Time to get started.
There are a few things to get straight before you start.
First, get the mindset that this is a precision project. It isn't like cutting the lawn where you can leave a little off here and there, and get the back yard next week. It is done from start to finish as one continuous process. While there is no need to be anal about your work, you should pay close attention to detail and double check things before moving on to a next step. If the knife ends up a quality job, but a bit smaller than planned because you re-ground the edge that is preferable to a mediocre knife with the original dimensions.
WORK SLOW, THINK AHEAD, HAVE FUN,TAKE BREAKS
The Red Rule is;
You can always take more off, but can never put any back on !
The biggest problem encountered by new makers (and the old,too) is forgetting to think ahead to future steps. If you fail to drill the bolt holes before HT, don't sand the front of the scales before mounting, or file/sand away the centerline before the blade is done with shaping....it will come back to haunt you later. Think the process through from beginning to end ( re-read all the instruction sheets) before putting a file to the steel.
The cardinal rule of auto repair is - you need to know how you are installing the last bolt before you take the first one out.
First we need to flatten the tang. It should be pretty flat as is, but run the fine file over it to assure there is no flash around the holes. If all is flat, take a few strokes with the fine file to make a smooth flat surface at the ricasso. The rest of the tang is not a concern now, as long as it is flat. We will sand this whole area later.
The next task is to position the front of the handle where you want it. I preshaped the front to leave a bit for you to shape it more if you wish.
Place the scales in place with the bolts and tube and mark the Micarta with a pencil ( don't mark with a sharpie or it may stain the handle.). Then remove the scales and re-assemble them off the handle, using the bolts and tube, with tape or a clamp keeping them firmly together. Shape the front to the mark, and sand to 800 grit. Round the front up to the sides a bit. This all needs to be done to establish the transition from handle to blade and because you can't finish the handle front once the scales are glued up later on.
After the front of the scales area is sanded, put them back on the blade. Take your trusty pencil and mark the steel where the handle ends. Remove the handle and set aside. Re-mark the steel with a sharpie to show where the handle will end. I often blacken the entire tang so all I see is the blade steel area. This helps keep your eye focused only on the blade area while filing.
OK, now we are ready to get started on the filing.
Mark the place where the plunge line will be. It should normally be 1/8" to 1/4" from the edge end. Use a sharpie and a straight edge to mark this line on both sides...making sure they are even from side to side. If needed, erase a line with a towel dampened with acetone, being careful not to erase the handle area marking.
DISTAL TAPER
Distal taper is the gradual thinning of the thickness of the blade from ricasso to tip. Normally it is thinned to 1/2 the ricasso thickness. In some cases, on a delicate slicer, it can thin to 10% of the ricasso. Distal taper makes the blade cut better, weigh less, and look better. Without it, the knife often looks like a sharpened bar of steel.
To file the distal taper, check that the spine has a reference mark down the center. If not, scribe it now. Start about 1/4" in front of the plunge line and flat file the blade toward the tip. Flip the blades often and check the spine and edge centerlines to see that you are evenly tapering the blade. When the tip end is 60% of the ricasso,switch to the medium file. When it is 50%, that is when you stop. If the surface looks rough, take a few strokes with the medium and fine files to make it smoother. It will end up thinner by the time we are done, so don't go too far now.
Once you gain some skill, you may file the bevel and taper at the same time, but do them separate on this project.
Time to start the bevels.
Place the coarse file a bit in front of the plunge line and start filing the bevels. The best choice for your knife will be a full flat grind, which means the bevels will go from edge to spine. File slowly, letting the bevels rise toward the spine. As you file the bevels in, the cut will slowly move back to the plunge line. Don't try and get there too soon.
Don't go all the way up tom the spine or the plunge yet ! You will still be doing a lot more filing and sanding. See Red Rule .
Flip the blade often, checking that the edge is staying centered and straight. When it is getting an edge of about .050-.060", switch to the medium file. At this point the bevels should be around 1/8" from the spine. When the edge gets to .040-050" switch to the fine and clean up any marks. The edge should be about .040" now, and go right up to the spine. If the edge is a bit thinner ( which is likely) don't panic. You just don't want a sharp edge yet. It can be filed back a tad if too thin. If the plunge runs too far into the spine, that can be taken care of by sanding down the ricasso later.
Check everything several times.....
Edge straight?
Bevels flat?
Ricasso flat?
Everything look good when the scales are in place?
If so, the blade is ready for sanding. We will detail that step when you are there.
you got a handle for your files you lucky dog
