new skinner

Will52100

Will52100

Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Messages
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This was made to a customer's specifications. I think it needed a longer handle, but...

This is the first blade I have finished from the 52100 I got from Rex Walther. It is forged from 1" squar bar that Rex forged down from 6" round bar. I must say that not only is his steel top notch, it was great to do buisness with him.

You can't realy see it in the photo, but the etched finish showes a faint 'damasc' patterning. I have talked with several smiths with more experiance and knowlege than me and they said it's a good thing.

3 3/4" long by 1 1/8" blade, 3/8" nickle silver gaurd, 3 3/4" handle of stacked leather and axis antler, with a nickle silver but cap.
 

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Will that's great! It looks well balanced to me, the handle in the pic seems just fine. Your blade shape is excellent too, that looks like a perfect little skinner. It just doesn't get much better than this, thanks for sharing.

Dave

PS - I really like that knife! I hope you can tell. :)
 
Thanks for the replies, she did turn out well, but for me I'd perfer about an inch longer handle, I got's big hands.:D
 
...do I like the shape of that one! I can easily imagine how good that feels in the hand - and the belly is perfect.

Bob
 
Looks like a real worker, Will. I've seen that "damascene" pattern also and it was being discussed in another forum - people getting worried as to what it meant. It seems to occur on some of the high carbon steels above and beyond 1% carbon - I've seen it on 52100, O-1 and D-2 (different reasons I think).

Looks like Wootz just a little, you think ? Very pretty, and doesn't seem to interfere with the performance.

Cheers.
 
Very very nice!. Nice polish job. I too think it looks balanced as far as handle length but in the hand tells all. Nice job!
 
Will ,- got time for a few questions?

Hi this is DaQo'tah,

I also just finished a 52100 steel blade,,,okay, it's actually the first real knife I have Ever made too...

http://eastof29.tripod.com/daqotahforge2/id20.html

Now I have been looking over your fine work, and I have a few questions so that I truly understand some things about the way knives are made.

First lets talk about the blade,,, I noticed the out-line shape of the blade is curved in on both the top and bottom,,,how did you decide on the curve?...how did you draw or mark the design?

I wish to make convex edges,,,the curve of the sharpen edge is taken all the way up to the top of the blade (like Ed Fowler does in his Video),
...but when I try to "Slack belt" sand the steel, I always seem to cut into the top part of the blade,,,this kinda makes a bevel on the top of the knife also this makes the line when you sight down the top edge of the blade go from a nice thick 1/4 inch at the "Racasso?" to suddenly a narrow bevel along the top,,,it looks bad. ...how do you gring the edge to not do this?

I noticed that you have a angle at the end of the sharpen edge where it stops in front of the Guard,,,and that the guard keeps the angle, how did you do this?

Guard Questions : , how did you drill at that matched angle?

where did you get the guard?, I make mine out of Brass,( $15.00 per foot + tax and shipping) but I think I would like to try other stuff to see what looks the best to my eyes...

Spacers,- . I have read how guys drill the spacers, but how did you do this for an angle?

what glue is used on them?
how big was the tang under the leather spacers?

Handle - where did you get it?
what type of drill bits?
how big was the tang,,,and how big a hole was drilled for it?
how did you drill it without popping out the side?
what glue?
how did you do the end cap?
how is the end cap attached?

thanks
DaQo'tah
 
Ok, I'll see if I can answere a few questions, right now I'm on an oil rig in the gulf, and getting a little computer time. I can't get my E-mail though.

This particular desighn was a custom desighn for the customer. He give me the specs for what he was looking for, I drew it up, he added a couple of things, and after a while we came up with a desighn. While this particular desighn is not just right for me, I did enjoy working with the customer to make her, it truly is a custom knife.


As for comeing up with pleasing lines, I've probly drawn a couple hundred knives on paper, and only made a handfull of them.

The way I set the convex edge is to first grind a normal beval, then slack grind with the back just a hair off the belt, very light pressure on the edge. Then I go to hand rubbing, and finish the edge out. I'm still playeing with the edge, by no means have I got it mastered. When I first started I did the same thing you did.

The ricasso I grind to where I want, then to match the gaurd, I use a file guide. The file guide is two piesesof hardened O-1 that is 3/4" wide, and works perfect for the 'Fowler' style ricasso.

I ordered the guard material from Sheffield's supply, I try to buy 4"x6" bars, as it is cheaper that way. They have a good selection of materials.

The spacer's were drilled at an angle, nothing fancy, just marked where I wanted to come out and took the battery drill to it. Drilled it undersized and used a router bit on a Dremel to get it to fit the tange.

The leather spacers were cut into squars, much largere than needed, soaked with water, stacked 6-7 at a time and pressed in a 2 ton shop press, left for a couple of hours, taken out and seperated and aloud to dry, then soaked with supper thin supper glue, stacked and pressed again. Make sure to use wax paper between the leather and the press, so that you can get the block out. Let dry a day or two in the press, then use the bandsaw to clean up the edges so you have a nice squar block, drill for the tange and your ready to install. On a leather handle I like to suck everything up tight, either with a pommerl nut or with a clamp till the glue dries. When nearly finished I give the leather anougther coat of thin supper glue to make sure there is no open leather grains, then sand the upper layer off and buff.

I use Acurglass bedding compound on most hidden tange knives.

I will talk more latter, have to go to work now.
 
Ok, just got off work and have a little time, The antler came from anouther maker, he got a truck load of red deer and axis racks from a local deer farm. I think he paid around nine dollers a pound.

The axis is almoust solid bone, but I had to drill large enough for the bolt that is silver brazed to the tange. I used a 1/4" bit, went slow and just followed the core all the way through. I then used a 5/16" and wollowed the hole enough to get the tang on.

The tang is as thick and wide under the leather as I can make it. I have ground through handle material a couple of time till I learned to measure and mark where the tange goes. On a leather type handle the tange realy needs to be tough because the leather is not as ridged as something like horn or mycarta. the bolt I brazed on is a 5/16" bolt.

I ground a 5/16" steel nut round and silver brazed it to the center of a 1/4" nickle silver square. The but cap is screwed onto the end of the bolt that is in the stag. After the epoxy is dry I grind it to shape.

The hard part of a knife like this is it takes a lot of dry fitting.


Good luck and if I can help let me know
 
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