My first ever Dagger W.I.P.

[stephanfowler]

My original design sketch

Here we have a lovely piece of 5/8" W1 round Bar welded to a rebar handle (tongs are annoying)

First I square and taper the end of the bar, about 6 inches worth

Then turn it up on the diamond and start forging down flat

Get some bevels in there

Still needs some cleanup and tweaking,

There we go

After 3-4 passes on the grinder to see how flat we are, looks great to me

 

[stephanfowler]

Layout and trace the blade on a sheet of Graph paper, then flip it over several times to make sure that everything is symmetrical

Hollow ground to 80 Grit

Clay layout for HT (cuz that's how I roll)

 

[Rusty McDonald]

That center line is a pita! I tried to do one but you have gotten a lot farther than I did I'm ashamed to admit. Good work!

 

[stephanfowler]

That center line is a pita! I tried to do one but you have gotten a lot farther than I did I'm ashamed to admit. Good work!

I have a real knack for thinking in 3d geometrically (comes from years as a Trim Carpenter / Cabinetmaker)

conceptually Daggers are actually really simple, it's just that all of your planar surfaces MUST be even, there is zero room for error.

but if all of your surfaces are even (and you don't have a corkscrew effect) then the center line WILL be center.

from all the guys I've talked to, the biggest problem is getting fixated on that center line and trying to adjust the center line.

I use the center line as a indicator that one of my bevels is wrong, and fix that, rather than trying to fix the center line (if that makes any sense)

 

[Burton Harruff]

Looks like a great start. Keep the pics coming.

 

[stewart]

Looking good buddy getting that first one under your belt is the hard part.
Keep the pics coming cant wait to see it done!!:thumbup:

 

[sunshadow]

Looks good so far, that's gonna be a fun hamon if it works

-Page

 

[JasonSCarter]

awesome WIP cant wait to see the hamon pattern!

Jason

 

[69_knives]

This is going to be interesting. *Where is the 'eating popcorn' smilie*

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

That’s pretty darned good for your first ever, Stephan. I am sorry if this comes off as self promotion but there are not many dagger threads and I thought a heads up on upcoming events would be helpful here. Anyhow the ABS school in NC will be holding the first ever week long classic quillon dagger class from Jan. 4 through Jan 8, 2010 at Haywood college, taught by yours truly.

Since for many years now I have been devoting much time traveling around the world and studying original daggers and related weapons, I have been trying to help people understand their design better. The ABS has set the blade to make in order to be a master as this type of dagger, and yet has not previously offered instruction in it, as I have noted in the some of the designs submitted. So once again they have allowed me to put my money where my mouth is and have me teaching a class on the topic.

Daggers are seen by many as being much more difficult than other blades, and the message I bring is that they are not harder, they are just different. And once you adjust your way of doing things to this different approach they are actually easier in a few ways, but using the same techniques that work on a bowie will make daggers very difficult indeed.

If folks are interested in the dagger course Bill Wiggins would probably be happy to hear from you. I am also scheduled to do a weekend mini course in Ohio but do not have all the details settled yet.

Anyhow, Stephan, I would be happy to see a dagger like that in a first attempt in one of my classes:thumbup:.

 

[stephanfowler]

OHOHOH

Color me VERY interested.

One week you say? Are there any pre-reqs?

I'll have to give Bill a call.

That’s pretty darned good for your first ever, Stephan. I am sorry if this comes off as self promotion but there are not many dagger threads and I thought a heads up on upcoming events would be helpful here. Anyhow the ABS school in NC will be holding the first ever week long classic quillon dagger class from Jan. 4 through Jan 8, 2010 at Haywood college, taught by yours truly.

Since for many years now I have been devoting much time traveling around the world and studying original daggers and related weapons, I have been trying to help people understand their design better. The ABS has set the blade to make in order to be a master as this type of dagger, and yet has not previously offered instruction in it, as I have noted in the some of the designs submitted. So once again they have allowed me to put my money where my mouth is and have me teaching a class on the topic.

Daggers are seen by many as being much more difficult than other blades, and the message I bring is that they are not harder, they are just different. And once you adjust your way of doing things to this different approach they are actually easier in a few ways, but using the same techniques that work on a bowie will make daggers very difficult indeed.

If folks are interested in the dagger course Bill Wiggins would probably be happy to hear from you. I am also scheduled to do a weekend mini course in Ohio but do not have all the details settled yet.

Anyhow, Stephan, I would be happy to see a dagger like that in a first attempt in one of my classes:thumbup:.

 

[stephanfowler]

here comes the hard part.

fitting the guard and keeping everything even and symmetrical.

I start by painting the entire blade with layout blue

Then I polish off one side of the blade, this will VERY clearly show me the center of the blade for layout

Clamp the blade in my file guide and check that it's straight and perpendicular to the blade center

And check

And compare,

can't be too careful with this part, as EVERYTHING depends on this layout

We done good

Now I'll take the guard stock and layout the slot

Drill drill drill

Chainsaw file out that web and cleanup the sides

I file my guards till their about 1/4" short of the shoulders, then beat them on with a hammer

 

[stephanfowler]

Now, once the guard fits to the blade I re scribe the center of the blade onto the guard stock.

I've found that I never QUITE get the blade in line with my original center marks, so I've stopped relying on them to layout the guard face.
in stead I scribe the sides of the blade once everything is fit and measure center again based on the blade itself instead of the guard stock.

Handy dandy oval template (hobby lobby, $5, priceless)

Guard face layed out and ready to get going

Rough cut away the majority of the waste

Grind clean to the layout lines

Start bending the quillions

Check it out

And recheck

check both sides now

 

[TekSec]

Love the notes, it's so what I think when I do stuff. Great work and looking nice and clean!!!!

 

[Mike Quesenberry]

Very nice will there be file work on the handle too? What's the handle material?Can't wait to see the Hamon. The pic's are great keep them coming. I forged out a dagger for my J.S. test but ran out of time. Your hammer work is fantastic. Will that be one of your test knifes?

 

[stephanfowler]

Very nice will there be file work on the handle too? What's the handle material?Can't wait to see the Hamon. The pic's are great keep them coming. I forged out a dagger for my J.S. test but ran out of time. Your hammer work is fantastic. Will that be one of your test knifes?

no, but I intend to do a dagger for one of my JS knives.

There is a Sam Bell style dagger that Mark Zelaski shows occasionally that has always just fascinated me.

I'm intending to have my J.S. knives ready by Jan 1 so I can send them to get critique and input

 

[Mike Quesenberry]

no, but I intend to do a dagger for one of my JS knives.

There is a Sam Bell style dagger that Mark Zelaski shows occasionally that has always just fascinated me.

I'm intending to have my J.S. knives ready by Jan 1 so I can send them to get critique and input

Will you post pic's of the test knives? Or keep it on the down low.

 

[stephanfowler]

Will you post pic's of the test knives? Or keep it on the down low.

I live life out LOUD man,

there will be pictures, there will be pictures of pictures, there will be pictures of everything.

the final finished knives however will NOT be shown until I can get them professionally shot

 

[Mike Quesenberry]

I live life out LOUD man,

there will be pictures, there will be pictures of pictures, there will be pictures of everything.

the final finished knives however will NOT be shown until I can get them professionally shot

Fantastic!!! Can't wait to see'em. Keep up the good work. I wish I had the patience to photograph all steps like you do. Once I get going I don't want to stop. It's kind of ike a working trance.

 

[Dixieblade57]

She's coming on real good!:thumbup: