ironwood Recurve Hunter

Karl B. Andersen

Karl B. Andersen

Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
5,667
Every now and then I find that I need to make a knife that does not take-down. The assembly is still 95% the same, I just make a slight alteration with the pommel nut on the interior. There is an internal sleeve on the non-take-downs, and alignment pins like all the others. By far the strongest assembly I can imagine. Full mechanical connection that incorporates the tang, guard and handle material into one solid unit, all pulled forward into the guard shoulders.
(Personally, and don't hold this against me, but I just don't like compromising handle material laterally with pins and bolts. I also find them visually detracting from the handle material.)
I forged this down from heavy 5160 bar, gave it a differential heat treatment.
I really liked this Ironwood material for its drastic contrast! Lots of light brown and almost black.
Stainless steel contoured guard.
5 1/8" blade with a 4 7/8" handle.
Overall length of 10 inches.
I had hoped to finish this last night for my last knife of 2007, but it ended up being the first of 2008!
Thanks for letting me participate.
ih6-1.jpg
 
Excellent looking knife. Really like the way the handle curves and flows. I am interested in how you do your setup. Any chance you could do a drawing of the guard, pins and etc.
 
ib2v4u said:
Excellent looking knife. Really like the way the handle curves and flows. I am interested in how you do your setup. Any chance you could do a drawing of the guard, pins and etc.
Click to expand...

You're going to have to use your imagination just a little but here - you can do it!
Here are two pictures of one completely disassembled and one assembled.
That "ring" lookin' thing is a 3/8" stainless rod that is milled to leave an internal 5/16" "ledge" inside that catches the lip on the 5/16" pommel nut when it is threaded onto the tang. Get it?
This, then, pulls everything together into one homogenous unit with full integration of strength of blade, guard and handle material.
When I did my JS performance test with Don Hanson, my test bowie was assembled in the same way and the blade heat treated so as to require a 4 foot cheater bar to bend the blade. I did this to demonstrate the strength of the take-down assembly.
Now, in the one I just completed, I left out the 3/8" rod and drilled a hole only 5/16" in the handle material to match the diameter of the threaded pommel nut. The nut and alignment pins of the guard/handle material are the SAME!
Now, there is still a "ledge" in the bottom of this hole to catch the lip on the pommel nut! I mill a short 1/4" stainless sleeve to sit on this ledge to catch the lip on the pommel nut so that as I take this knife apart and reassemble during finishing steps, I am not wearing against the handle material! Get it? That sleeve protects the handle material from the pommel nut.
In this manner, I am able to COMPLELELY finish the knife and repeatedly re-assemble it into its final condition.
kw5-3.jpg


rl7.jpg
 
Thanks. Got it and it is an excellent method of assembly. My hat is off to you. Design, look, material and finish are all top of the line.
 
Excellent Karl :thumbup: :thumbup: Perfect in every way :thumbup: :thumbup:...... all of them !!

Thanks for " letting ?you? participate " :confused: Thanks for participating brother ;)
 
That is beautiful and a big thank you for taking the time to explain your assembly method. Looks wonderful.

Charlie
 
To my eyes, your knives are some of the best. That is an absolute 10/10 :thumbup:

I would like to see the sheath that comes with it? Must be a stunning combination!
 
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