Dagger frustration...

oic0

oic0

Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
368
Im probably just belly aching over my own lack of skill and jumping in over my head, but Is it a reasonable expectation to have a perfectly symmetrical dagger? Its close enough that I'm sure id ruin it if I touched my belt sander with it but I swear I think I'm going to have it filed down to a stiletto before I get it perfect. Do people use jigs to make them or just sheer skill?
 
friend, practiced on the wood. Take some wooden strips and practice grinding like steel. You will see that after a few days of dust your arms will have become CNC.
 
Shaping precise symmetry in anything is a challenge for sure. Get a few thou out on any of the three major lines and you'll be chasing your tail all day long. Maybe with an ice pick to show for it.

Slow down. Use your most accurate layout up front. Look and See more than you grind. Consider draw filing. Use a mirror tracing. Turn it mark side down and trace it, then turn it right side up and trace it again indexed on scribed point. Don't aim for a ridge but instead keep a central flat inked up showing your Scribed center line for as long as you can. Scribe "warning track" gauge lines on either side. Get happy with your endpoint doing smaller and thicker blades. Over and over.

Also you might call Dan Graves. True Gent and fulltime maker that grinds badass PW daggers as standard fare. He teaches and lives down on the west side of the river from you. 318 865 8166.

Good luck.
 
kuraki said:
Hell I have a CNC machined dagger OTF that's not symmetrical :D

Put a fuller in it. That's what they were invented for. To disrupt the eye catching lack of symmetry in swords and daggers. :p
Click to expand...
That and the blooooood groooooooove.
 
In all seriousness, if you want a dagger to have a dead straight ridge that centers down the blade on both sides ... rough grind on the grinder .... then hand file .... then hand sand with a hard backing block. Sand wet and make smooth full strokes. Go slow and even things from boths sides slowly. Don't finish any one side, but instead finish all of them together.
 
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