Making My Very First Knife; An Ulu Knife. (Story and Photos)

The final package with the counter-top stand is really nice. The choice of steel on your next knife should be the main thing to consider.
 
If you would like me to move this to Shop Talk, send me a PM or email. It would be more fitting and get more comments there.
 
Essentially you are a person that can make anything. I salute you!

The only bad thing about dogs is that they don't live long enough. I feel your pain.

Eric
 
I like it, and I like the story about your maker's mark too. Thanks for documenting the build.
 
Looks good. I envisioned a whole different approach from steel to grinding. Just shows there are many ways to get to the finish line. Great design and style.
 
Hello Barry - congrats on your ham license (KC1BIC), nice call.

You did a good job on documenting the Ulu build - good clear photos. Since the saw blade sharpened up nicely and holds an edge, sounds like it's as good a steel as you would wish, maybe L6. With saw blades you do have to be careful, not all are good knife steels.

Popular? maybe Popular is a different name for what we call Holly which is a white wood like you show. You are WAAAAY up in the "foreign" north country {g}. A popular wood here in the South isn't very white at all. When I think of a boat sole, I tend to think "teak 'n holly".

Great website - truly a man of many talents.

73 de Ken H> K9FV
 
Ken H> said:
Hello Barry - congrats on your ham license (KC1BIC), nice call.

You did a good job on documenting the Ulu build - good clear photos. Since the saw blade sharpened up nicely and holds an edge, sounds like it's as good a steel as you would wish, maybe L6. With saw blades you do have to be careful, not all are good knife steels.

Popular? maybe Popular is a different name for what we call Holly which is a white wood like you show. You are WAAAAY up in the "foreign" north country {g}. A popular wood here in the South isn't very white at all. When I think of a boat sole, I tend to think "teak 'n holly".

Great website - truly a man of many talents.

73 de Ken H> K9FV
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Hi Ken!

Thanks for your reply and compliments! Years ago, the cabin sole material that is used for the boats that I build WAS made out of "teak and holly"! But over the years, good clear holly had been hard for us to find, so we switched to poplar, (Not "popular"), as the "white wood" to contrast against the dark holly. At night, while making your way down below decks, (with lights off so that other crew members can sleep), the stripes of holly would reflect just enough ambient light so that a person could see where to plant their feet, (and not stub a toe!).

The company that I have worked for 30 years is, The Hinckley Company Follow that link to learn a little more about that facet of my life.

I see that you have been poking around my blacklabadventures website! I have another website that you might be interested in as well. That address is: [B][U]www.sonex1504.com[/U][/B].

But, back to boats...... (Let's see if I can get away with this is a knife forum!)

I have been working on a really cool project (as an employee of the Hinckley Company) for the past year. It is a total refit of a 1965 Pearson-Rhodes 41' yawl. A little history about the boat can be found HERE.

The work that I have been doing on that project, I have been documenting with photographs as I have done with nearly everything else that I have been involved with, (or made myself!). I have been creating photo albums of the project's progress on my Facebook page. If you, or anyone else, would like to take a look at this beautiful old sailboat, you can follow the links below.

Photo Album 01 - (588 images)

Photo Album 02 - (330 images)

Photo Album 03 - (65 images)

We hope to have the boat completed by the end of January.

Thank you again!

Barry
 
Impressive work, sir. Thanks for posting your documentation of the process, I particularly liked how detailed you were about showing the process of adding your mark.
 
Hello Barry - I'll fudge a very short post on boats, then take any other responses about boats off-line (email?). That is a NICE boat you're working on. I had hull #1 of the Anacapa 40 named VIAJERA since she was launched by San Pedro Boat Works in Calif in 1964 - and over built as fiberglass wasn't very well known at the time. I lived aboard from Christmas, 1980 until about 2007 or so when I met a lady here in Mobile area. I finally sold the boat in 2009 and purchased this house.

BTW, you're right - it is "poplar" wood. but most poplar wood down here isn't very white at all - nothing like holly. I used Bacote wood for the aft cabin sole. This is a heavy wood for boats, but was cheap at the time (living in Guatemala), and the wife liked the contrast in dark/light stripes in wood.

Those Hinckley's are NICE vessels - nothing beats a day just piddling around boats..... except for maybe knife making? I guess those 27 yrs of boating was a different phase of life, and now knife making is a new phase? Both are GREAT points in life.

73 de Ken H>
 
Hello Ken,
Because you are the one who used the combination of words, "Teak 'n Holly", I knew that I was speaking with someone who had experience around boats! Usually, no one has a clue as to what I am talking about if I mention, "cabin sole" and the often used species of wood to fabricate it; "Teak 'n Holly"!

