First knife- well first complete knife

C

CShepherd

Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
1,085
Hello all.

I finished my first complete knife. Up until know I've done 3 knife kits but really wanted to do all the work. So, long story short, I got a Nicholson file, built a small forge with Darren Ellis' help and as they say the rest is history.

FirstKnifesmall.jpg


It's a small 3-finger Wharncliffe blade. 6 3/4" overall with a 3 1/2" blade. Was trying for a flat ground blade but wound up with a full convex grind.

I don't consider it too bad for my first attempt at grinding bevels. The handles are some red oak trim from Lowe's stabilized ala North Coast Knives turorial in Minwax Wood Hardener.

Think I'll make a simple kydex belt sheath for it as I would consider this a general user knife.

Thanks for looking. Any and all comments, suggestions, and tips are always welcome. I'm here to learn.

Her is a pic of the blank prior to putting on the handles.

FirstKnifeblanksmall.jpg


About forgot to mention that it will shave. :D

Thanks,

Charles
 
Very nice, when you stick to a proven simple design like that it's hard to go wrong. I never heard of a Wharncliffe profile before I came to this forum, I think it looks pretty darn handy.

Leather would match the handle better... I've seen nice looking chocolate brown Kydex sheaths, where can you get that material? I think that would be a good compromise between looks and durability.

You like those Nicholson files, eh? It's good steel, not sure but I've been told it's W1 or W2. I've found I can get a 3/16" x 1 1/8" x 12" Nicholson file at the local hardware store for $9, which is funny because that's cheaper than per-foot prices I've seen to order W2 barstock. Of course you gotta invest some time and fuel in annealing it, or else a lot of belts to grind it. But it definitely works!

I think I'm hafta pick me up a small Nicholson and "copy" your knife, CShepard. The more I look at that style the more I like it for a belt knife/EDC/utility knife.

P.S. before you gentlemen remind me that I'm better off in the long run to order known, annealed steel, just let me say I'll be ordering a bunch when my taxes come back... right now I'm just using whatever I can get my mitts on to keep practicing. :D
 
I've read that the Nicholson files are now case hardened 1095, dunno if that is true.
 
Still debating on a leather or a kydex sheath. Only thing that makes me think kydex is that I'm needing the practice with kydex and it's also a bit easier to turn one out.

This a new Nicholson file and it seemed to harden up quite nicely. I picked up some old (albeit unknown) files at a flea market a month or so ago. Will probably do something with those but I also found a local source for precision ground flat stock O1 and am very intersted in that since I can find how to heat treat that.

Now the biggest part comes in with using this knife to see how it works out.

I chose the wharncliffe for my first blade profile since it was a straight grind. Figured that would be much easier to get right. It was pretty straight forward to do so I was very happy with that.

Thanks for all of the comments. You sure are an inspiring bunch. Hope to be posting something new in a few weeks.

Charles
 
hardheart said:
I've read that the Nicholson files are now case hardened 1095, dunno if that is true.
Click to expand...

I'm not clear on exactly how case-hardening works, is that possible on 1095? I thought case-hardening was only used on low-carbon mild steel and stuff like that.
 
real nice. it took me a while to get to the point that i would even put scales on one of mine. I have to agree that would look better than leather. Kydex is a little less time consuming though.
 
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