My first knife! finally...(pics)

S

Spencer Stewart

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
115
Well, here it is! I've had it finished for a couple of months, but am just now getting around to taking pics of it. Do me a favor and check out my friends website, he's letting me borrow a little space for my pics.

Specs:
3/16" Starrett O1
~4" full length straight clip point blade
G10 handles
JB weld epoxy
Concealex sheath

Spencer's Knife
 
Spencer, good work. I like the shape of your knife, it looks like it will be a real good user. Looks like that should be a good durable sheath. Keep up the good work.
Chris, Top of Texas Knives
www.toptexknives.com

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Spencer, knife looks good! Where did you have it heat treated? Also, I couldn't make it out due to the darkness of the photos on my monitor...how thick are the scales, and what kind of finish did you bring them up to? Did you use a belt grinder or files? Looks like a very usable knife with a good sheath. Sounds like you did better on your first try than most knifemakers! ;-)
Also, is that black micarta? Linen or canvas? I didn't find a whole lot of difference in appearance between linen and canvas in black, at least finished to 600 grit. Finally, what did you use for pins?
 
Spencer, Good work i really like the grind angle at riccasso! Did you do your own heat-treating? You should be proud of this knife!
DK
 

Nice work Spencer! Not to big and I really like the handle. The extra length it looks like it has makes a knife a lot more usable for me.
Where did you get the G-10 for the handles and did you have much trouble working it?
Thanks for the pic. You should be proud!

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

[This message has been edited by Yvsa (edited 17 June 1999).]
 
Hey Spencer! Been a while. Sure looks good. The lines on that knife sure look good. I bet it works out as a good using knife.

Keep up the good work,
Sid
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the nice words!

Heat Treatment was done by Howard Clark. I was going to do it myself and build a furnace but someone stole my pipe. However I will rarely if ever let someone else do my heat treat again. More details later, I;m typing with one hand (cut finger no it wasn't knife.

The darkness is not just your monitor, scans didn't turn out well.

Scales are 1/4" thick, black G10 from K&G Finishing supplies. Worked very well using files. Also have some Nicholson needle files for details.

Scales finished to worn out 320.

Blade handrubbed to 1000 grit.

Can't afford a grinder, used a handful of files, a hacksaw, and a lot of sandpaper.

I didn't used pins, no drill press, although a maker drilled some holes in the tang for me, I didn't want to mess up the scales using a hand drill.

Sheath cut out with wifes kitchen scissors, and warmed it in the oven. She was at work!
smile.gif
Will make more sheathes, better ones.

It's been on a week camping trip and it is a very good user. My design too
smile.gif
! Note thumb purchase if you can see it.

Thanks

Spencer Stewart
 
Spencer! Great looking knife. That beauty is truly hand made. Be proud good sir! Awsome job. Howard did your heat treating? Was there a problem with his work? He forged a katana for me and I found him to be verry knowledgable about these things. Let me know would ya?

Yours truely The Double Post Master!
wink.gif
 
Very nice. Looks like it should be a good user. The handle shape and size look really nice. Is it as comfortable to use as it looks?

What would you change when you make your next knife, other than doing the heat treat yourself?

Congratulations on a nice piece of work!
 
Spencer - great job! If you did that with hand tools, you're going to be a heck of a knife maker. Keep up the good work.

Mike
 
Great knife! Isn't it fun using files? I have a couple I made via the file, none of them have quite the same finished look as yours.
 
Hello all, thanks again for the nice words.

Sorry it has aken me so long to respond to your questions. I'm attending a National Mammalogists metting in Seattle this week and I just gained access to a computer as well as a few minutes to reply.

I've responded to those who asked about the heat treatment via email. I hate griping over the web.

Is it as comfortable as it looks? YES.

What would I change?

