Here's something a little different for me...

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
"Tactical" (because it ain't traditional) Kiridashi. Made this little guy out of O1, 3/16" thick. The grind is a deep hollow on my 10" contact wheel, brought up to a 600 grit belt finish. The grind transitions into a small convex on the edge. The other side is a small convex bevel, too. Hemp with black fabric over it for a comfy handle. Things are starting to get scary! This and another knife I'm making both sold sight-unseen before I even finished them! :eek: At least SEE a knife before you buy it! :p

Not the most useful knife I've ever made, but it was fun and a nice change from stuff I usually do. Thanks for looking!

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It actually looks very useful. Can you describe how you made the handle (in some detail)?
 
Richard, that style of knife is traditionally used as a woodworking knife to mark boards to be cut with a saw. When you mark wood with a knife like that, the wood doesn't splinter around the cut, or at least that's my understanding. You can get tons of pics of cool traditional kiridashi if you search the word in Google's image search.

As for the handle, if you check back in the last month or two of Blade magazine, I think, there is a tutorial for more or less what I did by Wally Hayes. At least it shows the handle wrapping procedure for the flat black cord. I put a thin layer of epoxy on the tang, wind up the hemp rope, and work epoxy with my fingers (gloved) into that. Out in the open like this, Devcon 2 Ton cures in a couple hours. After it's dry, I then apply the black wrap. I use a little drop of gel super glue under the cord as it passes over the spine of the blade just to hold it ino place. I used to give myself fits with wrapping handles before I started doing that. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I drill a 1/4" (a bit bigger would be better) in the butt of the handle and wrap the cord around a few times, then another drop of glue and I burn the ends off. It stays put. I'll finish this one off with more epoxy, but this time I'll work it in with one of those cheap little plumber's flux brushes. That way the epoxy penetrates a little more rather than having that almost "dipped" look you'll see with really heavy applications of epoxy. Inspiration for this style of knife handle, which I call a Black & Tan (too bad it isn't 5 PM or I'd be having one right now!) comes from Phill Hartsfield.
 
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