the girlie calendar and up go wall pegs for displaying a COTS hang.
WOW ! just WOW! that Collins Michigan on that handle is the nicest looking axe I've ever seen. If I had just won the lottery I'd offer you 250$ for it![]()
Gorgeous hafts. Did these come from the first-pass blanks you picked up from HH?
I made a knife shaped thing from a coil spring. Heat treat was easy, edge retention has been good after a small mountain of cardboard cutting. I've just been beating on it to see where it needs improvement. Really excited to make something more involved but just keep telling myself there isn't much point in making a nice looking knife if it can't hold an edge. Obviously my grinding leaves a lot to be desired but practice makes perfect. At least I took the first step anyway.
testknife by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
It's fun ain't it? What type of forge are you using?
I see nothing wrong with those grinds for a beater knife . Is that an epoxy chord wrap ? The knife looks primitive and rustic but functional at the same time, I like it :thumbup:
BTW that thread awhile back with the laminated handles - what you said got me to thinking about laminating on the shoulder and swell. Now I am wanting to give it a try, see how it holds up.