My second knife, thoughts?

K

knightofwyte

Joined
Jan 8, 2008
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Well as the title says, this is my second knife to come out of my paint can forge!
I decided not to fully polish out the blade for a few reasons. I was afraid to make it too thin after a second HT (the first didn't work right for some reason, it just didn't really harden). My brother also said he liked the look of the blade like that, and as the knife was for him he chose. The handle is birds eye maple with a super glue finish, thought I'd see how that stuff holds up. That sheath is my fourth, I started making those a few months ago. It's formed to the knife using acetone and then dunked in my own mix of beeswax and neatsfoot oil.

Anyone have any suggestions for shapes or ratios of knife to handle or anything like that? I like compliments to!

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looks kinda like you burned the blade... or is that an etch of some sort?
the handles look great. -stan
 
Looks good, I file a hollow behind the guard to give your finger something to rest against and makes the guard look a little more elegant. I like the curve to the handle.
 
Ben, I know it looks sorta cool to have all that surface action going on, but what you are seeing is something that needs to be removed. The scale and discoloration is called "rind" and is the decarburized and burned steel on the surface of the blade. You need to sand it off (at least in the edge area) to get to the hardened steel below it.

I had a fellow bring me a knife he had hardened and a file would cut easily into the edge.His description of his HT lead me to believe he had greatly overheated it. I took it to the shop and sanded the edge back about 1/8" and cut some new bevels. Sparks started to suddenly fly off the steel.The hard stuff was buried beneath the carbonless "rind". That may have been your problem the first time.

Anyway, put a bevel and an edge on it.I think you will still like the look ( the stuff on the area above the bevels can be left with the scale marks).
I agree with Patrick, the guard needs a little curve on the handle side to lighten it up and give it some 'ergonomics'.

Maybe this fall you can come down for a day,and I'll show you how to make a blade with all that "Brute De Forge" that you want to get.

BTW, I'll be at Chippoaks Plantation State Park ,in Surry,Va. for the Pork,Pine, and Peanut festival in two weeks. It is only a short run from your place. I'll be forging all day Saturday and Sunday, the 19th and 20th. I may work on a damascus naginata for Ashokan.
http://www.toursurryva.com/pppschedule08.html
 
Thanks for the input guys! Patrick: I knew something looked a tad off on the handle but I couldn't quite see it. I'll add that to the next one.

Stacy, you've been a big help so far and I will take a trip down to that peanut festival and meet you! As for the blade, I know it looks bad, and there is obviously a lot of de-carbed scale on there. I did grind an edge onto it and tested the hardness on a file, I'm not certain if I have a cheap file but it doesn't scratch the edge any. When I was putting the bevel on with my grinder, the sparks were flying so I assumed that meant I was into good steel. Hope I was correct!
 
Sounds good. Photo wasn't too clear, so it was hard to see any edge.(Hint: Unless you have a good macro, Shoot the picture from 3 feet, and crop the photo after taking it. The focus is much better that way. Of course, if its a camera phone, it won't take a good close-up anyway.)

Come on by at the festival, and we'll forge a knife together. I'll be under the big tree. Shouldn't be hard to find. Just follow the hammer sound.
Stacy
 
Yeah, it was actually a camera phone... Batteries died in my digital and I couldn't find anymore in the house. Hmm, big tree huh, gonna have to find that map I think!
 
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