My First Knife WIP

stereo.pete

stereo.pete

Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
600
Hey everybody,

I wanted to create a WIP thread for my first knife and I will preface with that this will be a very slow process. I'm always open to constructive criticism and I promise my feelings won't get hurt. Let me know if I am doing something stupid or unsafe and if you have any tips or hints I would certainly welcome them.

About the knife...
Material: 01 Tool Steel (I will be sending it out to be professionally heat treated)
Blade Shape: Originally a sheepsfoot pairing knife but 1/8th stock is way too thick for that. I switched to a wharncliffe blade, the flat blade will be easier to hand file as well as sharpen.

Progress: So far I have cut the bar stock and will drill holes for the pins later tonight. This image will give you the general idea about what I am going after.

wip1f.jpg


Thanks,

Pete
 
Just curious, which is always a good first step. Have you made a cardboard mock up of your design? More often than not what looks good on paper doesn't feel as nice in the hand. I'm a bit curious on what you're planning on doing between the scales and the blade. It looks like you drew the scales and the blade separately, not sure how they will actually flow together. I realize its a wharnie but the butt to the blade just looks too flat imo. A slight curve is always almost always better.
 
Fletch, I did in fact design about seven cardboard cutouts and I agree I will most likely create a down swept angle from the blade end to the but on the top of the spine.
 
Fletch Helical said:
Just curious, which is always a good first step. Have you made a cardboard mock up of your design? More often than not what looks good on paper doesn't feel as nice in the hand. I'm a bit curious on what you're planning on doing between the scales and the blade. It looks like you drew the scales and the blade separately, not sure how they will actually flow together. I realize its a wharnie but the butt to the blade just looks too flat imo. A slight curve is always almost always better.
Click to expand...

Fletch, my apologies I had to reread you post and now i understand what you are asking. First the notch is a spanish notch and beyond that towards the scales will be the ricasso. The vertical line at the end of the spanish notch will be the plunge. Hopefully I'm using the jargon correctly and making sense. I will definitely be rounding the butt of the handle more and before I do final cutting I will be using the clay method to figure out the dimensions/design of the handle.

Update: 2 1/8" pin holes drilled and then 1/4" holes drilled for a little weight reduction.
wip2pj.jpg
 
So progress is slow due to the fact that I don't actually have a vice. I made a make shift one for filing with a cut off piece of 2x4 bolted to another 2x4 and then hand clamped. It worked amazingly well for the resources that I had. I filed the blade tip to shape and haven't messed with the butt of the knife due to the fact that I am rethinking the handle design with a mockup and some clay.

wip3i.jpg


wip5k.jpg


wip4lr.jpg


The sharp ridges won't be in the finished handle but I am getting an idea about the overall geometry that will be comfortable.
 
Just an fyi, I have found that I can screw the knife blank to the board for a good solid table as I file/sand etc.; if you don't mind mounting your board to a table, it's all good...:)
 
someoldfart said:
Just an fyi, I have found that I can screw the knife blank to the board for a good solid table as I file/sand etc.; if you don't mind mounting your board to a table, it's all good...:)
Click to expand...

I do have a picnic bench in the backyard :thumbup: and JAKs, it will be but the true test is actually turning the wood into a similar shape lol.
 
Vices usually arent great for holding a blank unless you modify them. Hardened steel jaws on soft steel you're trying to make look pretty usually don't go well. Unless it's a knife vice. What I did before I got a knife vice was c-clamped a piece of 1x3 I think it was to my bench. Then used rubber covered tip spring clamps to hold it in place. You can clamp the handle area down and let the blade hang off for filing, it's fairly versatile on a shoestring budget.
 
Fletch Helical said:
Vices usually arent great for holding a blank unless you modify them. Hardened steel jaws on soft steel you're trying to make look pretty usually don't go well. Unless it's a knife vice. What I did before I got a knife vice was c-clamped a piece of 1x3 I think it was to my bench. Then used rubber covered tip spring clamps to hold it in place. You can clamp the handle area down and let the blade hang off for filing, it's fairly versatile on a shoestring budget.
Click to expand...

