Jason S. Carter Christmas Knife

Big Smitty

Big Smitty

Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
509
I just recieved my Christmas Exchange Knife today. Jason sent it on time and it should have been here well before Christmas. I was in the process of moving and the post office did not forward it properly. Thanks for resending Jason!

The knife was hand forged. It was forged from a stick of 5/8's 1070 round spring stock. This is the 13th Jason has made and the 1st with a guard. The handle is Colorado Elk main beam. The guard , pin, and butt cap, are all copper as you can see and they have a hand peened finish.

This knife is awesome! I do only stock removal and this is the first forged knife I have ever held and it is the first knife I have ever owned with an elk handle. The style and workmanship of this knife are beautiful and true to the period it represents. Thanks so much Jason, I will always cherish this knife!

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I'm glad you like it Paul. I was taught to forge period style by Jeff Davis of Kokomo Indiana. He taught me much and I'm still learning from him. He used to post over here a few years ago. He does an awful lot of hawks and period knives for french and indian/ civil war reinactors and reandevouxes.
 
Here is what Jason wrote to me indicating how he makes his mark on the blade:

The maker's mark is etched in the “Strong Water” technique, basically I clean the blade with isoproply alcohol, then write it on in a fine tip sharpie, and let it set overnight in white vinegar, take it out and give it a light buff to bring back the shine. The sharpie protects the steel underneath it and the acid eats very uniformaly around it.

I'm sure Jason will be along to elaborate.
 
Not a whole lot to elaborate on. it's a very basic strong water technique I stumbled upon. The way Big Smitty said is exactly how I do it.the blade must be clean and no fingerprints or that will etch in to. (that would be a heckuva makers mark though wouldnt it!)
 
You have a good pic of the mark? I've been experimenting with the same thing, using mustard and a sharpie. I've not been leaving anything near overnight, just an hour or so at a time. My results have been too subtle, as in you REALLY have to look to even notice it's there.
 
Very nice period knife, should serve anyone very well.

I used to mark my early blades in a similar but opposite method. I'd use fingernail polish as a resist and write my name with an awl and etch. It'd etch my initials and any pinhole in the polish :D
 
Very nice looking piece. Since I specialize in frontier style knives I am particularly drawn in this type of knife.
 
Thanx Mr Cohea! I took a look at your knives on your sight they are amazing! Especially that M.O.D. folder

JFK96a: Try the white vinegar and concentrate lemon juice in a 50/50 mix 8-10 hours and then wash & wipe clean, buff with 0000 steel wool, or gray buffing compound.
Another vinegar trick is to "Brass" the steel is to use a brass wire wheel to clean it off with after soaking. The brass interacts with the acid and leaves a dull gold finish on the steel!

here's a few others I've done with my shapie and vinegar method: They're both stock removal fom Starrett M4 full hard power hacksaw blades. .070" thick

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Thanks Jason. That is a pretty cool etching method you use. I'll have to give that a try myself someday.
 
It's definanlty something out of the ordinary isn't it Will, I bet the crowds reaction is pure dumbfoundness! I stumbled across it when i was rebuilding an old browne and sharpe milling vice I left the swival nuts over night in the vinegar to clean the rust off them. The next day I took a brass brush to them and turned my nuts gold! :D :eek:

Jason
 
Jason,

I'm going to lift that technique from you and start using it. Thanks for the info.

Taylor
 
Years ago some people used rub on letters as a resist then etched in ferric chloride...You can also use the scrapbooking rubber stamps to resist with,permanate ink so it stays on in the etch and just think of all the cool designs and borders they have at the craft store in these rubber stamps,great for those of use that cant draw all the fncy scrolls freehand....here is another thing to try also.do one desin then etch for just a little while then comeback with another design (without removing the first resist) and then etch again,and then just keep going till you get a pretty picture on your knife...Tape can be used as a resist also,just make sure it doesent have any air bubles or loose spots.

Bruce
 
thanx for the tip Bruce! I hadn't thought of the multi etch idea. I had thought of the rubber stamp idea, my best friends wife is a "Stampin Up" dealer and I'm going to have her order me a custom rubber stamp to do just that!
 
JasonSCarter said:
It's definanlty something out of the ordinary isn't it Will, I bet the crowds reaction is pure dumbfoundness! I stumbled across it when i was rebuilding an old browne and sharpe milling vice I left the swival nuts over night in the vinegar to clean the rust off them. The next day I took a brass brush to them and turned my nuts gold! :D :eek:

Jason
Click to expand...

You're a better man than I using a brass brush to turn your nuts gold :eek: :rolleyes:
 
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