Thanks for sharing your story! What you have already done in your life is a direction that I am looking to go. This past spring, I purchased a 1968 Maurice Griffiths designed, Golden Hind 31'. My "ElizaLin" is one of he original wooden hulls. What is listed on my website for work done, has not been updated for nearly 5 months. I find that, it is much easier to just do the actual restoration work, than to do the work, AND do the work of writing the text that goes along with the photographic documentation that I have been doing! I DO keep taking photos of the restoration process, but I run out of steam when it comes to the point of actually writing the words that are used to fill the gaps between the images. But, it IS something that I do have to do at some point.......

As to hijacking this thread to another topic; since I started it, I really don't mind! Besides, having spent time reading other threads on this forum, it seems that, the same thing is done there as well. From what I'm gathering, all each of us has to do is, announce which type of apple we like within each post, and we are good!

Thanks again for your story.

Barry

PS: Cortland
 
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Wow, that's pretty darn cool!! Beautiful work! I use saw blades too, I can't tell you how many times I've been repermanded for doing so on this forum, but it's a cheap good way to start!
 
Black lab, first I want to say you did a very nice job on thar Ulu. Keep it up. I'd also like to add that you and I have something very special in common. Back in mid October we had our 10 yr old black lab named Duke Harley get sick and we tried a few different things over the course of a week or so to try to get him turned around. Finally he refused food and water so on Nov 3 we asked the vet what she would do and she said "I think it's time". So later that day our whole family was in the room when Duke took his last breath. Man that was the hardest thing I've ever done!!!!!

I'm also a new knifemakers who stared in May with my first being a Kiridashi. I thought it fitting to remember my Duke by having a stencil made and marking my knives with a DH with a O around them standing for Duke Harley Origionals since he used to love laying on the floor of my shop or waiting for me on the top step while I was working on knives.

Sorry to ramble on but this was something I thought I'd share with you since we've both gone through the same heartbreak over the last few months. Not trying to hijack but I feel for you brother!!!! I know it's not "manly" but I was a wreck reading and looking at your link.

Jay
 
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Antlerhog said:
Sorry to ramble on but this was something I thought I'd share with you since we've both gone through the same heartbreak over the last few months. Not trying to hijack but I feel for you brother!!!! I know it's not "manly" but I was a wreck reading and looking at your link.

Jay
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Hi Jay,
Please don't feel you need to apologize! I hijack threads all the time! Over the past seven years, I have had a large presence on a motorcycle forum and "hijacking" is something that I am known for..... Actually, I kind of like it. This is a "discussion forum" and to me, a discussion happens when different views and experiences are shared. Losing Reuben and making him a part of my knife making project, to me, makes conversations about dogs, and experiences with them, AS WELL AS MAKING KNIVES quite fine for this thread!

I am sorry to hear about your loss of Duke Harley. Yes, it is a very powerful experience to go through! Because Reuben weighed 114 lbs (with only three legs!) I chose to take him to the vet, instead of have the vet make a trip to my home. The vet and I lifted Reuben up on to a table, and the vet and the vet tech started an I.V. into Reuben's right front leg. Then, I walked around to Reuben's left side and I wrapped my arms around his torso and laid his head against my chest. I then said to the vet, "Okay, it's time. Reuben and I are both ready.". The doctor then depressed the plunger on the syringe containing the overdose of sedative.....and Reuben slipped quietly away. YES, the tears DID flow out of my eyes and downward; watering that big, fat head of his, resting underneath my chin!

I think I have mentioned somewhere, (Maybe on my website, or in an e-mail....), I will be making a call to my flight instructor, (I am no longer pursuing a private pilot license), and ask him to go on one last "lesson" with me. Dave and I will make a flight over the property where I live and I will scatter Reuben's ashes from the sky.

I am currently restoring a wooden, 1968 Golden Hind 31'. The symbolic idea is, maybe a part of Reuben will fill my sails someday and we can continue our adventures together!

Thank you for sharing your story, and keep plugging away at those knives too!

Sincerely,

Barry Buchanan
Mount Desert Island, Maine
 
Nic. said:
Wow, that's pretty darn cool!! Beautiful work! I use saw blades too, I can't tell you how many times I've been repermanded for doing so on this forum, but it's a cheap good way to start!
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Nic, don't let the "pros" gnaw away at what you are trying to do! Keep in mind that, the first knives were made out of rocks! Bone was added later. "Stones and bones" were used because, that is what native cultures had to work with before steel made its way into their lands. If sawblades are all you have to work with, then go for it! It's a nice "nod" back at the history of knife making.

If you want to make a knife, grab a hold of something and start "whittling" away at the project.

I just finished putting together a lasagna for an old friend of mine. A few of us are having a birthday party for him this evening and the lasagna was on my "to do list". I sliced up tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and black olives with #2 Ulu knife. Actually, I have NOT used another knife in my kitchen since I made my own Ulu knife! (The first one I gave away to a gal as a Christmas present.). I really, really like it and the design makes total sense to me!

Keep making those "saw-knives"!

Sincerely,

Barry B.
 
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