Knife from the forge test....

Raymond Richard

Raymond Richard

Joined
Jun 17, 2001
Messages
5,705
This is a rather large knife I've been working on and I still have somemore work to do on the blade but thought I'd go ahead and post a picture of it. 12" blade of 1065, wrought iron fittings and a curley maple handle. 18" total length.
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That maple looks great. It all does but I gravitated to the handle. Did you use a acid stain on the maple?? Real nice looking.

RL
 
RL, Most likly I'll never be able to duplicate the color of the handle. When I first tried the stain that I wanted to use I did a test on an unfinished piece of the same wood and was really pleased with the color but after I did the finish sanding on the handle and tried the stain it did hardly nothing plus I refinished the handle twice and I don't remember what I used but it was two different wood stains plus a cordovan leather dye. Finally came up with a color that I liked but the secret is lost....
 
Ray You did good. This one is a real classy bowie! I like the size and that handle is killer!
 
So, no acid stain(?). It really, in the picture, looks super classic. If the picture is true to what it really appears you really nailed it hard. That is an outstanding piece of finish work. Again, it all looks great but I just automatically caught on to the handle work. I respect it.

RL
 
That's a real beauty Ray. Is the pommel stacked? The rustic finish is outstanding. If I didn't make knives myself, I would be broke. Well broker.

Mark
 
Mark, The pommel is one solid piece, just filed.

Glad you guys like this one since it ate alot of time. I'll do more work on the blade next week, the hamon will be real visible then....
 
really, really nice, Ray! makes ya wanna go out and poke something with that long wicked-looking point. i likes mucho!!
 
Mike, Believe me I'm always the first to get poked when I do blades like this. There was a couple times I could visulize being impailed on it....
Hey honey, I'm stuck, can you give me a hand.....
 
The image of this knife had been lost a few different times of this knife but it appears to be back again. I went and forged three more blades of this type over the holiday, this one is now a medium. The one I did Sunday has a 16" blade.
 
WOW! That's a wicked big nasty looking badass of a bowie!!! :eek: :p
Yes, very good grip, but it's the ensemble which is really great!
 
Now that's one heck of a pig sticker! Realy awsome and you better hope the handle finish isn't lost, I can see more with that maple!:D
 
Great knife!!! Pictures of knives like this one is what keeps me going at the forge.

Well done Mr.Richard.

Tony
 
Beautiful knife. It reminds me of BEK's bowies. I live that slim design. I like the grip cap also. Really sets the handle off. Next time you should use acid as Rodger suggested. You can either buy it as Aquifortis or make it like I do.

1 part very strong nitric acit
3 parys distilled water.
add pieces of iron until it won't dissolve anymore.

paint it on the wood after it has been fuzzed a few times.
Let it sit until dry and pass a heated rod (very hot like red hot) over the wood. (or pass the wood over your wifes burner)

Like magic the grain gets very dark and the wood turns redd/brown. Do this until the color suits.
Wash with baking soda/water or lye and let it dry. Use whatever finish you want.

This really shows the grain of Maple.

I just bought another gallon of acid yesterday!
 
Peter, I've got some nitric acid so I'll give it a try. Not sure what you ment by fuzzed a few times. Is fuzzed slang for sanded? I've got a hot air gun, I'm sure that will do the trick for the heat. Does it penitrate deep into the wood? I'm guessing it really raises the grain, does it?
 
Sorry Raymond. Fuzzed means raising the grain. I do it several times then I don't have to dull the final staining. It is a pretty deep finish.

A lot of people do use a heat gun and it works but I do not use them on wood. I had a conversation with the former Gunsmith of Colonial Williamsburg a while back. We were discussing the beeswax finish I have been using. He told me that he had looked at wood under a microscope after heatgunning and was amazed. The dry blown heat from the gun destroyed the surface cells of the wood. This aids premature breakdown of the finish!
 
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