Nathan the Machinist
KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 17,622
I'm posting this early so folks will have a chance to read it before jumping in. I'll unlock this Thursday at 3:00 EST
The 3" EDC was designed as a collaboration with Lorien Arnold. It is a well made, no frills, high performance, small utility knife. The steel is Crucible CPM 3V at HRC 61-62 with a fully optimized heat treat with very good edge retention and edge stability. You'll be surprised how sharp this gets and how well it holds an edge. If you have never used 3V this hard and thin, it is gonna blow your mind.
This steel with this heat treat will support a fine edge, so this was taken down to .015" before sharpening (though I'm leaving some additional meat in the tip) and it was sharpened 18 degrees per side. This is relatively acute and it cuts very well, but is durable. They're also lightly hand ground after machining to give it a slight convex grind.
The primary grinds on these are more narrow than the Field Knife. They are quite "slicey"
Some might consider this a tactical knife but the point is not reinforced and it is not shaped or balanced as a weapon. It's thin behind the edge. It is a hard working cutting tool, a tradesman's knife and small woods knife.
It's very light weight.
The handle is ergonomically designed for a standard forward, reverse, saber and pinch grips for an average to relatively large hand. Despite its compact size it fills the hand and allows extended hard work without hand fatigue. The tang is internally skeletonized. The scales are 3D sculpted CNC machined. The blade is made of 1/8 3V with a heat treat that has been optimized to maximize edge stability in rough use (see video). Despite being relatively thin it is reasonably durable.
A side effect of this heat treat is a higher percentage of free chromium, so although it is not stainless, it is nearly so.
Specs:
3V, 61-62 HRC, .135 thick at ricasso (a hair over 1/8")
Total length 7.5
Blade length 3.2
Weight 4.8 oz
Edge angle 18 DPS
.020" BTE
Grippy 3D machined scales in micarta or G10
Black oxide treated 18-8 stainless steel fasteners
Hidden lanyard
Choice of vertical or horizontal Kydex sheath made by Dan Crotts of Dozier Knives. If you want one of both sheaths, an extra sheath is $50.
Be aware the horizontal sheath has very high retention. You can not remove the knife by pulling straight back, you have to tilt it up at the same time. If you want something that's easy to get in and out of you should choose the vertical pouch sheath.
Tell me what scale option you choose and I'll build it. There are Five knives available in this sale. The knives in the picture are not the knives you will receive. They need scales and sharpened so they will not ship until end of next week.
Rather than just take my word for it I made a video:
[video=youtube;zC_-PIFw-KA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC_-PIFw-KA[/video]
A video illustrating the sheath options:
[video=youtube;HiG_KqF06KY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiG_KqF06KY[/video]
These are all field grade, as machined and stonewashed with tool and grind marks.
$215 in micarta, black or brown
$225 in black G10
Shipping in the USA is $10.
Includes a good kydex sheath, choose vertical or horizontal.
These knives are unusual because they are machined. I do this in my shop on industrial CNC machine tools. A WIP thread documenting my technique can be found here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1048443
I take paypal, cash, check or MO.
We'll have five Light Choppers Friday and five Potato Knives in the kitchen knife sub forum next week.
Thanks for looking,
Nathan
The 3" EDC was designed as a collaboration with Lorien Arnold. It is a well made, no frills, high performance, small utility knife. The steel is Crucible CPM 3V at HRC 61-62 with a fully optimized heat treat with very good edge retention and edge stability. You'll be surprised how sharp this gets and how well it holds an edge. If you have never used 3V this hard and thin, it is gonna blow your mind.
This steel with this heat treat will support a fine edge, so this was taken down to .015" before sharpening (though I'm leaving some additional meat in the tip) and it was sharpened 18 degrees per side. This is relatively acute and it cuts very well, but is durable. They're also lightly hand ground after machining to give it a slight convex grind.
The primary grinds on these are more narrow than the Field Knife. They are quite "slicey"
Some might consider this a tactical knife but the point is not reinforced and it is not shaped or balanced as a weapon. It's thin behind the edge. It is a hard working cutting tool, a tradesman's knife and small woods knife.
It's very light weight.
The handle is ergonomically designed for a standard forward, reverse, saber and pinch grips for an average to relatively large hand. Despite its compact size it fills the hand and allows extended hard work without hand fatigue. The tang is internally skeletonized. The scales are 3D sculpted CNC machined. The blade is made of 1/8 3V with a heat treat that has been optimized to maximize edge stability in rough use (see video). Despite being relatively thin it is reasonably durable.
A side effect of this heat treat is a higher percentage of free chromium, so although it is not stainless, it is nearly so.
Specs:
3V, 61-62 HRC, .135 thick at ricasso (a hair over 1/8")
Total length 7.5
Blade length 3.2
Weight 4.8 oz
Edge angle 18 DPS
.020" BTE
Grippy 3D machined scales in micarta or G10
Black oxide treated 18-8 stainless steel fasteners
Hidden lanyard
Choice of vertical or horizontal Kydex sheath made by Dan Crotts of Dozier Knives. If you want one of both sheaths, an extra sheath is $50.
Be aware the horizontal sheath has very high retention. You can not remove the knife by pulling straight back, you have to tilt it up at the same time. If you want something that's easy to get in and out of you should choose the vertical pouch sheath.
Tell me what scale option you choose and I'll build it. There are Five knives available in this sale. The knives in the picture are not the knives you will receive. They need scales and sharpened so they will not ship until end of next week.
Rather than just take my word for it I made a video:
[video=youtube;zC_-PIFw-KA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC_-PIFw-KA[/video]
A video illustrating the sheath options:
[video=youtube;HiG_KqF06KY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiG_KqF06KY[/video]
These are all field grade, as machined and stonewashed with tool and grind marks.
$215 in micarta, black or brown
$225 in black G10
Shipping in the USA is $10.
Includes a good kydex sheath, choose vertical or horizontal.
These knives are unusual because they are machined. I do this in my shop on industrial CNC machine tools. A WIP thread documenting my technique can be found here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1048443
I take paypal, cash, check or MO.
We'll have five Light Choppers Friday and five Potato Knives in the kitchen knife sub forum next week.
Thanks for looking,
Nathan
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