Ideas For Fixing This?

ScarFoot

ScarFoot

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
Messages
798
So I was just to the point of cleaning up a plunge line and hand sanding this blade when I noticed it picked up a stray mark at some point in the evening. It was probably on the belt or the disc but I don’t remember hitting it so who knows… Anyway, I’m struggling with how to fix it. The blade is 0.135” thick where the mark is and that’s the thickest part of the entire blade. I sanded the tang taper up to it hoping that would take it out but it didn’t get it all and I don’t want to take much more off the tang. I could sand that flat down on the disc or the stone but I’d probably be under 0.125” at that point and there is a slight distal taper so the rest of the blade would be getting a bit too thin for the size and profile (I think). I’ve thought about crowing the spine between the handle and the swedge but I’m not sure how that would look. I’ve also thought about jimping that area but I’m not sure that would look right either. I’ve never done a crowned spine or jimping before but I’m willing to try. Do y’all have any other ideas or suggestions?
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Lorien said:
I hate it when that happens. Maybe you could add some jimping or filework?
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I’ve thought about both but never done either. I figured I’d set it aside for a few days and ask the pros on here to weigh in. This is a knife of firsts though. It’s my first swedge that actually survived. Also, I’d never hollowed out a tang so, I tried it and screwed it up so I tried my first ever tapered tang to fix it and that worked well. I’m running out of material to grind off when I screw up at this point.
 
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Extend the false edge back? If you keep the thickness at the top of the primary bevel the same it won't affect the strength or stiffness much.
Personally i would just grind it out. Distal tapers don't have to be linear, so you don't have to thin the rest out as much
 
Alex Topfer said:
Extend the false edge back? If you keep the thickness at the top of the primary bevel the same it won't affect the strength or stiffness much.
Personally i would just grind it out. Distal tapers don't have to be linear, so you don't have to thin the rest out as much
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I thought about extending the taper of the false edge back but, as thin as it’s getting, I think it would be uncomfortable with your thumb on the spine. As far as grinding it out, that was my first instinct but I’m interested to see what other ideas might come up. That will be what I fall back to though if I’m not comfortable trying anything else.
 
I really like the sweeping plunge line. Nice design feature, works well with the shape of the blade.

As far as fixing it, I could see jimping. Otherwise I wouldn't monkey around with the blade shape, it's really good. I'd probably finish it as is and make another one if I wanted perfect.

If someone notices it you could say it happened during a knife fight. 😉
 
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ScarFoot said:
So I was just to the point of cleaning up a plunge line and hand sanding this blade when I noticed it picked up a stray mark at some point in the evening. It was probably on the belt or the disc but I don’t remember hitting it so who knows… Anyway, I’m struggling with how to fix it. The blade is 0.135” thick where the mark is and that’s the thickest part of the entire blade. I sanded the tang taper up to it hoping that would take it out but it didn’t get it all and I don’t want to take much more off the tang. I could sand that flat down on the disc or the stone but I’d probably be under 0.125” at that point and there is a slight distal taper so the rest of the blade would be getting a bit too thin for the size and profile (I think). I’ve thought about crowing the spine between the handle and the swedge but I’m not sure how that would look. I’ve also thought about jimping that area but I’m not sure that would look right either. I’ve never done a crowned spine or jimping before but I’m willing to try. Do y’all have any other ideas or suggestions?
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Cover it with scales ?
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Natlek said:
Cover it with scales ?
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That’s a good idea. I need to work on that plunge line and get it cleaned up. Once I get that done I’ll play with some handle outlines and see what it looks like.
 
Forrest Taylor said:
I really like the sweeping plunge line. Nice design feature, works well with the shape of the blade.

As far as fixing it, I could see jimping. Otherwise I wouldn't monkey around with the blade shape, it's really good. I'd probably finish it as is and make another one if I wanted perfect.

If someone notices it you could say it happened during a knife fight. 😉
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Thank you! I’ve been tinkering with this design off and on for a year now. I finished my first knife almost exactly a year ago and it was a very crude predecessor to this one. This one’s twin brother has already been partially ground and heat treated. It’s up next!
 
If all else fails texture the whole flat so it’s uniform and blends in, you could take a cutoff wheel on a dremel to distress the flats then dip the whole thing in ferric to darken the distressed portions then hand sand the bevels again if you want them bright.
 
ScarFoot said:
That’s a good idea. I need to work on that plunge line and get it cleaned up. Once I get that done I’ll play with some handle outlines and see what it looks like.
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You don t mention what steel is ? If it is mine and if steel is stainless I will mirror finish bevels and sandblasted rest of knife with very fine AO
 
I was thinking of hiding it with the scale too.....

Use fiber liners under the scale, they seem to hide gaps well


*id draw/make the front face of the scale radi the opposite of Natlek.
If you have a large contact wheel
 
Natlek said:
You don t mention what steel is ? If it is mine and if steel is stainless I will mirror finish bevels and sandblasted rest of knife with very fine AO
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It’s 1095.
 
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