First knife. FINALLY.

O

Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
7,743
Man this took waaay too long to finish. Big thanks to everyone for answering every silly question that I've posted.

Full disclosure- I consider this my first knife. I made a knife like object several years ago out of a file, and I ruined some perfectly innocent 1095 at the same time. None of that is worth mentioning imo, and if I learned anything by doing them, it could be summed up by calling it what NOT to do to make a knife. ;)

Tools-

1x30 grinder with 40 and 80 grit belts.

4x36 sander w/side disk grinder, unusable worn out belt, but fresh wood working psa's.

A piece of poplar 3"x4'. This was clamped to my old nightstand and served as my vise (more clamps) and hand sanding platform.

Lots and lots lots of sandpaper.

2 brick forge with 10 psi regulator and Atlas venturi burner (love that burner)

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5/32 ground down to 1/8" 1084 ht'd twice.

Home made composite handle material, yellow jute burlap with green pigment/poly resin.

Home made burlap composite pins.

White liners

Tapered tang

OAL 8.25"

Blade 3.75"

Please forgive the terrible pics. I would have taken it outside, but there is an enormous storm going on out there. :eek:

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Please tell me what I should change on the next knife.

There are things that I like about this knife, and there are many errors and things I dislike. Excellent learning opportunity though.
 
Beautiful work strig! I love the knife. I never really paid any attention to wharncliffs but this knife certainly has changed my mind. That's some good looking micarta you made to. Very good first knife!!
 
Congrats on getting the first one under your belt! I've tried my hand at pressing my own phenolics - its not easy (or clean!) After using quality handle materials I personally wouldn't bother making it myself again. Looking forward to see your next one ;)
 
Really nice! The fact that you made your own scale material and pin stock really takes it up a notch.

Bob
 
Nice, I really like the handle shape and look. Great first knife. Awfully brave with that tip, didn't you say it was super thin? :D By the way that big storm passing over you right now is going to turn into an ice storm here in KY. Those suck!
 
zcd said:
Congrats on getting the first one under your belt! I've tried my hand at pressing my own phenolics - its not easy (or clean!) After using quality handle materials I personally wouldn't bother making it myself again. Looking forward to see your next one ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's messy at first. Once you've done it a bunch of times it gets easier, faster and cleaner. Only part of this project that really got messy was somehow getting CA glue *all* over my hands, and pretty much everything else while I glued up the liners.

The home made laminate that I've done seems to be pretty good. I've used store bought micarta on a few projects, and I've used some great stabilized wood. I want to try g10 because I love it on the knives that I've bought, just haven't gotten around to it. I don't see much point in making home made laminates that look like micarta. I just like trying to make stuff that looks different.

Thanks for the kind words guys. I can't wait to improve, and hopefully, upgrade my crappy equipment as time goes by.

The next knife will be a... wait for it... Wharncliffe! :)

I'm just taken by their utility and I love how the profile looks. I want to make a decent one that I can show my friends and be proud of before I start on something else.

I just ordered a chunk of high quality leather and some (more) tools and dyes. I've got a few fixed blade knives that really need to be used. Can't use em if I can't carry them. ;)
 
I really look up to you guys so I truly appreciate the kind words. :)

Perrin, yeah this "super storm" (as they've been calling it) has had the Emergency Broadcast System cutting into the tv all day long. Pretty rare around here. Fortunately there weren't any tornadoes that I'm aware of. That would be insane in this part of the country. One man did get struck by lightning in Fresno, but he's supposed to pull through, thank God. Hopefully the storm will dissipate some as it makes its way toward the rest of you. I know some of you haven't had an easy winter.
 
Well done, sir. Makes me want to play around with some more Micarta. Big fan of Wharcliffes too. Great distal taper. Thumbs up all around.
 
Very well done Strig! Nice job and the handle material and pins. Blade profile and handle proportion look good.
 
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