New Field Knife Design Opinions Please

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
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I wanted something different for this years season so I cooked this up last night. It's a cross between Nordic Design, traditional spear point and a Loveless Drop point.

There is plenty of drop to field dress, enough meat to cut the sternum, the blade is wide enough to make a fair field skinner and it has a slight up sweep of about 2 degrees.

The blade is 5160, 3/16" thick and 1.25 wide (+-), 3" long and there is a wide (3/4") stick tang inside the handle that runs all but 1/2"

The Bolster is Corian and epoxy sealed around the tang so blood can't get in the handle.

The handle is my old Nemesis, Rosewood.

The blade has been bead blasted and sealed with my Wax recipe and the handle was taken to 600 grit and the same wax used.

Opinions and suggestions please...

Mvc-006f.jpg
 
Hurray, a decent picture :). I like it a lot Don. Rosewood is one of my favorites once finished but I hate working it because of the oil it oozes gumming up the belts. Real nice desgn.
 
Thanks Mark. I may have found the secret to that camera. I stood back and zoomed instead of using the closeup settings.

The Rosewood oil is my problem but not because of the belts. Like most people who worked it a lot, I became sensitized to it. It is so bad that it nearly killed me once.
I had on a NBC suit to work that and I'm still wheezing and coughing.

I still love the stuff though.
 
Very cool design and execution. What "wax recipe" do you use?
 
Thanks Michael!
I've changed this recipe a dozen times but This one seems to be the best and easiest to use.

Use
3 parts Johnson's Paste wax
Mix with enough turpentine to make a thick liquid...NNo need to heat it

Melt 2 parts Bees wax and mix in

Add 1 part Anhydrous Lanolin.

I use this on wood and metal. After shooting and cleaning my muzzle loaders, I use it on the whole thing.

It is one of the best rust inhibitor/wood preservative I've found and it is great on bead blasted surfaces.
It fills in the pores and gives you a smooth, non glare, rust resistant finish.

I add wintergreen oil to it and use it on my bicycle chains :o
 
You "cooked it up last night"????? I can't even cook a fried bolona sandwich that fast.

:cool:
 
That was one of those knives that wanted to be made Rodger. :D
I don't sleep well anymore (Old Age). I started it about 7:00 and finished about 4:00 AM.
I'd come in once and a while and try to email that thing to you :grumpy:
 
Looks good, though for me I'd like some sort of a gaurd, one of my favorite terrors is my hand slipping onto the blade, guess I cut myself to many times as a kid. Blade shape looks like it would be realy handy, plenty big enough without being too big.

I'll have to try your wax, how's it work for bullet lube, or over the balls of cap and ball revolvers?
 
That's a gorgeous knife, but since you wanted constructive critisism I have to say I agree with Will52100. A slight depression, or maybe a slight flare in the bolster area would be enough. I think the corian goes really well with the grey beadblastedness, makes for a good transition between the handle and the blade.
 
Thanks again everyone.
Will, I haven't tried it as a bullet lube. I have used the version with Wintergreen as a lube in BP and to be honest, it worked very well except it was stiff as all get out in cold weather.

I am using a patch lube now that seems to work better because you can vary the consistency according to the weather.

That's a simple one:
Bees wax and olive oil.

I didn't think that one up. Another ML Builder and shooter suggested it.
 
That would look cool with a very minimal guard. Almost like a small bump on the bottom. I am kind of like Will -I get nervous about slipping onto the blade. I like the back of the handle and the size.

Any advise on keeping the oily woods out of the belt?
 
I thought about the guard when I made it. I am still thinking about it since I have enough wood and corian on the bottom for a small depression.

The handle is a Scandinavian style and one of the things I love about them is their simplicity. I may take everyones suggestion and change it tonight.

I've never been able to keep the belts from clogging but on the woodwork, I only rough it with the grinder. The rest is rasp, scraper and good old elbow grease with sandpaper.
 
Looks right up-town to me.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh`..........don't say that so loudly, I'll get Redneck demerits! :o
 
I would put a bit of a groove for the index finger, I have never found a guard necessary. I would rather see a bolster of metal keep the corian for kitchen counters.I have a similar knife I used for my deer last year. Works fine for dressing out , skinning though the blade is a little short for some of the butchering.BTW when you get a bolster of about 1/2" or more it's an invitation to do a bit of engraving.
 
I'd have probably put a guard on it but, either way I think it looks great with or without. The blade and handle shape are great, I like it alot Don/Peter! :D
 
Don, that's a pretty nifty knife! I like the design, too. As for the no guard, I think the knife is good for a lot of chores where a guard is not preferred. As an EDC, it would be really handy.
 
I like it as it is. I know a maker THOMAS GERNER he makes all scandinavian style. Some have a slight bump some none. I think leave it as it is the lines look right. The narrow at the back of the handle also allows your fingers to grip and stop forward movement along the handle.
The other positive to the knife is the blade is not 10.5 inches long and 1/4 inch thich.
I love a good bowie but sometimes a smaller knife is more practical to cart around.
 
Thanks everyone. That's one is gone now. I trade knives for hunting access this time of year and a landowner next to a parcel I already have, saw it last night.....

I knew it was coming when he saw it..."Lo, all these years I've wanted a nice knife just like that one" :D
Anyway, it spreads a little good will, gets me land to hunt and promotes the industry.

Thanks again for the help!
 
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