Kardas -- Poboy style (4 pics)

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Here is my newest efforts. I did both kardas from one large file so, I'm still under five dollars for all three file knives ($3 epoxy, 2 x $1 files). I purchased some scrap leather (veg tanned) from e-bay yesterday, so scabbards will be coming soon and are the most expensive part ($14 shipped for 2 lb of 6-10 oz scraps). I've gotta get some rivets, but I think I can find those. May even have them at a craft store or hardware store.

Anyway here are my Kardas. I'm going to make Chakmas to match each. The Chakma will have straight sides and will remain hardened. The handle materials are teak and purpleheart. This is my first time working with purpleheart, and I like it a lot. There is a fiery bright red patch in on the front of the handle that is gorgeous. Gotta get more of this stuff. I've had a small stick of it on my woodrack for ages, and just haven't gotten around to using it till now. Hard as hell, tightly grained and beautiful.









 
Kis, Thanks for the compliment. I have been machining metal at work for four years. And I use tools even more at home in my woodshop. Still a long way to go with the grinding skills. I'll take some pics of Sarge's knives next to mine and you'll see.

PS. I love your sheath pictured in the Thanks Kis thread. I'm totaly new with leather. Mine probably won't be that good.
 
Looking good Andy, looking real good, told you you'd be putting me to shame in no time. Now that you've got a good handle, pardon the pun, on stick tang knives, you might want to try a full tang slab scale handle, i.e. "chiruwa style". Piece of cake, you just draw the temper from the handle part using the wet rag/torch technique (otherwise you won't be able to drill your rivet holes). Saw out a couple slabs of rosewood, curly maple, etc., and epoxy them on. Once the epoxy sets you can drill straight through the whole deal to place your rivets (slick way to keep everything lined up right eh?). For the rivets, I use 1/8" diameter brass rod, cut 'em so just a skosh (1/16-3/32") is sticking out on both sides, and then peen the rivet down flush using a hammer and anvil. If that sounds too tricky, just file a series of shallow notches in the center area of your pins (ain't rivets if they ain't riveted) to hold the glue, and epoxy them in place. I prefer to rivet, not that I don't trust epoxy, just like the extra insurance of a true mechanical fastening.

An eight inch file will make a good steak knife size, a 10 inch file a good kitchen knife. I crank out a lot simple, what I call standard pattern, knives in those sizes, and my friends who are hunters absolutely love the little 4" blade "steak knives". One of 'em told me he skinned and dressed three good size hogs with his on a big game ranch here in Texas. I believe him too, I watched him one day skin and dress two "barbecue" goats with nothing but an old three blade stockman.

Anyhow, just to put ideas in your head, here's a batch of my standard pattern knives. They ain't pretty, but pretty don't cut.

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git 'r done
Sarge
 
Beautiful work Andy.

This is a knife thread, and I don't want to see this thread swept away in a cleanup so I'll move it to the main HI forum.
 
Gotta make the chakmas first. Thats what I'm doing today. The teak set is for my 18" GRS, and the purpleheart set is for my beloved FF that is still in the matrix somewhere. No hurry, so don't warn me. They'll be waiting when she arrives.

For the chakmas I'm grinding off the file teeth and leaving the sides straight just slightly rounded over. Easy as pie. Most of the work is in the handles.

I've been softening the tangs of all the knives and drilling a couple of holes at the bottom and filling them with epoxy too. Just to make it that much more a bitch to take my stuff apart and see how its done.

Thanks for the compliments guys.
 
:thumbup: Fine work Andy, you've really taken to the knife making thing.
If Sarge gets you into pounding them out with a hammer here is an excellent E-book I found the other day. It's about Basic Blacksmithing; even shows you how to make your own goat skin bellows (might want to ask Sarge to hold on to one from the next barbecue:) )
Regards,
Greg
 
Great job, especially for your first three knives. I'm very impressed with your fit, and tackling a recurve on such a small knife definitely is not easy.

Matt
 
Man yea that recurve was farustrating as hell! Thanks guys. I'm grinding the teeth off of the files for the chakmas now. Already ground the tangs. I can feel my FF in my grip now!
 
Ripper If Sarge gets you into pounding them out with a hammer [/QUOTE said:
Danger, danger, young Jedi, hammering hot steel is habit forming and will give you arms like Popeye. ;)

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Sarge
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WOW!!!! And I thought I liked your file knives. I want to learn that too. For sure. Good thing about these file knives is that I've done them all at work. I set off a test, then during the 15 minutes it takes I work on knives. Then I repeat the process. This gives me 50 minutes out of every hour to work on knives. Plus they have a mill machine. I'd have to build a forge at home and then it would be a weekend thing. I'd like some forge plans though if anyone has some. Simple would be best to match my mind.
 
Sarge, that top knife is AWESOME! It's really pushing my buttons :).

Andy, I'll send you some pics of my forge when in the next week or so...in the middle of exams. I'll also do a step by step on a big bowie from forging, grinding, hamon heat treating, guard, and handle. That should set you in the right direction.
 
Thanks Longrifle!


What kind of equipment is necessary to make a forge? How much space does it take up. How much $$$$ is necessary? Where do you get your steel????????????????????????????????????

Seems like a lot of ?
 
Andy, you can build a forge without tools...well almost. Go to a local sheet metal shop and have them roll a drum of 10ga black iron (mine was ~$50), kao wool ($30 or less call some local kiln or fireplace stores or buy it on ebay), black iron for the burner ($10 at the most), hair dryer (easiest blower possible), propane tank and fittings (the most expensive of the bunch).

My forge takes up two square feet, maybe a little more with the burner assembly installed. I used to store the forge inside in the basement and take it outside when I forged, it was cumbersome and dirty but manageable.

I buy my steel from www.toolanddie.com and buy other, more rare, steels from a supplier here in Ohio. Admiral, Kelly Couples, Ray Kirk, Darren Ellis, Pop, Uncle Al, Swains Spring, and MANY others carry plenty of steel.

A good anvil is harder to find and can become very expensive, that applies to power hammers, presses, fly presses, etc. Some of my forging hammers were very expensive, but not necessary.

Hopefully that helps. Feel free to call me after next week ;) and I'll give you the run down.
 
Thanks Matt, I'm glad you like it :D

Uh, Andy, those are old files, they've just been forged instead of stock removal. By the way, your description of your workplace explains a lot, kind of figured you knew your way around a shop. Most folks struggle a bit on their first attempts at grinding, but you took to it like a duck to water, especially knocking out those tricky recurves. Keep up the good work, and don't worry if you get too many knives piling up, they make great gifts for friends and family.

Sarge
 
Sarge,
I like all our work. but that top knife might just have to be my new favorite:thumbup:

Andy,
Here are some links to forge building tutorials/information. Some are not very difficult at all: Forges

...and while you are making chakmas, you might want to knock out one of Sarge's "Keychain Chakmas".:)

Regards,
Greg
 
Won't be long until Andy has "Knifemaker" after his name it appears.;) :cool:
It is indeed evident that Andy knows his way around a shop.:thumbup: :D
It won't be long until Andy's grinds, angles, and radii are nice and symetrical just like a masters, they're already pretty dayumed good...;) :D
 
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