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That's a nice looking knife. Don't know if I'd call it a hunter, as it's HUGE, but nice grinding from the look of it. It's odd to look at that blade and think that there is no iron in it at all...
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GniCr40Al4 Hunter
- Thread starter Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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I finished the knife and gave the handle a wrap that I "invented'. The wrap is made with two strands of contrasting color paracord....red and black in this case. There are two holes through the tang...a 1/4" one in the front and a 3/8" near the butt.
I fuse the ends together on about six feet of cord, and use the two cords together to make the beginning of a turks head. Since there are two parallel cords, it appears to be twice around already. There will be a pair of cords on the outside of the knot, and a pair on the inside . The inside ends are to be the short ends, and the outside ends are the long ends you will tie the handle wrap with.You stick the ends through the front hole from the same side.Pull the turks head tight and then use CA to glue the short ends down on the tang just shy of the butt end hole. Cut the excess off. The long ends are pulled hard to draw the ends down from the turks head. Look at the photo of this side and you will see how they "roll" the knot under. The red and black ends are separated ,and run opposite directions around the sides of the tang, then tied in a square knot on the other side. You just go from side to side, tying square knots. I reverse the knot "direction" each time to make the pattern livelier. Once the knots reach the end hole, I start wrapping around and around the tang until there is no more room in the 3/8" hole to pull the cords through. I loosen these wraps, bring the ends under them, and out by the last square knot. Then I pull the wraps tight again. Once everything is snug and straightened up, I cut the ends off between the last square knot and the first wrap.
There may be some "fuzzies" where I snagged the cord with my awl and got a few strands of nylon thread pulled out. Use a small flame and carefully melt these back to the cord. Straighten up all the square knots, then apply thin epoxy ( I use System Three clear coat) to the cord with a flux brush. Use just enough to wet the cord fully. It will absorb and look like it did before the resin was applied, but when the resin cures, the wrap will be solid.
This wrap has a nice oriental look, so I chose it to go on this blade with the metal from China.
Xie Xie, hammerfall.
The knife was ground to a near zero flat grind, and then sharpened to a rather acute 10° edge (20° included angle). It cuts very well. It is a toothy cutter, not a slick slicer. It will go through a piece of rope in a flash. It will cut paper, but grabs a bit. After I abuse this edge for a while, I may re-sharpen it at 15° to see what the difference is. Next deer season, I will loan it to some hunters and have them dress out several deer in a row with it. I will ask them to skin it, pop the joints, split the breast, and cut up the deer to see how tough it really is. I will post an update this fall on how that goes.
I fuse the ends together on about six feet of cord, and use the two cords together to make the beginning of a turks head. Since there are two parallel cords, it appears to be twice around already. There will be a pair of cords on the outside of the knot, and a pair on the inside . The inside ends are to be the short ends, and the outside ends are the long ends you will tie the handle wrap with.You stick the ends through the front hole from the same side.Pull the turks head tight and then use CA to glue the short ends down on the tang just shy of the butt end hole. Cut the excess off. The long ends are pulled hard to draw the ends down from the turks head. Look at the photo of this side and you will see how they "roll" the knot under. The red and black ends are separated ,and run opposite directions around the sides of the tang, then tied in a square knot on the other side. You just go from side to side, tying square knots. I reverse the knot "direction" each time to make the pattern livelier. Once the knots reach the end hole, I start wrapping around and around the tang until there is no more room in the 3/8" hole to pull the cords through. I loosen these wraps, bring the ends under them, and out by the last square knot. Then I pull the wraps tight again. Once everything is snug and straightened up, I cut the ends off between the last square knot and the first wrap.
There may be some "fuzzies" where I snagged the cord with my awl and got a few strands of nylon thread pulled out. Use a small flame and carefully melt these back to the cord. Straighten up all the square knots, then apply thin epoxy ( I use System Three clear coat) to the cord with a flux brush. Use just enough to wet the cord fully. It will absorb and look like it did before the resin was applied, but when the resin cures, the wrap will be solid.
This wrap has a nice oriental look, so I chose it to go on this blade with the metal from China.
Xie Xie, hammerfall.
The knife was ground to a near zero flat grind, and then sharpened to a rather acute 10° edge (20° included angle). It cuts very well. It is a toothy cutter, not a slick slicer. It will go through a piece of rope in a flash. It will cut paper, but grabs a bit. After I abuse this edge for a while, I may re-sharpen it at 15° to see what the difference is. Next deer season, I will loan it to some hunters and have them dress out several deer in a row with it. I will ask them to skin it, pop the joints, split the breast, and cut up the deer to see how tough it really is. I will post an update this fall on how that goes.
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Stacy, what was your sharpening process? Stones all the way, and did you strop or anything? Did it just not want to strop to a smooth razor edge? How do you think it would respond to a rouged leather belt on the grinder?
I like the tu-tone wrap, by the way.
I like the tu-tone wrap, by the way.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Flat platen with the bulk of removal at 120 grit. Then 220 and 400 grit to a .005 edge. Edge sharpened at 10° on 400 then 600 grit belt.
Edge smoothed on the water stones at 800 and 1200, then stropped on diamond charged leather.
I believe that the metal is coarser edged by nature, but the toothiness may be a factor of microchipping at the very low edge angle. It also may wear in smoother after more cutting. I haven't done much yet.
I made the really sharp edge to hasten wear and see how the metal holds up to side load and abrasion. I am sure that at a steeper angle the edge will be smoother. I will also experiment with using a slack belt to sharpen the blade, thus giving it a slightly convex final edge.
Perhaps hammerfall has some metallurgical info on the structure this material.
Edge smoothed on the water stones at 800 and 1200, then stropped on diamond charged leather.
I believe that the metal is coarser edged by nature, but the toothiness may be a factor of microchipping at the very low edge angle. It also may wear in smoother after more cutting. I haven't done much yet.
I made the really sharp edge to hasten wear and see how the metal holds up to side load and abrasion. I am sure that at a steeper angle the edge will be smoother. I will also experiment with using a slack belt to sharpen the blade, thus giving it a slightly convex final edge.
Perhaps hammerfall has some metallurgical info on the structure this material.