Damascus Camp Knife With Build Photos

efleming · Mar 7, 2010

Well it seems I only get a handfull of knives done a year due to work getting in the way so, here's a few pics and a link to the build shots of one finished today...

Blade is Kelly Couples 1080/15N20 5 3/4"
Buckeye Burl handle 5"

The billet used was the first Damascus billet I made after building my press last year. It's about time it ws turned into a knife!

Build progress pictures can be seen here --> http://www.flemingknives.com/campknifebuild.htm

The pictures are not that great but, I'm really happy with the way this one turned out.

All comments/critiques welcome.

Thanks for looking. Eric

montana guy · Mar 7, 2010

Looks very nice I think.

Wloch248 · Mar 7, 2010

Wow! Beautiful knife. I hop to make one half as nice sometime in the future. Love the damascus pattern too!:thumbup:

howiesatwork · Mar 8, 2010

Nice pattern! Nice pics on your site, too. You need to put up more knife pics...

raylaconico · Mar 8, 2010

That looks great Eric!

Phil Dwyer · Mar 8, 2010

Hey Eric,

Wow, that is fantastic! I hear ya 'bout the limited time to make knives. It sure can be a challenge. There's no doubt about it, you make the best of the time you get and that's a fact! Looks like that super duper computer program-able multi-stroke rapid-fire press you built is a humdinger (that's a technical term.) I only have about a gazzillion questions for you, but will try to whittle it down to a few.

Regarding your laminate pattern: how far did you draw out the first stack prior to rotating it 90 degrees to press it into the bar for cutting and re-stacking?
Did you only cut and re-stack once? If not, did you rotate the bar/stack any other times?
I see you drill your pin hole in the tang prior to setting the handle on. Do you find the place for drilling the wood handle to line up with the tang hole accurately simply by measurement?
Oh ya...when did you get a surface grinder? (I don't remember seeing one a couple of years ago when I visited.)

Thanks for posting your show and tell. It sure was a treat!

All the best, Phil

cotdt · Mar 8, 2010

It's great to see you got some shop time. I love your damascus pattern very much.

efleming · Mar 8, 2010

Thanks for the nice comment guys! I patterned the blade shape after a mental image of a family knife last seen over 30 years ago. It's a shame it was lost or misplaced... It came over from Germany with my Great Grandfather in the late 1800's. I have his matching Damascus double barrel shotgun from the same era.

Hey Phil, let me try to answer your questions...

1. Regarding your laminate pattern: how far did you draw out the first stack prior to rotating it 90 degrees to press it into the bar for cutting and re-stacking?

2. Did you only cut and re-stack once? If not, did you rotate the bar/stack any other times?

1. Stacked/tacked alternating layers of 1080 and 15N20. Layer count was 20 with 1080 on each end of the stack and two 15N20 pieces in the middle.

2. Forge welded and drew into a 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" block.

3. Rotated block 90 degrees so that layers are facing up and down then drew out to ~3/8" X 1 1/2" X 40". Cross section looked like this when etched.

4. Cut 40" bar into ten 4" pieces. Cleaned, stacked and tacked down corners.

Etched end pieces would look something like this...

5. Forge welded and drew out to 1/2" X 1 1/4" bar. Cleaned bar with angle grinder. Divided/marked/numbered bar into 1 1/2" pieces.

6. Stacked six of the previous numbered bars. Tacked corners, attached handle on end and forge welded together. Etched and stacked would look something like this...

7. Removed handle from end, rotated block so that the pattern end is now oriented up and down.

8. Reattached handle on side then drew billet out to 5/16" X 1 1/2" X ~12" bar. Cleaned with angle grinder.

9. Forged into knife from bar completed in step 8.

Hope that makes sense...

3. I see you drill your pin hole in the tang prior to setting the handle on. Do you find the place for drilling the wood handle to line up with the tang hole accurately simply by measurement?

Yes, the tang pin hole was drilled before heat treat. It was done based on a paper pattern that I then glued on the side of the block. All worked great but, it most likely would have been safer to do it after.

Oh ya...when did you get a surface grinder? (I don't remember seeing one a couple of years ago when I visited.)

Was able to score a surface grinder about 4 months ago. I like it a lot :thumbup: