Knife #11 Finished

Erin Burke

Erin Burke

KnifeMaker...ish
Joined
May 19, 2003
Messages
1,330
Hey folks,

I just finished Knife #11 over the weekend. There were a few firsts for me with this knife:

  • This is my first time working with Don Hanson's W2. It was quite a change after working with 1080 and 1095 bar stock from Kelly Cupples. Since I am currently only working in stock-removal, I had Don ship the steel to another fine gentleman who forged it down to bars for me (ranging from 1/8" to 1/4" thick). One thing that I noticed immediately upon drilling my first holes in this steel was that it needed to be annealed. I fried a couple of bits before I made that call :eek:. Once I had done a sub-critical anneal, it was great to work with. I feel, however, that I did not do this steel justice with my hamon... it seems a bit plain, so I think that I need to use significantly less clay next time.
  • This is my first knife where I installed rear bolsters as well. I kept the blade beefier on this knife, so the additional weight at the butt helped balance things out both physically and aesthetically. On a whim, I scalloped the rear bolsters for a crown-like effect.
Some Stats:
Length: 10-5/8"
Blade: 5-1/2" (tip to choil?)
Steel: Differentially heat-treated ~3/16" W2 (from Don Hanson) Flat-Ground
Handle: Stabilized and Dyed Spalted Maple with hidden pins
Bolsters(Front & Rear): 416ss w/ 416ss peened pins

4750567165_2a65d1ffae_b.jpg


I had a really tough time photographing this knife... I shot three different set-ups in my light-box and, believe-it-or-not, this is the best shot I could come up with. It was very frustrating. BTW, the artwork in the back was painted by my 2-year old daughter Zoe. :D

This knife is going to a friend from my church community group. He used to be an Army Ranger, so I'm hoping he'll appreciate the design.

Let me know what you think.

Erin
 
Thats really nice, quite angular and styled. The angles on the handle flow really nicely through to the blade.
 
I agree, very nice flow. The angular design is balanced by the smooth curves top and bottom.
 
WoW, That knife has style.

Beautiful blade,beautiful handle, the way the bottom part of the handle flows to the blade (choil?) excellent.

The concave treatment of the but bolsters is an elegant touch, I could go on and on can you tell I like this knife.

One thing that is very appealing to me is the use of very plain materials and absence of embellishment. Highlights your design and shows off your skill.

Paintings not bad either, I see a "black bird".

Thanks for posting
Mark Behnke
 
wowee that is really something special! one of the most elegant knives i have ever seen!
 
WOW... thanks for all the feedback. I have to tell you, I am a bit surprised by all of the positive comments on this one... considering I was a bit iffy on the design from the time I first layed it out on paper.
 
Erin Burke said:
WOW... thanks for all the feedback. I have to tell you, I am a bit surprised by all of the positive comments on this one... considering I was a bit iffy on the design from the time I first layed it out on paper.
Click to expand...

Don't be iffy.... just let your creativity folw. It is evident that you have a great sense of style and beauty. You absolutely nailed this knife. Looking forward to what it to come. :thumbup:
 
Great work, Erin. Stylish, sleek, and elegant. All of the things I like in a knife. Nice sheath too.
 
Salem Straub said:
Great work, Erin. Stylish, sleek, and elegant. All of the things I like in a knife. Nice sheath too.
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Thanks Salem. Hey, I'll be up in your neck of the woods this weekend. We're heading up to Lost Lake (near Bonapart) for the holiday. :thumbup::thumbup: Hopefully it doesn't rain up there like it has every other year on the 4th.
 
Very sleek new styled knife Erin. I'm proud of ya. Its beautiful. Fit and Finish is top quality too.
 
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