Kerry Hampton Knives

[Will Power]

A beautiful Swayback that any connoisseur would be delighted to have in their collection Really impressed. Just shows that a man with humour can also make very serious knives

Thanks, Will

 

[KnifeHead]

I'm still making smiles Finished this one last week and it's already making wood chips: 3 1/4" SBJ in green canvas stuff, A2, and no etch (WTF!) Bonus pic of the George Strunk Male Wood Duck decoy.

 

[Blues]

Sweet knife, Kerry.

I have a couple of George's beautiful decoys on the coffee table in the living room. Traded a nice knife for them many years back.

 

[LastRodeo]

I finished this little guy this morning, 3 1/4" Jigged Bone Bose Swayback Jack shadow. I love these small Swaybacks.

Stats:
3 1/4" closed
Blade and spring steel is 154CM, 3/32" thickness
Blade Rockwell hardness 60-61
Blade edge thickness is .011"
KH dyed and jigged bone scales

View attachment 2123889View attachment 2123890View attachment 2123891View attachment 2123892View attachment 2123893View attachment 2123894

That there is the perfect knife, in my opinion.

 

[Blues]

Kerry quacks me up...

 

[KnifeHead]

Kerry quacks me up...

Beautiful ducks. I have several pairs and need to get them out on the water for some realistic shots.

 

[JB in SC]

Beautiful ducks. I have several pairs and need to get them out on the water for some realistic shots.

Tungsten #6’s work great

 

[prairie.dog]

I've admired Kerry's work for a while now. Recently whittled the knife collection down to almost nothing in anticipation of a couple of customs, but still needed something nice to carry while I wait. Couldn't believe my luck when this old one turned up Absolutely enamored with this little guy! Incredible work, KnifeHead , my friend, this has been a true joy to carry daily.

 

[Mike Robuck]

I don't know if I would characterize Kerry as a "little guy" but that's a nice looking knife!

 

[sextant]

What a beauty! I would kerry ist too

 

[KnifeHead]

My all around fav for pocket carry has to be either that small, 2-blade SBJ or the Eureka. Those with extension springs are sweet pocket pals.

 

[KnifeHead]

This retirement gig is going pretty well except for the part where the little women thought I should get out of the shop now and then and got me a gift card from a local golf pro shop. Way to go and screw all my knife pals plans on getting a knife from me quick like. Anyway, it's getting cold now and that is knife making time. I have been cutting out parts and heat treating so you will be seeing some coming up in the coming weeks.

Here we go, first Bose BackPocket I have made in a long while and first one out of my shop. 4.5", etched A2, premium stag, already sold, yada yada... you know the stuff.

 

[waynorth]

Here we go, first Bose BackPocket I have made in a long while and first one out of my shop. 4.5", etched A2, premium stag, already sold, yada yada... you know the stuff.

Very sweet Mr. Head!!!
Nice to see you wielding the tools again!!
That golf business is a bad, expensive habit!!

 

[Will Power]

May it be a long cold winter

And if it isn't, I'm ordering missile strikes on that golf-course

Fantastic work emerging, keep us informed this is the real knife-porn

 

[KnifeHead]

May it be a long cold winter

And if it isn't, I'm ordering missile strikes on that golf-course

Fantastic work emerging, keep us informed this is the real knife-porn

...Will Power, it's now or never. You will be informed.

 

[prairie.dog]

Stunner, Kerry! Everything just looks right on that one!

 

[black mamba]

You still got it, Head, so keep flaunting it!

 

[KnifeHead]

I have a knack or gift, if you will, at taking a simple task and making it more difficult. In terms of making traditional knives with the stock removal method, a fixed blade is a simple thing to make. Cut it out, clean it up, grind away every thing that doesn't look like a knife, stick some handle material on the sides, yada yada yada, yackity schmackity, and VIOLA!...you have a knife.

I like carbon steel. I like 52100. This stuff really gets a glassy, sharp edge when polished. The one thing about it, though, is it has a tendency to warp and pit, or at least it does when I HT it. But, I like the steel so I made this one out of 52100...and it warped and pitted a wee bit. I set it aside after HT and worked on other things. It was hanging around on my bench and I picked it up and looked at it from time to time but I just didn't have the gumption to SEE IF I could make something good out of this thing.

The air quench steels spoil a fella. They generally emerge from the heat treating process dead flat due to the fact that I use a plate quenching process. Apparently I just needed to warm up to the idea of working with this POS (I had bad thoughts about it) and what could I do with a torch and creative tensioning (sounds better than bending). Most of the warp was in the handle and that was relatively easy to straighten. I decided I would work out any other deviation in the tang by tapering it on the grinder. The blade half would get corrected in finish grinding because it was slight. That wasn't so bad now was it?

The pits. What can I do with the pits? Etch it dumba$$! That's a money move right there, and I love patina, if you haven't noticed. It wasn't badly pitted and it's just a little bit more character.

Overall I am happy with how this one turned out but it is more work to use 52100. That said, I am not going to stop using it. I really like the stuff. Here are the stats: 8.25" Bose Drop Point Hunter, 1/8" 52100 blade w/tapered tang, brown canvas micarta covers

 

[black mamba]

Beauty, Head, you still got it!

 

[KnifeHead]

3.25" Stag Swayback Jack single blade barehead, 154CM blade and spring, "as ground" 220grit and Scotchbrite finish, satin finished fluted bolsters and swingin thangys shield .