Forged Camp Knife

B

Burt Foster

Joined
Jul 1, 2003
Messages
270
I was teaching at the ABS school in Arkansas last week, and I wanted to show the guys attending how you could make a basic knife without having to grind the ricasso flat (which is hard for a new guy to do). I wrapped the one I did there with some copper wire and left it at that.

When I got home, I thought, "hey, I'll make one of those for myself" but as usual, I didn't leave it quite as simple as I'd planned. But, I decided I would keep this knife for me, and so I made it the way I'd really want it.

The blade is 52100, left almost 5/16" at the ricasso with a distal taper and a sharply tapered tang which is only about 1/16" at the butt. The flats are textured with scotch brite bevels. The exposed tang is sand-blasted and cold blued. This finish is simple to repair, but ages gracefully when sweaty hands will tend to rust bare metal. The handle is ironwood with stainless hardware.

I haven't finished the sheath yet, but it totally doesn't go with the knife. The sheath is nicely tooled, and not done like you'd think for a "working knife", but I never make anything nice for myself, so I thought I'd just take the time to make the sheath a little dressy, even if the knife looks a little rough.

camp40-small.jpg
 
I think that turned out just great! Love the forged texture on the blade flats and I like the idea of cold-bluing the exposed tang. Wear it in good health.

Roger
 
I like the subtle recurve and the way the long swedge offsets the blade texture. That is some killer D.I. too!
 
If I was a knifemaker, I would want to keep a knife I really liked as a user, rather than sell it. I can see why you made that decision, because it's really a nice one!

EDIt: And ditto what Roger said about the forged texturing. Just right!
 
Very nice, Burt. :thumbup:

Use it well, get it all aged and stained, then I'll take it. It will be a nice companion to my Blue Collar camp knife. :D
 
Burt Foster said:
I haven't finished the sheath yet, but it totally doesn't go with the knife. The sheath is nicely tooled, and not done like you'd think for a "working knife", but I never make anything nice for myself, so I thought I'd just take the time to make the sheath a little dressy, even if the knife looks a little rough.
Click to expand...
IMNSHO you don't have to keep that "working knife" at all :thumbup: I'm dead serious and I'm not joking :D :D Maybe you just sell it to somebody who wants a "working knife" :cool: :cool: :cool: Yes Burt! Let us know if you agree about it and I'll volunteer myself as the taker :o :o :o :o

Mohd.
 
See Mohd, this is why I never to keep any of my knives! I usually can't resist the temptation to sell a knife, and my wife is usually very much in favor of selling them. Dang it! No, no no! Burt, just say no!

Seriously, I do want to keep this one. I'll get some use out of it, mostly while hiking, because at home, I have a much bigger one. This one is a very in-between size. Great for nothing but capable of most anything within reason.

Of course, I did think ahead when designing the knife to make sure the knife could easily be restored to "as new" condition, just in case....
:D:D:D
 
Great design.
Lovely ironwood. A Working Beauty, excellent knife.
The kind the lucky collector can maybe snag right off your belt. :)


Doug
 
Burt, I sorely miss your subtle humor! (Intro @ Haywood) That's the kind of knife I would love to make! But then your a Master and I'm not! I really like it!!!!! You are the man!

KEEP IT!!!

Steve

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IN GOD WE TRUST
 
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