First knife

egally08

egally08

Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
872
Hey guys, I started my first knife yesterday. I got the blade profiled and ground, and then I heat treated it today, and put the handles on.

I started shaping the handles, but I realized I don't have have a drum sander. The handle right under the ricasso is curved in a lot more, but I couldn't get to since I don't have a small wheel attachment or a drum sander.

I need to finish shaping the handles, and I need to clean up the epoxy that came out of the front of the handles onto the blade. I am also waiting for some tung oil to arrive.

I would like to be able to round the handles, but it didn't seem like it was working out to well. I'm going to have to practice rounding and getting rid of the contour lines when they are not on a knife.

There is still a lot of work to do, but I thought I would post my progress anyways. Criticism gladly welcomed.



 
Not bad so far man. I like the overall shape a lot. For the epoxy sticking out the front, when you clamp it, take a q tip and dip in lighter fluid and wipe it across the front of the scales next time. No epoxy!!

For shaping you dont need a drum sander, clamp the blade to a table with the handle sticking off and go to work by hand.
 
Thanks man, I will do that will the q-tip next time. I didn't even think about it.

The curve comes in about a half inch more right under the ricasso. I already ordered the drum sander, so i'll probably wait. I want to make sure it looks good, and even through out.

It also has a pretty even distal taper, I'll get a picture of that up tomorrow.
 
The blade is 1095, heated in a coal forge at a friends house. He has all the equipment to accurately heat treat it.
 
I suggest you round the handle completely. With wood handles it looks so much better. I also suggest sending your knives out for heat treat. A coal forge Is just not a suffice way of ht 1095. I believe a good comfortable handle and a solid heat treat makes a good knife . It looks like you have the grind down, other than that it looks like a great knife man.
 
Thanks for the kind words.

I'll have to practice rounding the handle. That is what I wanted to originally do, but it started looking bad. This is my first attempt at any of this, but it turned out better then I expected.

Its differentially tempered as well. I'm gonna do a lot of cutting tests with it, and then send it out to be tested and see how hard it is. We have a pyrometer to make sure the blade is at full temp when heat treating it
 
looks good..use a single edged razor blade to get rid of the excess epoxy...round out the handle edges and call it done...start the next one
 
Looks good, just spend more time and have more patience with the handle. Right now you did all the neccessary work with power tools on the handle, now just finish by hand and make it the way YOU want.
 
I worked on the knife a little bit today. I hand sanded the blade, and then I hand sanded the handle.

I worked on the contours of the handle. After the intial bevel, I smoothed and rounded them. I am waiting on my different oils to come in the mail, so it should look a lot better once the tung oil is applied.

Let me know what you think.
Thanks





 
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