Knives 5 to 8 - Matching Camp Knives

go mike

go mike

Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
1,597
I was busy (and lazy) and didn't have a ton of time to make knives, but my father and I are going camping in Pokagon (Indiana state park right off the Michigan boarder) and I needed to make camp knives for the trip. I finally got them done. All they need is sheaths and a couple more coats of wipe-on poly.

I left the HR scale on them, because I wanted them to look like rugged knives, and now I won't be afraid to get any dirt on it ;)

Big things I learned:
• Handles are impossible to keep symmetrical
• That little scratch IS noticable
• Don't accidentally bump your finger against the HT'ing vice grips (2nd degree burn)
• I need a 2x72, or else those scratches on the blade are never coming out.
• Band saw blades will follow curls in the curly maple when you're cutting the scales, which makes gaps.

Here's the specs
Large camp knives:
6" Blade
10.5" Overall length
Steel: HR 1084
Handle material: Curly maple
Pins: 1/8" Brass

Small camp knives:
4" blade
8" Overall length
Steel: HR 1084
Handle material: Curly maple
Pins: 1/8" Brass

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I'm liking the curly maple!

Those look like some serious users, nice work!

BTW, Pokagon is a lot of fun during toboggan season:thumbup:
 
Great Job :thumbup: :D :eek: those handles look great!
Those scratches can come out by hand sanding, use a "guidecoat" of a blue or red magicmarker and crosshatch the blade from 220 - 400 you'll even & level it out this way. Then another 600+ grit wetsand lengthwise for the working finish.

Jason
 
Nice work. Those do look like rugged knives; I'm sure your father will be proud.

My bandsaw does that too. I have to feed hard wood like bocote at a 25 degree angle to get it to cut straight.
 
Thanks for all of the kind words, and Jason, I think I'll try that when I get back form camping.

fod said:
Pokagon is a lot of fun during toboggan season:thumbup:
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Yep, done that before. It was a blast.


Oh yeah, the handles were coated with 2 full coats of Minwax polyurethane, and followed by 4 coats of minwax wipe on poly. (See James, polyurethane DOES work on knives!!!)
 
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Good work Mike from me too. To cut the curly maple and a lot of other hard woods a shasrp band saw blade with the guides adjusted on your saw will really help to do a goog job. Frank
 
I just finished the Concealex sheaths for them. Pretty strange stuff to work with, but I think I like it!

I also made my dad a sheath for his hatchet with the scraps of the concealex (He lost the original one 10+ years ago) and he's really happy with it.

Just one more (heavy) coat of the wipe-on poly, and I'm off camping tomorrow!

The rivets are 1/4" nickel rivets, pressed with a hammer, because I don't have a setter for them.

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P.S. If I win Tracy's NWG plans, maybe he can see that my last post will say I'll be back on Friday. :D
 

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Just got back from camping, and I just wanted to post a little feedback about how (two of) these knives worked. On my way up, I met Phillip Patton, and he tested the hardness of the spine of a small knife, and it was 38. The rest of the knife seemed good though.

I cut through a log that was split in half, making it about a 2x5 of ash. The knife didn't have much edge wear afterwards, but there was just a little. I also had to use a scotch brite pad and buff the polish off of the large knife, because it didn't have a very good grip when swinging it.

Any task that I had to cut anything, I used one of the camp knives, and they worked well. Overall I'm happy with how they turned out, and I still really love the look of the curly maple.
 
Nice work, Mike.

On the next ones, take the scales, tape them together, and sand the part at the ricasso to a slight curve, instead of a straight line. It will look better and wear better. Sand and buff this end of the scales before you assemble the handle. The rest can be sanded and buffed after assembly, but the part at the ricasso needs to be done prior to assembly.
Stacy
 
One thing I eventually learned is that it's important to make yourself a decent sanding block. (You spend so much time sanding why not make it one less degree of terrible?) It takes time and money (in the form of sandpaper) to get scratches out sans-2x72 but it's worth it when you can see yourself in it :D

..I've got the 2x72 (coote) now but I don't polish on it. I've only now gotten to where I do more good than harm in getting all the low grit marks out, on the 2x72.

Stacy gave some really good advice, that'll make the scales look worlds better next time.
 
bladsmth said:
Nice work, Mike.

On the next ones, take the scales, tape them together, and sand the part at the ricasso to a slight curve, instead of a straight line. It will look better and wear better. Sand and buff this end of the scales before you assemble the handle. The rest can be sanded and buffed after assembly, but the part at the ricasso needs to be done prior to assembly.
Stacy
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Do you mean a curve like a the shape of "(" ? Or could you show me an example of one so I can understand what you are talking about?
 
Nice to meet you and your dad, Mike! You should have stopped in again on your way home.
 
Phillip Patton said:
Nice to meet you and your dad, Mike! You should have stopped in again on your way home.
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Ah, probably. At least next time we stop by we will remember it's RD., not AVE. :o:rolleyes:

bobbywett said:
Great job on those camp knives Mike, kinda reminds me of another well known makers style: http://www.mlknives.com/huntingbowiescamp.htm

You chose some nice curly maple for those knives Mike.....keep up the good work!:thumbup:
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Thanks, the curly maple was actually scrap pieces from cutting out blocks. When I cut them, I had quite a few blocks that were only 1.25 instead of 1.5, so I wouldn't be able to sell them, so I said, hey, I need camp knives!

(The knives are fairly similar, except his have forged scale stuff, and mine was just the hot rolled crap)
 
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