Fixed Traditional 'Brukskniv' Builld

[scruffuk]

I really love the knife the first time I saw the blade and the handle materials... just plain wonderful, Thom.
I hope you had a good day outside of work and workshop.

BTW: I carried the Svörd Peasant Knife today, as well

Well, you should reserve your judgement until its done

Yeah, I just noticed you were playing Peasant too What a coincidence.

You should know that my 'workshop' is in reality a cramped corner of my basement....hence I had to get a good fix of daylight.

Also, you must call this knife a 'Brukskniv' which means 'Work knife' in Swedish....a Puukko is TOTALLY different and of course Finnish.

 

[Humppa]

I hear you, my friend I know you will make a great knife, Thom.

Being honest, my workshop is seperated in two parts. One part is indoor in my the room where the burner of my heater is sitting and the other is the area out of there... Not really a workshop, but a beginning ... I store heating-oil in my indoor part, so no real work is permitted to use in there, the danger of a fire or even an explosion is just too high.

Brukskniv is Working knife in English and Partaveitsen terä in finnish language (as long as I can trust the online translator) and Arbeitsmesser in german - I gonna call it Brukskniv in future.

However ...

The Peasant is a great knife, isn´t it?

 

[scruffuk]

When I lived back at my parents Andi, I had a workshop just like that. The ventilation was amazing....but it got a little cold in autumn and winter (of course, it was just outdoors. Simply my dad's 'workmate' bench on the lawn).

It's funny. The Finnish have more words for knife than the Inuit do for snow (I know, that's an old wives tale!).

The literal translation of puukko means 'a knife with a wooden handle'. I've had people tell me this isn't this or that, and then they show 'examples' of what they call a puukko and it's made out of all kinds of different materials. It makes me smile a little. I think well, if they're gonna split hairs....

Anyway's, it's just a knife at the end of the day....maybe even just a tool....right?

Oh, I am waffling now.

Just one last thing; yes, those Svord Peasant knives are great. I'm lucky enough to have been gifted the standard model a while back, when i was shooting my air rifle more. It served me nicely when hunting coney (rabbit), tree rats and pigeon for a good while.

However, it's been a blessing to have the mini-version. I can appreciate it on a more regular basis because it goes in the pocket better....and is much more comfortable/less noticeable. I've already got hold of another to give my older bro for his birthday at the end of July.

 

[neeman]

Once the front sections were complete, I turned my attention to the main section of the handle. I didn't take too any photos of this stage. I simply drilled three holes and linked them up. An extra long bit came in hand here.

this is where I have a question.
I do not have a drill press
How do you keep the three holes parallel and straight?

I am thinking of boring one thin hole with a carpenters brace
And then setting the tang in a what will be a long plug of epoxy
What do you think?

 

[scruffuk]

this is where I have a question.
I do not have a drill press
How do you keep the three holes parallel and straight?

I don't think you will like my answer

I am thinking of boring one thin hole with a carpenters brace
And then setting the tang in a what will be a long plug of epoxy
What do you think?

However, I did not always have a drill press either. Here's a work around (with crude visual representation):

1. Drill one hole of diameter of the narrowest part of the tang

[ O ]

2. Using needle rasps/files, create slots to accomodate the tang (I'll call this a 'key hole')

[ =O= ]

NB. Taper the slots of the key hole as you work them, matching the profile of the tang, so that you are achieving as much mechanical fit as possible (which you could 'drive' home). Completely fill the void with epoxy, and 'plunge' a couple of times into the filled hole to drive out any air bubbles.

You could even wedge the extra width from the hole with some dowel, rod, skewer, tooth pick....etc.

Hope that helps?

 

[neeman]

Understand
That is a lot of work .......

How do you work that deep to the lenght of the tang?

Thanks

And I will also try the long thin plug of epoxy

 

[scruffuk]

Patiently

 

[neeman]

Patiently

Very good advice

I like

Don't thee thou me thee thou thissen and see how tha likes thee thouing

 

[scruffuk]

Guess what?!

Finally time for another update!