That's similar to what I am using currently, hand clamps (one of the greatest inventions in clamping technology) and a 2x4 with holes drilled into it so I can bolt the knife to the board. Thanks again to all the tips and tricks guys, I really appreciate it. I am really glad I decided to read 20-30 pages of posts here before starting to work on this.
 
Hey man, if you have a chop saw, or band saw, or hand saw, take a 2x4, make a cut lengthwise in the end, then clamp it and voila dirt cheap simple vice you can bolt anywhere you like.
 
Thanks for the tip Tin.Man!

Ok, so here's the latest update as things have slowed down for two reasons.
1. Work has been busy, and I have three big visits from exec's happening this week and next...*Sigh*
2. After rounding the butt of the knife with my file I figured the inside of the handle would be best filed down with a half-round file and a lot of elbow grease. Problem is I did not have a half-round file so I ordered one, an edge centering scribe and some brass pin stock. That should arrive tomorrow so perhaps by next Wednesday I will have the knife's profile finally cut out.


wip6p.jpg
 
Well, I finally had a chance to do some filing on the blank and I was able to finally finish the profile. The filing wasn't as bad as a few people said it would be on another forum. I am pretty happy with the results although I am thinking the center hump in the handle is a bit too preggers. I believe it will be more comfortable once there is a handle on it with some meat.


wip7k.jpg



wip8v.jpg
 
Yes, that should work fine. However, I would suggest not filing in the notch until after the bevels are filed in . Things like the plunge line get moved from where you planned sometimes, but a notch isn't very easy to move once it is made. :)
Just draw it in for the time being.
 
Can't say for certain what the original purpose of a Spanish notch was and it has been long debated. Other than purely artistic, for me, I would put one in only to hide an uneven bevel where it meets the ricasso. IMHO I would forego the Spanish notch at least until you have completed the bevel. Also IMHO I think a chainsaw file would be a little large but you should do whatever you believe to be aesthetically pleasing as I don't think there is much purpose from a practical standpoint.

Edit: Beaten to the punch again. My thumbs are getting are getting slow.
 
Well, today I had a few hours before I was due in at work. I decided to have a go at filing bevels after watching videos of people doing it two different ways. I ended up experimenting with both methods, filing from edge to spine and filing from tip to ricasso. The tip to ricasso method was painfully slow and the edge to spine method was very quick, a bit too quick and I ended up over-grinding one side of my knife. Hopefully I will be able to make the two sides meet in the center through sanding and then after heat treat when I finally create the primary edge and sharpen. Here are a few pics of the set-up and a couple pictures, where you can see the overgrind.

Setup:

wip9t.jpg


wip10e.jpg


Nasty Mess:

wip11.jpg


wip12q.jpg


wip13.jpg


wip14c.jpg


I guess my question is, what is the preferred method of cutting in bevels with a hand file? Also, should I have cut in the plunges before grinding the bevels, because I really didn't get much of a plunge at all.

Should I have taken a steeper angle when doing the initial beveling such as a 45 degree angle?

Thanks for looking and for your feedback.

_Pete
 
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I decided to begin sanding since I had filed my edge to nickel thickness. The geometry is downright bad since I clearly had no idea what I was doing when filing the edge down. You will see what I am talking about when you spot my terrible plunges. I decided to start sanding and this where I am at now.

Do I go back to filing or is it too late since I started filing the edge at too low of an angle? And once again should I have done the plunges first like Mr. Swanson does?

wip18.jpg

wip17.jpg

wip16.jpg

wip15x.jpg
 
Ideally you really want to draw file from ricasso to edge.

you could find 5 degrees or so, put a block behind and tape your file to a wooden dowel, and now you have a way to reliably put bevels on either side.

Super elaborate, but should give you an idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kShzq-fhDF8
 
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