My first Knife. WIP

SBranson

SBranson

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
2,912
Two months ago I bought a bar of 1095. Work has slowed down so I decided to start on yesterday.

Well I actually started the day before but more on that later.

A little caveat... I've looked at books, watched the makers' youtube vids, followed a few WIP threads here, but man, there's nothing like starting to show me that I don't know squat about making a knife. (ahem, cutting steel with a jigsaw.:p)

I thought to go all rustic with hand tools but heck I have a few power tools and I'm too impatient... :D

Anyway.. here's the starting couple days.

Here's the pics of the package and the steel:

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You can see in that second pic what the design was going to be .
Well I changed my mind. Other than my Strider, my most used blade is a BRKT Golok around the property so I thought to make something that I could use in it's stead. Go big or go home...:p
This was the design I went with. I wanted some nice "flow".

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Here it is scratched into the steel for reference

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Now this is why I stopped the other day.

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I went through 3 blades in about 1 minute...:eek: So I put the bar in vinegar to soak overnight to try and remove the scale... Well then I went through another blade in about 5 secs so onto plan "B"

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I love angle grinders!!!:dancingbanana:
 
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Slow messy tedious.. I also went through about 20 cut-off wheels on my dremel as I didn't have a cut-off disc for the angle grinder.:mad: Man that sucked.

Then I remembered the trick of drilling holes. Drill bits cut faster than anything.. well anything I have. :p

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This next one is the start of the finer work with hand files. I have to round off that ricasso/tang junction..

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And finally where I got to today. Mostly shaped with an angle grinder to this point.

Soooo much more work ahead and heck who even knows if this will work out... stock-removal 1095 on a big blade?
I fear some warpage when it comes time to heat treat...
Oh well, I will get a forge some day.

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This is where I got to last night.
I cleaned up around the ricasso and smoothed things out.

The photos don't show it well but it's a pretty even sanding flat at 120grit and straights are straightened and curves are trued... well almost...;)

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I've done a bit more today. I'll post those a bit later.
 
Thanks! I thought of doing a full tang knife but I wanted to do a guard and I don't have the tools to put one on with a full tang knife. Also for simple design reasons. I have an idea of the knife I want to build and it isn't a full tang one.
 
Lookin great, Stuart!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Looks great! I like the profile! It is a lot of work!

I'll watch for the finished product!

Steve
---------------
IN GOD WE TRUST
 
Hey Lorien.. I have a new appreciation for you doing this with only hand files.. :eek::eek:

This is what I accomplished today.

I started working on the grind of one side. This little 1"x42" 1750rpm grinder is awfully slow but that's probably a good thing for now.

The first shot is part way through the process.

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I then cut this block with an angle of about 4 degrees so I could keep the flat side rested against it and keep a consistent angle while I drew the knife across the belt.

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Hours later this is where I'm going to stop on one side and now bring the other side to this point and slowly start refining everything. I cut in the swedge somewhat to give me a visual reference.

Kinda figuring this out as I go... :)

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Update-

I've been working slowly and had to stop to do some leather work but I got some more time in last night and today.

My daughter brought home some nasty bug from school, maybe the H1N1 but it got both me and my wife. Her worse, me just achy at work the other day and some cold sweats. Anyway, I went to bed early and woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep so in my chills and sweats I went to work on the knife.

Everyone is in bed tonight so I went back at it. I'm still sick but I can function. The wife can't so I had the kids for the day. Looks like the boy is the trooper of the bunch, not so much as a sniffle.

But I digress....

Over the last week I slowly worked at evening out the sides which proved to be very slow. It gives me way more respect to knifemakers. It's hard work getting things even.
Oddly enough, I do think that a more powerful grinder would make it easier, when one is already adept at grinding a blade. If I had a more powerful grinder, I would have binned this one some time today. Had a few close calls with angles and such and thankfully it seems to have turned out okay.

Anyway here's the pics. Basically its a skip ahead to when the sides were evened (somewhat anyway) and I'm on to hand sanding. The photos show a sequence with the last few showing where I've stopped for now at 600x.
It's revealed some of the deeper scratches so I will work my way down a couple grits then back up. Then onto the other side.

I had intended a full flat grind but it's turning out to be a gentle convex. Just too hard to control for a full flat grind with this set-up.

I think it's turning out nicely. Shouldn't be long now before sending it off for heat treating. Then more sanding and the handle/guard etc...

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She's a big knife!

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Stu... looks great! Ummmm why are you hand sanding to 600x BEFORE heat treat? :confused: I usually stop at 220x or so before HT.
 
Will Leavitt said:
Stu... looks great! Ummmm why are you hand sanding to 600x BEFORE heat treat? :confused: I usually stop at 220x or so before HT.
Click to expand...

Thanks Will. I went to 600x mostly to see flaws in my grinding and look for deep scratches. I did this really quickly, maybe 10 minutes sanding at each grit just for a look-see. Sure enough, there's one spot where my little 1" belt took a little dive so I will have to fix that.
With all the scratch lines at 220x it's hard to see screw ups and I'd rather fix them now before the blade is hard.

Also I figure there's a decent chance this blade will warp so I at least wanted to see it look a little purdy before I throw it out or regrind it into something smaller.:p:D
 
This is coming out MUCH better than I would have guessed. After I saw the disappointing shots of you trying to cut dense steel with, basically, a wood blade :eek:, I figured this project was going to hurt.

I am pleasantly surprised at your fortitude. :thumbup:

Keep this up. Hopefully the heat-treating gods will also smile kindly. :)

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
This is coming out MUCH better than I would have guessed. After I saw the disappointing shots of you trying to cut dense steel with, basically, a wood blade :eek:, I figured this project was going to hurt.
I am pleasantly surprised at your fortitude. :thumbup:

Keep this up. Hopefully the heat-treating gods will also smile kindly. :)

Coop
Click to expand...

Same thoughts here.
Nice blade design and you have done well implementing it so far.

What's the handle material?
 
Thanks guys. Yeah, I guess those photos are embarrassing but I figured if a hacksaw could do it albeit slowly then I could speed things up with a "metal" cutting blade in a jigsaw. It's sort of my nature to post my stupidity and it was a lesson.

I really hope the heat treat works out but if not I will try again.

The handle will likely be some figured walnut I salvaged from work.

-Stuart
 
wait til you start hand sanding that sucker once it's hardened!
Fills me with a whole new level of respect for the guys who make a living making these cool things at the highest levels.:cool:
 
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