But don't get too excited.....it seems the 'gremlins' have been using my tools, namely my hacksaw and TWO of its blades, which I could now ride bare ar$ed to Bavaria on!
Grrrr!

But anyway, here's where we are and what little I've done this evening.

Firstly, I re-drew the handle shape I had in mind, to factor in the extra length added by the bolster. You'll see there are also a few possibilities for the rear of the pommel.

I chose the rounded end as I find this is most universal and as more comfortable when using the chest lever grip.

One thing to be wary about when using burly woods is the chipping out of the knots and other.

In this instance I orientated the handle in such a way that this one troublesome piece, which was bound to present itself, would be lost in the primary roughing out stages. It served well to demonstrate the problem though.

Next shot shows the basic profile once shaped:

And a plan view of the basic contour of the handle, a very simple 'fat mountain trout' pattern:

It's very slight and quite fat indeed, at this stage, however I'll be see moving more later.

And sorry, that's it for now, until I've got some more saw blades. The bolster of brass and horn is just too hard to work by file alone, without the risk of it overheating and de-lamination that is....plus, it'll just take tooooo long!

 

[scruffuk]

Well, rinos has completely shown me up with his superb and swift walkthrough, but i shall continue to plod through my build at a leisurely pace

After searching the hardware stores for a couple of 18tpi hacksaw blades, I headed back home, trimmed down to the lines I'd drawn, and flattened it off using the bastard-cut on my 'farmers own' file.

I'd like to stress the importance of cutting the handle to (side-on) profile before contouring. It allows you to secure the knife better, when working the flats, and if you are strict and accurate at cutting to your lines with the saw, it means a lot less time with the rasp, files etc.

There's some really nice burls coming through Andi

I then knocked off the corners:

It's just a case of knocking these corners off now, and rounding off.....but it's Friday, and it's well gone beer o'clock!

 

[Humppa]

WOW....!!! I´m speechless! Thom - that will be a wonderful knife. Seeing the whole progress is just amazing and the hours of work that are needed for such a wonderful knife.

Being honest - I don´t know how to compensate this wonderful knife.

I´m really speechless... Just amazing!

 

[scruffuk]

Thanks Andi.

A bit to go yet mind. It's coming along okay though thankfully.

p.s. There is absolutely no compensation required my friend. This is my thanks to you!

 

[screened porch]

That "knocking off the corners" to an octagon looks like a smart and useful step. Less rasping and more symmetry than when trying to do too much all at once.

 

[scruffuk]

You got it SP. Because its all done by hand and eye, you need to do the best you can to try and keep things even sided.

I tend to redraw the centre-line after each of the stages to help do this.

I'll also do my best to reflect the same angles, strokes and the amount of material I remove each side. Again, I'll often (re)draw guide lines to help do this.

 

[sitflyer]

Loving following your build Thom! It looks great! Someday I will post pics of my feeble attempts at such a project, but for now, thank You for the WIP, it is an essential course of learning for me, and is appreciated

 

[markksr]

Looking good! :thumbup:

 

[scruffuk]

Thanks chaps.

Duane - I'm glad you are finding it enjoyable and useful too. Would be good to see a bit of a work through of one of your builds.

It's actually nice to contribute a bit more fixed blade content to our forum too.

 

[rinos]

Following and admiring your patience i methodical approach,excellent WIP,like ones that pushed me in this hobby :thumbup:

 

[scruffuk]

Right, got chance to do a lot of initial shaping this evening....

.....it was all looking great.....but unfortunately one of the birch spacers, on the lower section, had a large glue filled void. It's meant that I've had to take the bolster right down to the ricasso at the edge face of the blade :-/

Ah well. I'lll have to take a bit more down at the back now too. Bit of a gaff on my part, but these things happen.....and it's fixable.

Sorry Andi.

You'll see in the pic below, after initial sanding, I have also marked some of the areas that I'll file/sand down to get more uniformity in the profile.

Still looking good on the burls and swirls front though (I can't mess that bit up). Once this has had an oil bath, it's really gonna look good.....and I'll almost be able to forgive my blooper :-/

 

[Jack Black]

Looks like it's going to be a cracker :thumbup: