Fair warning - first timer's work

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
Here we go...

fileworkT.jpg

fileworkR.jpg

fileworkL.jpg


This is my first attempt at anything knife-related since making a small hunting knife out of basswood 20 years ago!

Late one night last week, I just decided "What the heck..." and grabbed a large old knife (paid $4 for it) and attacked it with 2 files - round & triangle.

Looks like crap, but somewhere in there I see some potential later on. However, I doubt I'll ever work on anything that's worth more than $10!:D

I was going along great and then the third set of notches got placed too far apart...oh well.

I'm starting to wonder if my round file just bites too hard.

I know that the "gouges" down the sides are a bit too aggressive, but once they're there, there's no going back.:eek:

Also, I didn't bother to polish it up.

Any help, suggestions, tips/techniques would be appreciated. Don't worry about hurtin' my feelings - every time I look at this thing I laugh. It was fun.

Dan
 
Given the Pakistani POS you started with, this is a great improvement. There is potential there, dont give up on it.
 
Looks good I think you are hooked, keep it up and
you will no dougth be working on other knives that
are worth a lot more than $10 Gib
 
Boy it shows how bad the heat-treating is on that pakistan blade to be able to file it at all. Your filework is the best part of it. Keep it up.
 
Hi Dan
The best advice I can give you is to keep at it- it just gets more and more and more fun.
You will probably want to pick up a Dremel tool [lots of them in the pawn shops] for your next workpiece. Unless it is differentially heat treated a file won't even start to touch a hardened blade.
I started out doing much the same thing to some of my factory knives.
Good Luck!

Dave
 
This reminds me of how I began trying to learn rifle work back in the late 60's, early 70's. What a mess I made of them and a real wonder I and others still live.

Looks to me like you are doing well and my vote is for you to keep the enthusiasm. From what you show your work appears to be the best of the knife. By all means carry on!

Roger
 
Ahhh, I see the "seed" is now planted. Nurture it and step up to a bar of steel!--all you need is patience, desire, a bit of talent, and at least a handfull of some decent files.--Good Luck, keep going-Dan
 
I too am trying out some filework. It is tough to get a blade to that
point and take a chance of screwong it up. Do any of you have diagrams
of different designs of filework. I have seen Bruce's tutorials on vine and arrow head what others are out there? I know the choices are endless. Thanks, Paul
 
I have bought a couple of POS knives. Cold Steel Voyager Tanto copies. I carry them when mountain biking and road riding my bicycles. Short of Talonite,most blades will rust when subjected to concentrated sweat. That, and when crashing out in the woods on a mountain bike, things get lost. Better to loose a POS knife than a good one.
On another note, Dan that filework looks Sweet for a first attempt. Keep up the attempts. Practice seems the deciding factor in those hand, eye projects. You mentioned how you had a problem at one point with having spacing wrong on one of the grooves. I have found that if you take Dykem blue, or even magic marker to the spine of the knife first. Then use a caliper or other device to lay out your lines on the spine. You wil have a nicely layed out place to start from. Good luck. You show great promise! Have fun.:)
 
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