My wait has been rewarded!

J

joeshredd

Joined
May 8, 2002
Messages
2,254
Guys... I've loved so many of y'all's pics of Nick Wheeler's work that I've been sitting here wishing I had one to share with y'all... Well....

Nick has finished it and gotten a pic to me... And thanks to Wulf... please check out the link and see what you think!?!

http://www.dicksworkshop.com/images/Wheeler_fighter_joeshredd.jpg

:D

I admit to being something of a technophobe, so I really appreciate Wulf's help here, and the wonderful help and communications I've had with several on this forum...

And to the whole lot of you for constantly "exposing" me to pics from the plethora of incredible artisans that are out there... I've met a few in person, met a few over the net... and a few on here, too! And I've ended up coming into possesion of some simply incredible workmanship... And then I met Nick... last year out here in Washington... and I've had the opportunity to actually watch his developement over the past year alone - y'alls pics of his work just show a constant increase in his abilities and workmanship... So I hope y'all enjoy this one as much as I will! (Yup, I won't get to hold it until Oct. 4th... but then it'll be MINE!!! :eek: :D )

As to the particulars... Well, Nick, if you're listening... I don't have 'em yet - please chime in!!! :)
 
Thanks Joe!

Big thanks to Jim Cooper (Blade747) for cropping the HUGE scan I sent him! Another one to Derrick for helping out posting. I would have done it, but since Joe has waited so long for this one, I wanted him to do it :)

This is a wonderful photograph. The ONLY downside, is that this blade has one of the most active hamons I have done so far, but you can barely even see the line in this shot. The finish on the blade shows all the crazy and wonderful things that can occur in a clay hardened blade...wish you could see it!


Blade steel is 1084
Brownded 1084 fittings
Copper spacers/pin/lanyard
English walnut handle.


This knife was spun into design by the Claro fighter that many folks here are familiar with. It is very similar, but with a much more complex (construction wise anyway) handle.

Joe's ordering this knife inadvertantly spurred me on to learn a lot. Prior to this blade I was getting really good clay-backed heat-treating results, but not like what this one forced me to learn. I also didn't know how to brown hardware...first I used Jerry Fisk's technique (THANKS for the help Jerry!) but couldn't get it to come out right in MY shop (even though Jerry CAN in his). Then I got help from my friend Mike Vagnino, and learned a different browning process, THANKS Mike. I also got help from Jerry on the filework. That "gear-like" filework really through me for a loop.

I ruined the first file-worked spacer, and the handle was already finish shaped at that point. Trying to make a new spacer to fit into the already shaped handle took me about 2 or 3 days and aged me about 2 or 3 years ;)

I learned copper is so soft, that rather than being easy to work (like it is in glue together/grind down) type handles, it's a major PITA on handles like this.

But in the end, my whining aside, I am proud of this one, and really hope Joe will be too.

Thanks for looking folks! :D
Nick
 
Well that's a just a beautiful knife - blade, guard, handle everything! Thanks for sharing the pic. Nick - keep up the great work!

Roger
 
Hubba hubba!

When I went to the ABS hammer in this time last year, Joe Keeslar gave a seminar on knife design. He drew a few chalkboard pics and talked of 'flow' from the handle into the guard into the blade out to the point.

He said it's mostly an intangible, but a good maker will get it right. Well, this one 'got it'. :)

Three thumbs up from me.

Coop
 
What a stunningly beautiful knife. There is absolutely nothing not to love about this one. I think Nick's fighters are as nice as they come.
 
Love it. Actually no different to how you turn out your other knives too. Superb workmanship. This one is just so sleek. Hamons are not the easiest to photograph. Jason.
 
Your wait has been rewarded? I guess maybe, and then some! :eek: That is simply a gorgeous knife in every aspect. The browned fittings are really what catch my eye. Just perfect contrast to the spacers and the walnut. Nice material choices for sure. You boys sure did good on that one. :cool:
 
I want to see that hamon!

By the way, Joe, my website is honored to host this picture :D
 
I visited my good friend Nick last week and got to hold this one in my hand and really check it out. Workmanship was impeccable as usual - design was perfect - balance right on - a truly wild hamon - all in all this is one to be proud to own Joe.
 
To all of you, especially to Nick for putting up with my whining "When's it gonna be done??" Man, I've megabytes full of emails between us... and most of his started off by apologising - ya see, when I met him last October, he had a couple nice pieces on his table that caught my eye... especially if you've seen his Hamons! Well, I'd already spent my wad - Todd Begg got me with one he didn't get me with in the preceeding spring's Eugene show as well as a nice little Tom Ferry piece (and Tom was one who told me to especially watch this guy...) So I did - I went over and said I'd like him to make me one similar to his basic fighter/bowie... with a 'few' changes! LOL!

"How much for a deposit?"

"Nothing."

"Ok, how long?"

"A month or so?"

Well, Thanksgiving rolls around and he's apologising for not having it ready yet... I tell him he doesn't have my money, we both want a really artistic effort in this one... Well, my birthday goes by - more tales of blade destruction - It seems he wanted to really develope this hamon, so he was gonna try something different... I start getting emails about how he's now going for the saltbathes... I didn't know if it was for his feet or for the steel! LOL!!

Christmas rolls around and he's still apologising for not being done... and I'm telling him that ya can't rush art! That's what Benchmade and Spyderco are for! LOL!!!

Okay, now it's spring, the Eugene show is right around the corner... "It'll be ready by then!"

I'm stoked! Excited! I'm ready! Heck, I even have the money! I leave a day early so I can actually get there on Friday and see everything before it's gone... And there's Nick with the biggest hang-dog look I have ever seen! "Joe, did you get my email?"

Well, at one point I had mentioned browning the guard... after having seen the article in a magazine by Jerry Fisk on the process... I thought it looked way too easy, so I suggested it as a nice touch... Well, it and the handle ended up messed up, as Nick has explained, and he was once again worried that I'd be upset! Heck, that just meant I had a heck of a lot of money to spend... And did I ever!

Needless to say, Nick got so good so quickly, and his name caught on soooo fast, that he just didn't realize how long it might take with all the requests- heck, I would have still done it even if he had said a year! Well, I also got a pic of him holding the blade... which just has to be seen to be believed!

Then, one day, I get THE EMAIL - "It's done!" But now he's got to have a pic taken... a few weeks go by, the summer's ended... Pics are back, knife's ready... Nick, the NWKC Show is here again in two weeks... let's meet in Puyallup and have us a nice little ceremony!

Well, my hair is grayer, my bank account is smaller, my knife collection just took a major leap forward and you guys are part of the reason - y'all keep putting pics up of amazing stuff and it just makes my collector's itch unbearable!! LOL!!!

So, with a major thanks to Wulf for assisting with the post (yes, I went and got "Gold" staus so I can post more without bothering you guys!), I can finally pay y'all back!!!

Nick's work is up there with some of the finest smiths already... and that's from what a few of them have said. And on top of that... like some of the other truly great smiths - he's still a nice guy to simply joke around with!

Off to Puyallup!!!!
 
Thanks again fellas, I really appreciate the knife words :)

Nick

edited because I meant to say "kind words" but that's too funny to not leave it (I guess I need SLEEP!!! :D ).
 
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