FIlework Attempt #2 : SAK Spartan

TheSkinwalkeR

TheSkinwalkeR

Joined
Jul 7, 2002
Messages
426
here is my second attempt at filework on my ever-useful Victorinox Spartan. I think I may have been a bit ambitious with trying to do such a busy pattern on such a thin blade. But I like the way it came out and it adds some definate personality to it. Next up will be my SAK Cybertool, I am prob gonna file a couple of the impliments, not just the main blade.


click for super hi res:






I am gonna take better pics when I can get in some daylight this weekend. I will also take more of the SOG I filed and re-finished.
 
Nice job, I've made a few attemts myself I should see if I could dig up some pics, BTW can I have a donut?:)
 
In addititon to ABN's question (how long did it take?), what kind of files did you use, what other gear besides the files were necessary or helpful? I'd like to try this myself, and an SAK is probably a good place to start.
 
Thanks! I am glad you guys like it.
It took about 3 hours.

I got a set of 10 little diamond files at a flea-market along with a little vice (about 3.5"). I live in an apartment so I dont have facilities to do too much. I just set up a wood TV tray, put a slab of scrap-wood on it, hook the vice to it, put a towel in the vice, clamp down on my victim and file away. the towel protects the blade from scratching and I can wipe the excess steel-dust off on it as I go. I attach the vice to a loose peice of board so I can rotate it to get different angles on it. I make an initial cut with the tringular cross-sectioned file then use the various other shapes to do different things. I have much more control over the files then I thought I would and they leave a nice polish where you use them.

I will take a pic of my files and stuff this weekend so you can check it out. I am very happy to be able to personalize my knives and I have always been a fan of file-work.


The doughnuts belong to Lenny....you'll have to ask him.:D
 
Nice work, looks good!

By the way, welcome back. If I recall right, you are the gentleman who did some outstanding drawings and other art work. I hadn't seen posts from you for a long time and wondered what happened. Hope all is going well.
 
Thanks for the welcome.

Yup that was me with the drawings. I was scarce there for a while because of some unwanted self-employemnt (unemployment) after the project I was working on finished. I dont think I could talk about it then, but now that it is out I can beem proudly that I completed my first videogame: "Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinction" for the X-box n' PS2. It was frikkin increadible to get to work on Aliens and Predator, 2 of my favorite movie franchises. I did much of the art and animation as well as the design of the latter half of the marine campaign. If you ever play the game and you wanna get some revenge on me, my face (albeit very low res)is on the SADAR rocket launcher marine....just send me into a hive alone.

Now I am still working for Fox...freelance web stuff. I am officially the developer for American Idol (and I am very hesitant to admit that publicly, as I am not terribly fond of the show) but I am also fortunate to be working on a LOT of Simpsons stuff with some of the official artists.

Life is good....the knives flow like wine.


I am definatley gonna do more file-work.....I got a big-arse Mineral Mountain K-19 Bowie on the way, it may fall victim to filing.



Oh yeah, tarsier, noticing that your avatar looks very lemur-esque. I love lemurs, even better than monkeys. Here is some hand-crafted kung-fu lemur action.
http://www.skinwalker.org/grafixx/g_2d_1.jpg
http://www.skinwalker.org/grafixx/g_2d_2.jpg
 
Excellent, glad to hear things worked out for you.

The lemur drawings cracked me up. Here are a few more pictures of tarsiers, if you want to do some artwork. They are tiny critters though, so it's tough to picture them carrying blades. A Spyderco Ladybug would be like a zweihander or claymore for these guys...:D If you do any drawings, post 'em up.

Enjoy.

http://www.tarsieruk.homestead.com/files/tar-02.JPG

http://www.tarsieruk.homestead.com/files/tarsierk.JPG

http://www.tarsieruk.homestead.com/files/tarsiern.JPG

http://www.tarsieruk.homestead.com/files/tarsier_in_branches.jpg
 
here is a pic of the files I used:



I am definatly gonna get more when that flea market comes back....and maybe some of that surgical equipment they were selling too.

Thats right! I am also an unlicensed surgeon.

well, not really....but I can always try!:D
 
After you file do you do any polishing? If so, how do you go about that? This looks like a fun little hobby. :)
 
Nice work :)

A suggestion, for laying out your next one. Get a ruler with pretty small graduations on it, 1/16" or less, and a #11 X-acto knife. Use them to scratch out hash marks across the spine of the blade on a set interval before you do any filing. I generally go with 1/4" on my vine pattern, but thats on larger blades, having the finer measurements will be nice on intricate patterns like you did there. It will save you some headaches on spacing things and keeping track of where your at.
Not to say there's anything wrong with what you did there, this is just a suggestion for making life easier. You did a nice job :)

You can also do filework with a dremel. I do quite of a bit of my work with the fine cut off wheels and sanding discs. Have to have a very solid vice, and steady hand though, it can get away from you and leave quite a gouge in the blade (which why I do all my filework before heat treat and finishing :footinmou )
 
nice job,looks pretty good. I had tried using a dremel like Matt mentioned but i didn't like it myself. A lot more control using the file.
Rick
 
Thanks for chiming in Matt and the others. Sorry it took me a while to respond I was out of the office yesterday.

I was hoping a knifemaker would post some advice. I am definately goin to use the exacto-knife to lay out my next one.

Luckily I have got a buncha knives that would be good to filework. My SAK Cybertool, factory second SOG feild knife(wonder if BG42 will be much harder) and my Greco-whisper folder (I already took the black coating off the handle and polished them and the blade) Both the SOG and the Greco are nice n thick unlike the 2 Ive done so far, which I think will lend itself to some different patterns.

I need to get a dremmel. Might not have as much control but it could be better for larger, broader groooooves and starting a line in the middle of the steel (if that makes sense)

Filework seems to me like a great way to fancy-up a knife without effecting the functionality.
 
Fantastic job! You really made that knife yours now. As you said, filework on that knife adds to the aesthetic value, without harming function. Way to go!

On a related note, I am glad for a post like this. It doesn't take many fancy tools to work on knives! Sure, I want a big mill so I can do some fancy schmancy stuff. but the other day when it was cold and snowy outside (where I do the majority of my work), I grabbed my nicholsen file, clamped a santoku blank to a piece of wood, clapmed the wood to a table, and filed for a few hours. Now that the weather is ncier, I'll be able to gridn that santoku in 20 mintues, easy. Anyone can made fun knvies liek puukos or cool kitchen blades using a file and a hack saw. Check out Wally Hayes' new knifemaking videos, I believe from Paladin Press. He shows how to make defense and utility knives on a budget (using a 1x30 belt sander available for like $40!)

SkinWalker, keep up the fine work! I want to see more! I'm not good at filework yet (tried vines twice, I suck!). Your post inspires confidence. Matt, any tips on vine work, or other fine work on blades like this? I'll be giving groomsmen SAK soldiers for gifts and maybe a bit of filework would make the gifts extra special.
 
I've found that like you nothing beats a Diamon File for filework, except a quality Diamond File, still the Diamonds make life easier.
 
Try using a 1/4 triangle file for the layout when filing a continous pattern. Figure out where you want the pattern to start, make a fine scratch with the file on the edge of the blade, then roll the file on the blade, make another scratch and so on and so on. Turn the blade around, make the first scratch centered with the ones on the opposite side. Perfect spacing every time. I find it difficult to hold a ruler and make a straight line with a scribe or a x-acto.

Just my .02

Bill
 
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