Frame Handle Fighter

tryppyr

tryppyr

Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
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After creating the bookmatched scales, I felt compelled to start a project that would allow me to use them. Someone suggested I make a frame handle, and I liked the idea. After reviewing Bruce Bump's WIP thread on the CKCA fighter, I decided to try something very similar.

So I started with a piece of "raindrop" damascus I had laying around. It started off a bit over 11 inches long, and as usual I tend to use the whole length.

Fighter01s.JPG


Today I felt like I absolutely HAD to commit to this blade shape so I cut it out.

Fighter03s.JPG


Fighter04s.JPG
 
So I started with a piece of "raindrop" damascus I had laying around.
Click to expand...

Nicely casual. In my opinion, the only way to get rid of all that pesky damascus we tend to have laying around is to make knives out of it...
I wish success to this venture!
 
Off to a great start. That is a pretty "drastic" drop in the tang. Unless you plan on having a "heck-uva" dropped handle, you might find that it drops a tad bit much at the rear.

Just an observation based solely on not having a clue what you have in mind for the handle.

Keep us updated.............

Robert
 
Thanks guys. I agree, Salem... but when you make knives as slowly as I do working through the pile takes ages. ;) I actually do have another piece of damascus I bought off the exchange some time ago... I really will use it eventually.

And Robert, you may be right, but I think the drop in the tang will work out nicely. The handle I have in mind will be a bit like a rounded off pistol grip (but not quite as bent as that) I've got a few things to do before I start trying to tackle the frame. And if I decide it is too bent, I left some extra steel there just in case.

I started grinding on it already... put a gentle distal taper on the front half and cut in the plunge. It's ugly as heck at the moment, but I'll get some more time into it over the weekend. Unlike Bruce's beautiful blade, this one will have a flat grind. I still haven't mastered the hollw grind, and don't want to try learning the method on this project.
 
I spent some time yesterday and today working on the primary bevels. Can you even believe I did most of it on the grinder? Wasted a lot of time before figuring out it was time to replace my coarse belt. Still a bit ugly but much closer to the desired result now. I also cut in the choil after that grinding was complete.

Fighter11s.JPG


Fighter12s.JPG
 
My first admittedly crude attempt at a handle frame made from painted mild steel.

Fighter13s.JPG
 
I like the looks so far.
I'd do a 'straight coil' on a blade like this (like you see a lot on bowies)
 
Last night I made a second frame. This one is better centered and more snugly fit. Not sure which I like better visually, but this one is likely more usable.

Fighter15s.JPG
 
P.S. I noticed that my scales are starting to warp. I suppose I'll eventually need to do something to flatten them again.

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Greg, Like you I am still a beginer on the grinder. What I have found is the wavy grind line (for me) is less if my belt is newer or if I don't let my hands move up and down in relation to a point on the platen. YMMV I like where you are headed with this one! Jess
 
Now that I have a long weekend ahead of me, I'm prepping to do some work on the knife. I had an idea, based on something I read a long while back. Since the horn scales are transluscent, I wanted to put a reflective spacer behind them, so I bought a sheet of brass at a hobby shop. I'm thining I'll cut it to shape, glue it to the scales, drill the pin holes and then mount it. Being something of a neophyte to working with scales, I'm curious whether that's the right sequence of events.
 
A suggestion on the translucent horn, use gold foil. I've never used it myself, but have heard several makers swear by it, and apparently a lot of vintage knives used gold foil behind translucent horn. Seems to be really easy to install as well, simply lick and stick before final glue up.
 
and be carefull using glue, you don't want to see the glue between the tranclucent horn and brass/goldfoil.

I've read that gold fois was also used with turtle shell
 
Thanks guys. I'll see if I can find some gold foil.

After thinking about the brass plate idea some more, I thought of another way I could install it. This handle will have bolsters at both ends, so I'm thinking I'll put the brass between the frame and the bolsters/scales. Assuming I can find some gold foil at a hobby shop, I'll apply that to the scales before attaching them to the brass-plated frame.

Regarding the "final glue up", I'm still trying to figure out how that's going to work with this knife. I have some 3/32 brass rods I am planning to use as pins (that go through the frame, not the tang). I'm thinking I need something to connect to the tang as well, but that might be overkill. Anyway, the problem with this approach is there will be a lot of seams through which the glue will leak. I still need to think the final assembly steps through some more.
 
Following this one. I like the first frame handle, the lines are better where it counts,..on the outside where it will be seen.
 
Today I spent some time doing several things that won't show, but needed to be done.

Firs I decided to start prepping the mild steel that will become the frame, guard and bolsters by stripping off the paint and primer. It took several applications of the stripper and the brass wire brush, but the pieces are now clean enough to work with. In the past when I've used this metal I sanded off the paint and primer, and let me tell you, that's a right royal pain in the arse.

Fighter19s.JPG


On the blade I spent a fair amount of time coarse (120 grit) hand sanding the bevels to get rid of the waviness and gouges. Still not entirely done with that effort, but my back finally gave out, so I'll call it quits on that for a while.

I also spent some time with a small triangular file cutting down the tang at the rear of the ricasso so that the guard will fit snugly against the ricasso with no visible side gaps. I then spent some time at the grinder tapering the tang behind those grooves, so that the fattest point of the tang is the spot right behind the ricasso. That way I don't have to make the hole in the guard too large to clear the back part of the tang before it nestles against the ricasso.

I also spent a little time working out some weird dimples in the ricasso, which I suspect may just be an artifact of the manufacture of raindrop damascus.

Fighter17s.JPG


Fighter18s.JPG
 
You sure have made some progress and it is looking good.

One question, are you concerned about the stress risers at the tang ricasso junction?
 
Only if it is going to see some use, if it is going to be on display then no.
 
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