Dumb Question Time - Commissioning?

[LoneJeeper]

Gang,

There's some really great work here, I'm glad I found this place. I've cobbled together a few google searches to find what i'm looking for, but no joy.

I'm curious as to what the process is like for a commissioned piece. I'm looking for a design quite similar to the Tom Brown Jr. Tracker, but in shiny stainless with no grip, with finger grooves, so I can cord-wrap it. I don't care for any fancy badging or logos, etc.

I'm hoping for it to be cheaper, too.

The specs are
Blade Length: 4.25"
O/A Length: 11.9"
Draw Knife: 2.15"
Saw: 2.5"
Thickness: .25"

http://www.topsknives.com/product_info.php?products_id=155

Thanks a bunch.

lj

 

[WalterDavis]

lj, probably the easiest way to go about it is to find a maker who does something similar to the design you'd like and see if they'll customize to your order. They're are a couple of makers on this forum who make something similar, and Martin knives makes their 'BSK', HERE and offer stainless steels as an option.

Good luck:thumbup:

 

[Robert_Phelps]

I never had good luck trying to cord wrap finger grooves, the cord kept rolling down off the peaks into the grooves. ..but then I only tried it once or twice, maybe someone else had better luck?

Edit- Looking at the linked knife, I guess you could probably cord wrap that ok

As for a knife with no handle or markings... shaping, grinding, and heat treating the blade are the most labor intensive parts.. personally, I consider a knife nearly done when it's ready for a handle, and etching my mark on there doesn't really cost me much. I don't know how much you'd save doing it this way.
Good luck

 

[James_Terrio]

That's certainly an interesting idea. I have some questions of my own; whether or not they're dumb is up to you.

Is the portion of edge nearest the handle a single-bevel? It kind of appears that way from the pics but I'm not sure.

What do you mean by "shiny"? Would you prefer a true mirror polish or is a nice hand-rubbed finish good enough?

Are you interested in a particular steel? ("stainless" covers a lot of different steels.) Describe what's most important to you in terms of: toughness, ease of sharpening vs. keeping an edge a long time, corrosion-resistance and taking a super-fine edge. Based on that, these fellows can make recommendations.

I'm not trying to make this complicated; it's just that all the little options are what makes custom knives fun. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you'd like more suggestions or a quote. james_terrio@yahoo.com

 

[James_Terrio]

Here's a little concept drawing I put together based on your ideas. The holes in the handle are to reduce weight/help balance the knife, provide you a place to start/finish a cord-wrap, add a lanyard if wanted, and allow for bolting/pinning on scales should you ever decide to do so.

FWIW, I strongly question the value of the "saw" on the back of the blade. I've yet to see a saw-back knife that actually sawed wood worth a dang. Just my $.02.

Thanks for getting my brain working.

 

[LoneJeeper]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I guess I was being overly generic...

I believe the edge your describing is a single bevel, since it's used for shaving and splitting kindling.

I was leaning toward hand-rubbed vs. the black coating. I don't have a particular steel in mind at all. Hoping for an edge that can take abuse and be sharpened at home (eventually). Corrosion resistance is important.

The mention of price was in reference to the mass-produced nature of the thing, obviously there's a cost vs. value tradeoff.

It kinda seems a waste of edge to not have a saw... right ?

btw, That concept drawing is pretty kickass.

 

[James_Terrio]

After looking up a couple more pics and reviews of the original Tracker, the "draw-knife" portion appears to a regular double-bevel. Just at a more acute angle than the "chopping" part.

I think I would choose 440C or CPM154, based on your specs. Both are very resistant to corrosion, take/hold a nice edge and aren't too terrible to sharpen with basic tools. Naturally, the trick is to maintain the edge rather than wait till it's really dull. I think that holds true regardless of the steel used.

As to price... at the risk of undercutting someone else, I'll say you should be able to find a quote much less than $300 for what you describe.

It kinda seems a waste of edge to not have a saw... right ?

The customer is always right. If you want to be able to pry stuff with the knife, I 'd absolutely recommend against deep notches like that. They provide a great stress-riser for snapping the blade. If you don't intend to put sideways stress on the blade, it probably wouldn't be an issue.

btw, That concept drawing is pretty kickass.

Thanks, it was fun to put together. I'm just about convinced to steal your idea, build one and see if it sells. Of course I would credit both Mr. Brown and yourself for the concept. Would that be OK with you?

 

[LoneJeeper]

I was expecting 440 to be what i was looking for. I'd be happy with a single bevel draw knife portion.

The saw notches are useful for other things, like braiding cordage and knots and breaking wire, etc... so even if i never use it as a 'saw' per se, i still view it as useful.

Since i've got prying on the mind now, would the bolster be appropriate for prying? Some type of flat head screwdriver-style end? Just thinking out loud.

Since i'm stealing Mr. Brown's idea myself, i don't believe there's any need to credit me.

Thanks for schoolin' me. Do you guys have a favorite knife design site or similar so I could ask better questions?

lj