Ken Erickson Knives: A Retrospective

Thanks for everyone's patience on this build. For many reasons I have not been in the shop as much as I would like.
But, did make some nice progress on the build the last few days. The direction this knife is headed as far as covers, cover treatment and a few others, should be interesting. :) The rooster comb budding/grafting blade has to the most unique blade to date I have ground and swedged.


 
Just got in and checked this thread.I smile each time I see Ken has added to it.I'm following this build very closely.:D
 
A couple personal interjections.Great explanation of the catch bit by Elliot and Ken.The width of the secondary blade( "rooster combs" in these knives) is necessarily smaller than the back spring for reasons they explained,thereby needing that spacer(catch bit) Elliot described.

I have seen at least one earlier version with a smaller width spey(used as the budding and grafting blade,which was prior to the "rooster comb",like the one Ken is building now) that had a tapered spring.

This is a Wester Bros,which has a smaller tang width spey blade than the pruner and has a taper of about .5mm or .6mm on the spey end back spring.I know machinists won't like me using the term "about",but I'm a bricklayer. My micrometer is plastic,given to me when I inspected for Hoogovens,a Dutch engineering company.
You can "barely" see ,through my poor scanning skills,the difference in the size of blades and of the back spring,but I micrometered "sp?" them. Notice the coining on the liners in the second scan,nice touch on a working knife:),along with the taper.Elegance and function in these.
taperedbackspringonWesterBros697.jpg

taperedbackspringonWesterBros699.jpg


A little about the jimping Sarah referred to on her Tina ,also on the one Ken's building,and the "rooster combs" .By the way,Tina(German company)still makes horticultural knives similar to Sarah's,some with horn handles that cost over $200!! Tina's are quality.

The jimping is a thumb rest ,to give you grip,while using the top knot to open the bark in grafting.This bulge on the top of the blade(not the sharp side,it's DULL for a reason) was called a bark loosener by Schrade,called a bark lifter by Tina.This exert is from a Schrade 1936 catalog page,but I have seen a cut of a Cammillus Sword Brand rooster comb in a 1928 Michigan Hdwe. catalog.If anyone has any earlier confirmation ,I would appreciate the information.
SchradecatalogEsupp1936408.jpg
 
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Some really nice information Lyle! It is always interesting to learn WHY a certain blade profile/feature is incorporated on a knife.
 
This might be a good time after Lyle's post showing the flat sides of each blade. From a makers standpoint the flat sides are facing each other, making the grinds and fitting that much harder! It cuts down on the available space for the two blades to nest. If you look at the pruning blade you will see that not only is the blade offset ground, but also "crinked" outward toward the mark side. Just the opposite on the budding/grafting blade. When studying the vintage examples that Lyle sent a interesting observation was made. A few of the frames are "bent" outward to accommodate both blades.



 
For those who haven't seen this before,from Schrade's 1932 catalog,an explanation of the reason for a flat blade.
Schradesnewflatblds387.jpg
 
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Wonderful stuff, Ken & Lyle. :thumbup:

For anyone interested, here is a video of a rooster-comb grafting/budding blade in action:

[video=youtube;TQgVFq-7kEs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQgVFq-7kEs[/video]

A dedicated (one-blade) knife makes its appearance after the 1:30 mark, with a demonstration of its use soon following. (Thanks to sitflyer for previously discovering this footage.)

~ P.
 
I was hoping Sarah would see this,I knew she could find this video a lot easier than me. Thanks Sarah and sitflyer and Ken.
 
Great info Sarah, Lyle and Ken. I agree about the swedging. Ken must have a steady hand and good grip!

Ken, I know you've taken on some complex patterns, where does this one rank in the degree of difficulty?
 
Mike, I have made more than a few single spring catch bit knives but this one has a higher degree of complexity. The grinds with flat sides adds that extra degree. I must say the knife that comes to mind as to degree of difficulty was the locking humpback whittler. I built that knife with no pattern or example in hand.
 
ken erickson said:
I have made more than a few single spring catch bit knives but this one has a higher degree of complexity. The grinds with flat sides adds that extra degree. I must say the knife that comes to mind as to degree of difficulty was the locking humpback whittler. I built that knife with no pattern or example in hand.
Click to expand...

And built it on a dare! ;) :thumbup: (I still smile when I think about the shock I experienced when I first laid eyes on it.)
 
Had a chance to finish up the FJ today. My shop time has been limited this summer. Lyle showed me a vintage example of a fancy prunner marked Saynor with fine cut checkering in ivory. Well , here we go, it was a change up for sure, but in hand the knife looks good and feels good. I added fancy bolster treatment along with a coined well side liners. Both Lyle and I envisioned this is how the Sheffield cutlers would have made this knife in an exhibition grade. I hope I was able to meet Lyle's expectations.






 
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Wow Ken! That's a Masterpiece! Any Sheffield cutler would have been proud of that one.
 
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