just heat treated a couple blades, thinking about handle ideas

hathegkla

hathegkla

Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
201
stabby.jpg

lessstaby.jpg

not exactly my first knife but these are the first couple I've really intended on finishing and the first real ones I've made with my new grinder and jigs I've made. so far I've spent more time playing around with heat treatment and forging.

I just heat treated them and am going to finish both tomorrow, I'm bringing in the bevels a degree or 2 and cleaning up the plunge and tips, polishing etc.

the bottom hole on both will be a 1/4" thong tube (flared on both ends), the pins will be peaned 3/16th brass rod. I have some brass plate for thin bolsters on each and a pommel for the big one. I've got to pick some wood to use for the handles though, so let me know what you think.

my choices are, Bacote, african Ebony and Purple Heart, I'm thinking of using Purple heart on the small one but haven't decicded, I messed up the pin placement pretty bad, I don't have a drill press and walked my drillbit all over the place.

for reference,
Bacote
bacote_title.jpg


Purple Heart
purpleheartlrg.gif


Ebony
africanebony.jpg
 
yeah I just work with plastics for a living, I wanted to use something more natural.
I already know how to work plastics, this is more for experience than anything else.
 
Hathegkla,
Try this if you haven’t already http://www.rockler.com/retail/index.cfm?store=25 it might expand your options. If you go there look also look at their turning blanks for good slab size pieces. I’m working a good piece of cocobolo for a chopper that I got at their store locally.
Ebony is good but very hard but try to wear a respirator.
Good luck,
Ray
Also a cheap harbor freight drill press ($49 in today’s add) and some sanding drums (for it) make handle work immensely easier.
 
I order wood extensively from bellforest products and have had great success. I used to be of the opinion that wood should be bought in person, but I gave them a try and it worked great.

If you want wood, I would do a curly maple of some sort.
 
well the $50 drill press from harbor freight sounds like a winner to me, I'm gonna have to pick one of those up.

I think I'm definitely going to use Ebony for the small one, maybe for the big guy too since I have a pretty good sized hunk but I do like the bacote. the store I go to has a decent variety and a great scrap bin. the only problem is the really cool burl they sell comes in huge chunks.

if I end up finishing either of these today I'll post up some pix, I hope I don't mess em up too bad. but I can tell they already have a leg up on the ones in my scrap bin lol.
 
so, a minor setback...well actually 2, I ground off the tip of my finger with a 36 grit belt, I'm missing about 1/3rd of my fingernail :( then, almost immediately after stropping the edge I oiled the handle and while wiping off the oil with a rag I slipped and almost cut my finger off, idk what the hell I did but this knife is sharper than anything I've ever sharpened, it just tapped my finger but it cut about 1/4" in, I probably should have got stitches :rolleyes:

I'm actually not really happy with the way the handle turned out. I didn't make bolsters and I think it was a mistake. it looks really off without them (they would have been brass). I also chipped the wood at the top on both sides, in the same spot on the spine side (you can see this in the pic). its still a cool knife and I'm sure my brother will like it but I know I can do better. I think this knife really would have looked better with an olive drab micarta handle, lol you were right B. Davis :o I think it also could have used a fuller, idk but any criticism is welcome.

knive.jpg


and a pic of my bandaged hand, I guess the knife is cursed. I should etch a pentagram or a "666" into the blade before I give it to my brother, I'm sure he'd like that :D
012.jpg
 
I don't know that I would have chosen ebony. It looks like a steak knife on steroids. I think your right about the bolsters. Is your bacote the same as my bocote?

bocote.jpg
 
looks kinda similar, I'd actually have to take another look. mine isn't finished on the surface like that though, its a little bit more rough but has a similar grain pattern. and yeah, the ebony looks a little funny, but I think the bocote wouldn't have looked any better without bolsters.
I agree about the steak knife on steroids, its mostly the handle but the blade looks a little funny too imo, it just sorta happened, all I did was mark a line for the handle and free handed the rest of the profile. no worries, I have plenty more metal and belts to practice with. definitely gonna do bolsters next time.
 
The shape of the smaller one reminds me of 'trade knives' of the old. (the french ones, with the round butt on the handle)
I'd say go oldskool, forget the tube and go for something authentic like (black) walnut of maple and call it a period knife

knife_french.jpg
 
Looks good. Personally instead of bringing the handle so far up into the ricasso area. I think rounding it off where it narrows and gave it a bigger ricasso. Other than that I like it.
 
I agree with Fletch that you don't need the bolster. It just needed a more natural-looking termination on the front.

Also, use the uniformity of the ebony to bring out precise and highly polished contours. Ebony is almost completely without patterning, so any imperfection will stand out like a sore thumb (unlike bocote). On the plus side, it will also show off your contouring and attention to detail if you want it too. Ebony takes an incredible polish (I go to 8000x sandpaper) that is matched be few woods.

I suggest going back to the handle and smoothing out the contours and giving it a fine polish. You still have plenty of material to work with, and it only takes sandpaper and time.

Phillip
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top