TL;DR: I collaborated with a knifemaker to make a custom. It was fun.
Sometime in October last year, I decided to stop searching for my ideal knife and just design one instead. During the summer prior, I worked on a deck-building project in which I used a different one of my knives each day. That has allowed my to figure out exactly what I needed a knife to do: cut, scrape, and pry. It was my first time designing a knife, so I stuck to simple, proven designs, and I sought help from more experienced individuals. My public design thread can be found here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1116340
After getting close to a final design, Tim Johnson of Blackstone Knife & Tool offered to help me bring it to life.
Since I am an engineering student and Tim is a machinist, 3D-models and drawings were bread and butter in the beginning of this project.
After a few back-and-forth emails, we decided to use CPM-3V. Tim then went to work and kept me update with each step.
Rough-shaping and main bevel grind:
Polishing and skeletonizing:
At this stage, I was really curious to see if I can finish the knife myself. So, I paid Tim for the work already done and had him send the workpiece to me. From this point, there were only a few steps left: rounding/polishing, heat treating, and creating the edge. Just this past week, I finally got around to working on it and sending it to Peters' Heat Treating - great company, by the way. The knife comes back at HRC 60 with a nice, thin, maroon layer of oxidation that is quickly removed with Scotchbrite, WD-40, and elbow grease.
Now is time for the fun part: taking the 0.020" edge down to shaving sharp. Manually. With an aluminum oxide stone.
Two hours and a clogged stone later, I have my first custom-collaboration.
Now I'm sitting here with bald patches on my forearm, paper shreds in my trash can, and a proud smile on my face
If you are thinking of trying something similar, go for it. It is quite fun and rewarding.
Sometime in October last year, I decided to stop searching for my ideal knife and just design one instead. During the summer prior, I worked on a deck-building project in which I used a different one of my knives each day. That has allowed my to figure out exactly what I needed a knife to do: cut, scrape, and pry. It was my first time designing a knife, so I stuck to simple, proven designs, and I sought help from more experienced individuals. My public design thread can be found here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1116340
After getting close to a final design, Tim Johnson of Blackstone Knife & Tool offered to help me bring it to life.
Since I am an engineering student and Tim is a machinist, 3D-models and drawings were bread and butter in the beginning of this project.
After a few back-and-forth emails, we decided to use CPM-3V. Tim then went to work and kept me update with each step.
Rough-shaping and main bevel grind:
Polishing and skeletonizing:
At this stage, I was really curious to see if I can finish the knife myself. So, I paid Tim for the work already done and had him send the workpiece to me. From this point, there were only a few steps left: rounding/polishing, heat treating, and creating the edge. Just this past week, I finally got around to working on it and sending it to Peters' Heat Treating - great company, by the way. The knife comes back at HRC 60 with a nice, thin, maroon layer of oxidation that is quickly removed with Scotchbrite, WD-40, and elbow grease.
Now is time for the fun part: taking the 0.020" edge down to shaving sharp. Manually. With an aluminum oxide stone.
Two hours and a clogged stone later, I have my first custom-collaboration.
Now I'm sitting here with bald patches on my forearm, paper shreds in my trash can, and a proud smile on my face
If you are thinking of trying something similar, go for it. It is quite fun and rewarding.
