Enter the Kodiak

Opinion of the Kodiak

  • Love it

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Its just OK

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Dislike it

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Same OI thing, big yawn

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
The knife is shaping up nicely. Not too bad for your first big knife. Thanks for the progress report.
 
Well, I guess I have been tardy in reviewing the Custom thread section lately :)....I just came in here tonight and sawKodiak and did the ole double take!

That Kodiak fella is one lucky guy. This knife looks gorgeous. He is gonna do a split when he sees it. That Ron Clark is a nice guy to do this for him. I don't know the owner of this knife deserves a knife this nice. I mean, other than being handsome, what the hell has he done so special to deserve this? :D

Seriously, I would like to publically thank Mr. Clark for this opportunity. I feel very honored that he is making this knife for me and I will treasure it forever. Ron is a fabulous maker. His attention to detail is awesome and his work is practically flawless. His prices are very reasonable and he is just a very nice person to work with. I asked Ron to do only 2 things with this knife. The first was asking for a fighter and the second was just for hime to have fun making it. I know the man's work so I know I will love this knife. I will like it even more if I know that Ron had a good time making it and that he used his artistic license whenever he wanted to. I have always found that when the maker likes the knife I like it so I always want my makers to keep that in mind.

The Kodiak is gonna have a complex by the time I am done staring at it. Thanks for posting the progress of this great knife, Ron!
 
Knock off all this talk about me being a nice guy. I have a rep to keep :D.

Kodiak - See but that was just the thing. Right after I listed my first knife here on BF I recieved an e-mail from a old timer here on the forums. He wanted to have a large bowie (no problem), but then went on to request damascus, fossil ivory and mokume. Frankly it scared the c#%p out of me. Most likely I could have done it, but I would have been walking on egg shells the whole time. I would have never been able to enjoy making it.

Your only requests were that it needed to be in a certian size range, needed a guard and one of my now trade mark sheaths. I felt that I could work in those parameters and not feel this since of doom over my head. I truely thought though that my design would be refused. I really wanted to stay with a full tang, and I thought that might smack in the face with your idea of a gaurd. But I did my best and you liked it so here we are:).

The best way to describe the fear I feel in working in some materials is the following real life story.

After I left the DOD I went into doing custom interiors for Gulfstream Aviation. After I had been there for about a month the boss brought out several boxes. Each of these boxes contianed a table housing (lifts the fold out tables automatically out of the legde). He handed me a drawing and showed me how each housing had to be cut drilled or in other ways modified to fit our application. All he said was "don't screw up, it will put us behind schedule if I have to order more". Well, I did the work and everything was fine. After all was said and done he told me how much each of those things cost. They run $12,000 to $18,000 each. If I had been off by more than a 64th the housing was trash. He did not tell me what they cost before, becuse he knew it would "make" me screw up.

Thats how I feel when working with say a $300 peice of fossil ivory. I am so busy being carefull, that I mess up.

But now the two hardest parts are over (design and grinding), so it should be smooth sailing until the last dreaded step - THE SHEATH. I am already having nightmares about all that hand stitching ;). I am also trying to find a design that I like for the tooling. Looking for something with a Kodiak bear incorperated into the pattern. Hope I can find it.
 
Well, it finally has 18 little brothers and one REALLY BIG brother (don't ask, he's the black sheep) and they are all winging their way to Vulcan (er.. Paul) for heat treating.

If Paul is up to his norm, I should have it back in 10-14 days. Then the party begins.

Still looking for some tooling ideas for the sheath. Anyone got any ideas. Remember I would really like something with a Kodiak or other large bear in the pattern.
 
Really great looking knife, and a great thread, Ron! I just can't figure out how I never saw it until now. I rarely miss this forum more than 2 days at a time.

Glad you let Greg push you like that. I hope you either let other customers do the same, or get to doing it to yourself. Great job!

Dave
 
I think it looks good Ron. The alternative, pointier version, looks more like a fighter to the first version's camp/survival style, but they both look good. How the handle and finger groove configuration works out will be much a matter of taste not to mention hand size, etc. But it does look nice... Would like to see a version flat ground all the way to the spine.
 
I also agree with Matthew Rapaport - but that’s just because we share the same religion (I think...)
 
Those last pictures look great. It has been very interesting to see the evolution of this knife. I can hardly wait to see the pictures of the end product.
 
The Kodiak is alive and well. Got it back from heat treating. Went to start on the bolsters and realized I had made a blunder. Non of my NS stock was wide enough, so I had to order in a sheet of NS. Got it and the bolsters just recieved thier first ruff fit. There will be more to follow, it detail and with photos.

BTW - I found my bear :D
 
Best news I heard all week--needed a pick-me-up. Ron, we all appreciate your hard work. :D


GOD BLESS AMERICA
 
Ok, so got the NS stock. Ruff cut to size and dovetails ground. Drilled two 1/8 pin holes. Notice the use of soft brass pins for fitting. The bolster will now be removed, pinned to each other, and ground to final profile.
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=13142472&p=54323959&Sequence=0&res=high>

Sorry for poor photo quality.

Tools = BIII, Delta drill press, 1/8" cobalt bit, angle finder.
Materails = 1/4" NS sheet stock, 1/8" brass pin, super glue, 50grt Regal ceramic belt
 
Front face of bolsters have now been fully ground and polished, then re-attached to blade. This time NS pins were used as bolsters will not be removed again. You can now see the 35deg dovetails. Blade flats and riccasso were satin finished before final application of bolsters.
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=13142472&p=54323960&Sequence=0&res=high>
Tools= Pin punch, smooth face hammer, BIII, buffer, small bolt cutters
Materails = 50grt 120grt 220grt 400grt and 600grt belts, 1/8" NS bar
 
Now is time for handle material selection. The agreed upon material was Afziela Burl. I was considering switching to Amboyna Burl. I was having trouble finding really good Afziela. After about an hour digging through a cargo container of Afziela at the importers yard, I found a block of the best Afziela I have seen in a long time. Resawed it down to the right size and slabed it out. Should make for some outstanding handles.
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=13142472&p=54323961&Sequence=0&res=high>
 
The Afziela Burl is beautiful. Kodiak is getting a great knife. I love this thread for being educational.
 
So now the handle slabs are epoxied on and the pins and thong tube in place. It is just shaped to the tang at this time. I think it is looking pretty good.
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=13142472&p=54353906&Sequence=0&res=high>
 
Handle slabs are now ruffed to shape. Edges are getting rounded and finger grooves are getting their bevels. It is now very comfortable in the hand. Balance point is about 3/8" in front of the bolsters.
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=13142472&p=54353907&Sequence=0&res=high>
 
Thanks R.W. for taking us step through step as you have made this knife. I have never seen anything like this posted before and it has been a treat.

That knife is looking like it is going to be exceptional.
 
Here is a little teaser for you.

It is the fighter for Firehorse. It has the reshaped blade as described in one of his postings in this thread. Bolsters are 416 stainless dovetailed at 35deg.

It is currently on its way to Blade Tech for its sheath.

<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1663783&a=12749586&p=55105309&Sequence=1&res=high>

Updates on the Kodiac coming shortly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top