Finally Graduated to The Single Line Scribe -

R

rlinger

Joined
Mar 29, 2002
Messages
4,591
It has been, it seems, like forever since posting a new thread and I am so happy to be back in the groove - to use an old 60's slang.

Anyhow, I have been able, finally and thankfully, to put away the angle meter and also to be able to single scribe the center for bevel grinding. (I expect some tiime more before I do not have to scribe at all; like the real pros can do ;).)

The Bushcraft, of course, is a single scribe, and perhaps it helped to teach me some.

I think, and could be wrong, my advise to newbies might be to skip the double scribe for edge width and learn on the single scribe. I also think the real makers would suggest forget the scribe completely :cool:. (maybe next year or two from now :))

RL
 
Whats the advantage of the single line, Roger? I've been using double lines that are .020 apart for years. Other than saving a few seconds of the time it takes to scribe the second line, what benefit does a single line have over a double?
 
Roger
sometimes I use a line, most the time not but when I do.
I just use a caliper and set it just close to the half way mark of the steel thickness and run it on both sides marking a line
this will leave two marks and of course in between those two marks will be the center of the steel..
and that's what you're looking for any way..
I mic the meat left once I get ground down close to where I want to be to the center for that blade..
if you grind as I do (one side first) and mic it, you can figure out what you'll have for your edge when you're done anyway.

I do it this way because many times if I was going by two lines they end up disappearing on me
once I get the first side ground and recorded I don't need the lines any more anyway.
and for that matter as for the reasons as you can deduce from the above you'll end up not having to use them anyway..
if you grind one side first,
if not you can use a height gage also to check if concentric if that's the right term for it,

I know the term is normally used in round
If I use lines it's mainly only to keep me from over shooting when I'm not on the ball..
I could show you faster then it took me to write this:(
and you'd understand what I said better too:D
 
Its good to have you back Roger. I hope everything is OK.

I never use a scribe, mostly cause Im too cheap to buy one and too dumb to use it anyway.
 
Bruce Bump said:
Its good to have you back Roger. I hope everything is OK.

I never use a scribe, mostly cause Im too cheap to buy one and too dumb to use it anyway.
Click to expand...

Dang you, Bump! Guys like you who can eyeball everything really make me jealous! :D I got to have a tool or a jig or a measuring device for everything. :mad:
 
Higgins, I looked at one of your thread tapping machines at the Montana show. I need to say it is a precision machined work of tool art. Just keep on using those micrometers and jigs!
 
Bruce Bump said:
Higgins, I looked at one of your thread tapping machines at the Montana show. I need to say it is a precision machined work of tool art. Just keep on using those micrometers and jigs!
Click to expand...

Thanks, Bruce. My wife says I put things in front of me instead of what I have to do, and I tell here I have to make a jig or something in order to DO it.

:)
 
I knew this was going to get the ol'timers to rise to the fly. Kit never fails to make me feel good :D. Hey, I said maybe in a year or two :D. and thanks all for the generous welcome back AND all is well.

Well, it is true the double line only takes a few more seconds but in addition to that there is more calculation and you place both sides of blade on the flat surface and you cut two lines in the grind. The best way is no scribe. I am not yet there. It's just faster and and less hasle to do one versus two. I have also, so far, found I can make my grind more consistant about the edge length. I think though grinding Scand's help teach me that and my Scandi's are always single scribed (obviously) but real Scandi makers scribe NO lines.

RL
 
This is a pretty simple scribe to make and use. You can do single or double lines with it.
 

Attachments

  • Edge scribe.jpg
    Edge scribe.jpg
    17.2 KB · Views: 63
I read through this thread and thought, "huh, a scribe, neat idea" but I realized, since I forge most everything to shape, including the taper and all, it'd probably make my grinds less accurate, oh well.
 
I forge about 80% of the work that leaves my shop... But I lay everything on a granite surface plate and scribe a single line front and back, and if it's a tapered tang, I'll do two lines for that.

I take my edges down too thin to do two lines.

Roger, I don't think not scribing is the best way.

I've had a couple older guys look at my shop and say, "Boy, I don't have all that fancy equipment and I've been mak'n knives for as long as you been alive."

And I think, "Yep, and they suck. So there ya go." :D

A good reminder that what works great for one guy may not work or may not be necessary for the next guy :)
 
NickWheeler said:
"Yep, and they suck. So there ya go." :D
Click to expand...

Nick, if you've got a minute, could you tell us how you really feel about this ;) :p

Dunno, never have scribed, but I don't have a surface grinder in the shop to get things square to start either... not that I'd mind, but I've go no place for one.

Ahh.....just a few more months...........:rolleyes:
 
NickWheeler said:
Roger, I don't think not scribing is the best way.

I've had a couple older guys look at my shop and say, "Boy, I don't have all that fancy equipment and I've been mak'n knives for as long as you been alive."

And I think, "Yep, and they suck. So there ya go." :D

A good reminder that what works great for one guy may not work or may not be necessary for the next guy :)
Click to expand...

LMAO:D :p :D :p :D :p I got a good laugh out of this, thanks Nick
 
I just wanted to clarify that I'm not saying a guy has to have fancy equipment... obviously that's not true. There are some folks with a shop equipped to machine just about anything, that don't make a nice looking/flowing knife. And there are guys with super crude shops that can make stuff that's crazy good. With, of course, everything in-between.

It's all about the guy doing his best (IMHO)

I guess I just didn't like the idea that there's something wrong with cutting a center line. The more precision I can add to my knifemaking, the better.

My techniques are pretty crude in the grand scheme of things, but I do the best I know how, with what I got :)
 
awww Nick, just admit it, you think everybody else sucks :D

Of course, I'm just kidding, and I agree, what works for one might not for another.

I wouldn't even know when to scribe a line, let alone where, but hey, all my stuff looks alright if you wait till 2 in the morning and look at it from 50 feet away in the new moon without artificial light, so I'm happy ;)
 
After seven or so odd years of this I really prefer the single line.
Double lines get blurred as you erase them. A single line leaves clarity for an even grind on both sides.
Also FEEL your grind when your done (No you prevert...not that:D) after a while you will be able to detect minute variations in thickness.
Try your calipers if you don't believe me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top