Well, My next nice will have a slightly shorter handle and it will also allow for more knuckle clearance when working on a counter top. I also designed the belly the way I did for versatility. I wanted a adequate belly coupled with precise tip control. Difficult, but hence the straight clip point and gradual belly. The finger choil will be straight instead of curved, but the finger index will remain the same. My tapers to the point are not quite how I'd like them and the tip ended up a bit thick. The next sheath will have a belt loop.

I loved using the files. It gave me a lot of good experience on how steel responds various actions. It also gave me plenty of time to think.
smile.gif


The finish (which is already scratched up a bit) was done by a hand rub progressing from 220 grit to 1000 grit sandpaper.

Well, gotta run, another meting to go to!

Thanks again for all the nice words!

Spencer Stewart
 
Good 1st effort! I made several blades before I tried to heat-treat one, then more before puttihg a handle on. I am still trapped comparing mine to Randall-made. Boy I love knives!
 
Hey Spencer,

Bravo on your first knife. It looks super.
Maybe you could find a buddy with a digital camera or have some clearer scans made. This knife deserves a great series of shots we can all enjoy. Simple tools wielded with a personal vision yielded your labor of love.
I would date it, as your first is priceless.
Congratulations.

Stay safe and all the best, Phil <---<
 
She's a beauty, Spencer! Awefully nice for first time effort. I have been brewing around with the idea of making some fixed blade knives myself: more along the lines of
large butchering knives.

Thanks for showing us your work
smile.gif
I would be embarassed to show any one my 1st attempt.
 
Spencer the Texan came up to soak in the Seattle rain, and we had lunch together today. I had a chance to handle this knife. It has a nice heft and balance. The blade is much thicker and sturdier than I imagined from the pictures. The picture next to the ruler gives the best impression of the thickness of the blade steel at the spine. There are uniform ridges cut in the back about where the thumb is in some of the pictures. The knife shows attention to detail. I would not have been surprised if this knife were presented as the work of a professional.

I brought my Randall #1 and HI Ang Khola to the lunch. Spencer's blade was not outclassed. His had a quickness, strength, and spirit to match the others.

This appears to be a very comfortable and general-purpose design. That was an excellent first knife, Spencer.


[This message has been edited by Howard Wallace (edited 25 June 1999).]
 
Awww shucks fellas...

It was great to meet Howard and I thought we had a really nice discussion over some good inexpensive Indian food (another first I had in Seattle). Alas, I arrived back in Abilene this morning at 3:00am (a 56 hour bus trip) and we're at 100 degrees right now, and no rain in sight. Unfortunately, I was unable to bring any rain back with me.
Howard's blades gave a poor married college student a nice opportunity to handle some otherwise unavailable knives and I think he is exagerrating as he speaks of the quality of my knives.

For the record I will disclose a few of the blemishes:
1) The flat grind bevels are not exactly flat and the taper to the point is not symetrical.
2) One of the scales did not get pressed as close to the tang as I wanted so there is a line of JB weld epoxy visible that I don't like.
3) The lanyard hole is not drilled out because I messed up and did not get it lined up right.
4) The plunge cut is not symetrical on both sides.
5) I had to put the scale on again after I had finished them because the first epoxy I used was junk. When I put the scales on again, one of the scales slipped a teeny weeny bit and so in some places there is a small ridge at the tang-scale interface.
6) I think the blade is a bit heavy. The balance lies a bit behind the finger index. I think a tapered tang will achieve the balacnce I want, and I will attempt this on my next full tang blade. I was unwilling to try this on my first blade, however, I have significantly improved my ability to make a flat surface using files and I think I can make it work next time.

Phil, Not sure how I would date it. Date the project began, date it was finished...I dunno. I do know I started it the two weeks which my wife was out of town on our first anniversary and it was completed just prior to our second anniversary during which I was out of town. That's memory for me.
As to the digital camera thing, I may be able to find someone around with one, but I was wanting to get the pics posted before I left so I used what I had.

My second knife is ready for heat treatment. So my next project will be building a salt pot furnace...I can hardly wait.

Spencer Stewart
 
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