Ironwood Utility

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EdgarFigaro

Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
186
Here's my latest completed.
Work bench is currently covered with blades, so if I stay at it I should be finishing up a few over the next bit.

Blade : Coil Spring (5160) - 3 3/8"
Guard and Pin : 416 Stainless.
Handle : Ironwood
Overall length : 7"

Blade was forged out a while back, fairly certain it's one I'd done from some coil spring.
It's fairly small...and ended up as more of a three finger utility knife or maybe a skinner.
First time to really use ironwood, I'd bought some small scales off ebay a while back and decided one of them would be great for this knife.
Had the great idea of using my router table I'd built not long ago to route out the mortise, worked great ont he oak scrap block. On the ironwood it just ripped the corner off. So I just clamped the scales together in my drillpress vise and drilled it out, which worked great. Little clean up with a chisel, also dovetailed the mortise slightly with the chisel as well to help glue hold.
All in all I'm happy with how it turned out. Just going to have to practice at getting a nice transition between the guard and handle material where your forefinger rests. Little more difficult with minimal tooling. Open to suggestions on how others do that part.

After heat treat I'd gone back over the blade on my sander with a belt to clean the blade up as well as tune the lines a bit more. Blade was nearly sharp after that and the hand sanding. Few licks on my whetstones and the damn thing is nice and quite sharp. Blade has a strong distal taper going as well.

Comments?
Photos hosted on photobucket, couple other pictures as well

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v636/Lockecole81/Ironwood Utility/

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Beau Erwin
 
I think it would have looked better with a bit more curve to the edge. To me it looks too angular. Otherwise, I think it looks very good.
 
I really like it, very nice work!

If you're looking for critique, all I could suggest is that it seems a tad bit "short-bladed" or "handle heavy." I'm guessing at 7" overall it could use a little more blade rather than less handle. It may even be that the blade could simply have more belly instead of greater length (I tend to think of skinning chores first in these sized knives, but you may have very good reasons for wanting this blade shape.)

The only other minor suggestion is that the guard could be smaller --- not so much shorter, but less wide. Not sure if I said that right, but looking along the length of the knife, there seems to be a little too much stainless --- seems like the first thing I see is the guard. I'd rather see the pretty forged blade first, then the beautiful ironwood, and then finally the guard.

But those are VERY minimal comments. I'd be proud to own a little hunter like that :thumbup:
 
Well the blade was mainly the first part that was created. I tend to just forge my blades and see where I end up. Where you say more curve to the edge...well can you explain a bit more, or show an example?

I was kind of going for an angles and curves look.

I do have another rough forged blade along the same style that is a bit longer.

As for the guard, are you referring to the thickness of the area between blade and handle or how far the bottom edge of the guard sticks down? If it's the thickness, then maybe I should get some thinner stock next time I order some. I'd just gotten the one size.

The pin was gonna be smaller as well, but I grabbed the wrong bit for my 1/8 pin stock...so went to the next size up I had =P

I need to take a "in-hand" picture as well.
 
EdgarFigaro said:
Well the blade was mainly the first part that was created. I tend to just forge my blades and see where I end up. Where you say more curve to the edge...well can you explain a bit more, or show an example?

I was kind of going for an angles and curves look.

I do have another rough forged blade along the same style that is a bit longer.

As for the guard, are you referring to the thickness of the area between blade and handle or how far the bottom edge of the guard sticks down? If it's the thickness, then maybe I should get some thinner stock next time I order some. I'd just gotten the one size.

The pin was gonna be smaller as well, but I grabbed the wrong bit for my 1/8 pin stock...so went to the next size up I had =P

I need to take a "in-hand" picture as well.
Click to expand...

I was thinking more belly in the blade, or a wider blade from spine to edge... Here's a knife in the maker's for sale area that has lots of "belly." http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=573677

Pertaining to the guard -- I was definitely referring to "the thickness of the area between the blade and the handle," not how far it sticks down ( i personally love a substantial guard on a small knife.) I was making a statement not pertaining to the functionality of the guard, but to the aesthetics of the guard. It just seems a tad bit "thick" for that sized knife.

But seriously, it's a minor detail and I think it's a beauty :thumbup:
 
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I'll have to make a note of getting some thinner stock for guards then =]
Might be a good idea to try it out. On smaller blades it probably would look better.


Thanks for the compliments guys.
 
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