Nick Wheeler Prototype Fighter. "Oh YEA "......

Will York said:
I didn't think buying one of these would give me veto power over you making more--can't imagine anyone else would feel that way, either. Seems to me we got a price break for participating in the "bulk build" on the original 10, which besides a fantastic knife, also sweetened the deal--plus the immediate gratification of getting these knives so quickly (well..."immediate" for a Nick Wheeler creation :p).

Bottom Line: Producing more of this design would be between you and Joe, as far as I'm concerned.
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Agree with Will.
 
billf said:
Just wanted to check in - The knife arrived today, and it is awesome. Big, but light, as Joe has said. I have # 7 in black G10, and I really like the way it looks, since the layering effect really shows the contours nicely.
Had it sent direct to me because 1) I wanted to get my hands on it sooner :D
and 2) I am expecting a "sibling" at some point, and figure I will send them both to Paul at the same time :thumbup:

Nick and Joe - great job all the way around :thumbup::thumbup:


Bill
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Glad you are pleAsed and the knife got there safe

Thanks for taking part in this
 
2 months for a new design and production of 10 knives sounds like really good time to me.
Plus taking the time to post photos as the project evolved.

Thank you for posting the photos and letting the rest of us enjoy this build.
(I still want to see a photo of the finished mahogany one)
 
"And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

-WB Yeats
"The Second Coming"

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It ain't over yet, boys and girls. :D
 
As many of you know, Will has a very keen eye. Which is very interesting to me, because when other people post photos, I often miss subtle things... Will doesn't miss those things.

Like how the drawing on this yellow paper is different than the drawing with Joe's seal of approval. ;) The yellow sheet was actually my original drawing before tweaking it to Joe's wants/eye...
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This started a couple months ago, but Will was kind enough to let me get #1-10 done while setting this one aside for a bit. :)
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My optometrist would be the first to take issue with your kind words about my perception, but I just really wanted to see this one come to fruition. I absolutely love Joe's final design, and feel fortunate to be one of the lucky ones to get a numbered piece, but the dimensions of Nick's early drawing really set the hook in me. Should be fun! :D
 
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Nick and Will I had a really long day and just got in

This really made me smile

Can't wait to see this one when it's done :)

Way to get um done Nick your starting to act like Jason always pounding out something :)
 
NickWheeler said:
This started a couple months ago, but Will was kind enough to let me get #1-10 done while setting this one aside for a bit. :)
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i am not trying to steal any trade secrets, but i am intently interested in how your grind the blade on your knives. they are always so crisp and perfect. the plunges are even an clean even when "rough ground"

then i see this picture which looks alot like what my blade look like before i take them to the 36 grit ceramic. do you use and angle grinder to put the "foundation" in" or is this an exception? any info you would be willing to part with would be gold.
thanks
~Chris
 
Hi Chris :)


Thanks for the kind words buddy! :)

No trade secret stealing here ;) I'm happy to help if I can... especially a guy working so hard at this stuff as you do. Not to blow sunshine up your shorts, but it's really awesome to see a "kid" come along with a ton of natural talent AND DRIVE and make it come together into knives like you do. I follow your work and am always impressed.

On a side note, I hope married life is treating you well. :)

*** Not to be a smart ass, but first I should mention, if you click on Lorien's thread (my signature line- link) it's got a lot of pictures of how I do it***



The pic of Will's blade above, was after it had been forged to shape, had the profile zipped up a bit, the forge scale knocked off with a 4.5" angle grinder, and the ricasso surface ground. To be brutally honest, I'm not sure how I got the plunge that crisp at that stage of the game :o :foot: :) I actually hate using the angle grinder on my blades because I forge them pretty close to shape, and I'm always worried I'll grind something off that I want to keep. :eek: :D

It wasn't until I heard about masters like Harvey Dean and Don Hanson knocking their forge scale off that way, that I tried it. And then I remind myself that Michael Rader Ms, ground all his swords with an angle grinder about the time I met him :eek: :cool: :thumbup:

But I usually stay away from the ricasso, choil, top of the grind... It's like my former hair stylist/cutter lady used to tell me, "I can always take more off, but I can't put it back on." :D

If you look REAL close at that photo, you can see a little tiny bit of a hammer mark still in the surface ground part of the blade (it almost blends into the plunge). I actually took my plunge cuts back, just PAST that little mark AFTER heat-treat was completely finished.
 
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My user just came in the mail

I am sitting in the office with it resting in a Paul Long sash sheath rig IWB

I feel very safe :)
 
holy CRAP!
i have searched this forum over and over again to find threads like that and they are hard to find... that is AMAZING! As it turns out that knife in the thread is the one that inspired the knife i am working on for Lorien right now. your work is amazing! the jigs and precision is absolutely mind blowing.. makes my work look like something a caveman would make. i did learn alot and honestly, you completely answered my question. All my grinding is freehand on a Bader BIII and the tracking on it doesnt always lend itself to crisp plunges.. but with your tips and tricks i think i may be able to dial in my fit and finish a good deal.

How long have you been making knives? and how long was it before you started making all the jigs and set-ups? i just dont seem to make the time to make the jigs. i do it at work all the time... but at home it is mostly free-hand, which explains my lack of fit.

when i first started making knives my only tool was dremel rotoary and i literally told myself "it will take too long and be too much work to take all those scratches out..." but when i had the epiphany that it was worth the work to take all the scratches out, that is when i really started making knives. this is another turning point i think.. truly an inspiration.. thanks for taking the time to show others how it should be done.
thanks again
~Chris
 
Nick and Joe:

My numbered fighter arrived today, and I’m super impressed by the blade geometry, weight and balance—actually much better than I expected. You guys have hit this one out of the park—just amazing. The handle contours are wonderful—sooo comfortable in all positions and indexing is tremendously precise. The “impact” aspect was something that I didn’t really think the geometry was capable of achieving on this length blade to such an effective degree, but there it is--I could certainly imagine doing light chopping with this knife, no problem. Fantastically successful design, IMO.

Major kudos, guys. :thumbup:

Thanks a million!
Will
 
Here is the user With the P Long sheath

The black G 10 is not as polished as on the proto or the others

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Thanks Will coming from you this means the world to me

The goal of this project was to make a big performing little knife and Nick has done this
 
JParanee said:
The goal of this project was to make a big performing little knife and Nick has done this
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++++++10+

The zero convex edge geometry is enough to make a knife lover weep for joy--the phrase that keeps running through my head is a "razor with balls". This knife also has the sharpest clip I've ever tried--a true high-performance cutting edge that would not be out of place as the primary edge on a dedicated slicer/dicer.
 
OK Nick,

Now you've gone and scared us all...or at least me :D

I was looking for the wink or the :p.....but I guess you forgot to put it in !!!!

I didn't mention the clip before, but I agree it is VERY sharp....and even though i didn't specify Unicorn fur polishing, I can see a beautiful hamon on mine :cool:

Exactly what I expected, so you are not getting mine back :D

Bill
 
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