Knife Game

This is an awesome thread, and idea.

Question: The bakelite being vintage stuff, is there any shelf-life to the integrity of the material? ..not the same, but i know a lot of stories of old celluloid knives which suddenly begin a process of rapid decompostion, giving off fumes and melting/ boiling, whatever you might call it.. after decades of being solid and fine.

My only question, is this stuff you guys are using a stable material?
David

..i tnink i got my answer, thanks to google. http://www.celluloidforever.com/BakeliteorCelluloid.html

there is mention of asbestos.. just a caution.

Have fun! Lookin forward to see what happens here.
 
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As far as I know.
Look at it this way, it spent many, many decades in the basement of a building being used as the "mounting board" for a series of fuse boxes.
I think it's had plenty of time and opportunity to decompose if it wanted to. Since I've had it, I've made numerous knives from it and it's composition is consistant from outer skin to full depth interior material.
I think if it was going to deteriorate any, it would have done it by now.
 
A few more "action" pics:

With "The Sisters":
kbasteel1-1.jpg



Tweaking my forging from the 500:
kbasteel2-1.jpg


Just a happy Bladesmith!!
kbasteel3-1.jpg
 
Karl,
How did you get all that heavy machinery out to the ranch out there?
David

..edited, some reason i was thinking Alaska. ? not sure where i came up with that notion.

Great photos Karl. This looks like you're having a lot of fun with it.

Do you prefer having a clean slate to work with?

One of the differences w/ natural materials, i would guess, sometimes the material gives clues as to form/proportions or helps guide your ideas , like horn or stag. The curves, for example. What do you think, I'm interested to hear how your approach is different, if it is, with a uniform medium. Do you work more "off a pattern" in this case?
David
 
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When you're dealing with a piece of material like a stag carver or a walrus tusk, the creative process is a bit different - you have to design a blade that fits the handle material - it's shape, contours and dimensions. When you're dealing with a synthetic material - or a natural one that comes in a large enough sizes - (like wood) you can design whatever handle shape you want.

Roger
 
2knife said:
.........Do you prefer having a clean slate to work with?
What do you think, I'm interested to hear how your approach is different, if it is, with a uniform medium. Do you work more "off a pattern" in this case?
David
Click to expand...

I don't really prefer one process to the other.
I do like the creative freedom of a clean slate to work with, yet, at the same time, I enjoy the creativity necessary to match the knife blade to the material.
I just like makin' knives - period.
 
Well, I've made a start on my end of the project - just back from a weekend at Dan Farr's, in the company of Matt Gregory. Here's a photo update.

Below we see the knife I had sketched out for my project piece. Since the knives I have made to date have either been BIG or small, I decided on the Goldilocks approach and sought the happy medium. Perched on the sketch are the squished-down end of a massive bar of 5160 that would have served well for a broad sword, together with the yet-to-be-squished brick of wrought iron:

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I decided that I had better forge out two blades so that I could have one as a backup in the event of a terminal screwup. Alternating between good old arm power:

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And a good old power hammer:

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helped preserve my skinny little spaghetti arms.

My knife-making excursions always come with diversions - and hence, so do my in-progress reports.

A long walk in the woods provides a welcome break:

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And a throwing hawk that Matt Gregory forged out provided some excellent entertainment. This thing was ridiculously easy to throw. I could chuck it in the general direction of a tree and it would stick more often than not.

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Returning to work, the knives come out of their liquid nitro nap:

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And I wasn't the only one working. Here is a TOO COOL and wicked sharp piece of hollow ground, poweder coated and I-beam handled piece of D2 that Matt turned out on the weekend:

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And finally, my project blade after finish grinding. If you think the blade looks longer than the sketch suggests, you are correct - my big-knife bias is deeply engrained in my subconscious and emerges whenever I hit the forge as I inevitably pound out a larger piece than I planned.

orig.jpg


Thanks to Dan and Matt for another great forging weekend!

The guard and handle will come when I can next get to Dan's - hopefully before the snow flies.

Roger
 
Great stuff! Glad to see this thread up again. Wonderful photo coverage. And, larger is usually good!

- Joe
 
I really LOVE that sketch, Roger! That is sweet.
Is that one of Dan's fingerprints on there? He didn't touch that, did he?
 
Roger,

That's an awsome grinding job, and a "stand-up" grind line. You're gonna have to give me lessons!

John
 
Great stuff Roger. I had forgotten about this thread. Hope to see more. That throwing hawk looks like fun and that D2 blade is awesome.

Peter
 
Roger, you are going to a really great knifemaker one day.

FYI, I know a lawyer who is one of the worlds best gunsmiths, hamilton Bowen, Bowen Classic Arms. Google him to see what a crafty lawyer can do :)

Cool, eh?
 
Bladeandbarrel said:
Roger, you are going to a really great knifemaker one day...I know a lawyer who is one of the worlds best gunsmiths, hamilton Bowen, Bowen Classic Arms.
Click to expand...

I've been saving my pennies with the goal of having Bowen trick out my .44 mag single six one day (hopefully soon), but I didn't know he was a lawyer too. What an awesome pair that would be - Six gun by Bowen, Bowie by Pinnock - I guess I better start setting aside some more money.

Roger, you do great work and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Please let us know when you're going to start taking names for your list.

Scott

P.S. - Don't even imagine that I'm kidding, because I'm not.
 
Thanks gents - I do appreciate the encouragement.

Karl - Dan didn't get his fingerprints on the sketch - but he did nearly set it on fire when he took my near-completed blade out of the forge and held it over the sketch to compare.

John - thanks - I still feel like I suck at grinding, though I am getting more comfortable with it. I will say that the other blade didn't turn out nearly so well :o - which was the whole idea behind having two. I'll still finish it out and make a working knife for myself, though.

Scott - just remember to order a blade 2" smaller than what you actually want. :p

Roger
 
I guess by "finger prints" I meant that Dan isn't supposed to be doing any of your work for you!
Just maybe looking over your shoulder.
 
I actually got my material out yesterday and have been mulling it over. Coincidence?:)

Lookin good Roger. Nice design.:thumbup: I understand the tendancy to want to make the big blades. The materials just beg for it. :) Lin
 
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