Ok...please help me here folks

That looks 100% better than before Duncan. Mick that pen is gorgeous. Thats knifemaking right there.
 
The blade appearance is shocking..the sides have been scolloped out as well...ok...Im going to post a photo and the blade is only in the basics of shaping, please remember that the edge was ruined-blade shape was thrown out the window, sides were dished out...Im only working with whats left!...so the blade shape isnt the most desirable, and I havent finished with the Tang either- I feel quite ashamed as to some this is butchering-but in this case-I have no choice ( other than to leave it as a show piece )...but this is going to be my garden knife, working with it has got me to never let this knife go...so here is the blade so far-believe it or not ..very little has been taken off the actual edge...please remember this is not finished-far from it..I didnt want to show you yet ..but here goes...

Saturday009.jpg
 
DennisStrickland said:
i had some humphreys in the 70s. you did a good job on cleaning them up--definitely stag & i would just leave these ole warriors as is. they've ran a good race & it's time to retire them to be lookers only.
dennis
Click to expand...

I agree thay have fought the good fight and should be retired, but when I do this, I at least get a good edge on them, one last polished edge to remind the warrior about the good old days, to the knife I'm sure it will feel like the warm sun on it's back on a cold spring morning...
 
here is a comparison..
Now please guys, I know, and hear what you are saying about retiring the ol' girl...and I see that Charlie is looking as well, and Im figuring he would ring my ear if he were here..., but with me doing this...this knife goes on, it will work and be 100 times more appreciated, AND admired by my friends as I use this lovely old girl, I actually feel ashamed cutting back the tang kick, but for the road ahead for this knife...I think and hope I have made the right desicion...and hopefully with your agreement...BUT!!..this is why I put this up-please tell me your honest thoughts of what you see happening to this knife to give it a new lease of life...good or bad I want to hear it :o
Saturday003-1.jpg

Saturday009-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Duncan, those old knives are beautiful.
The cautious approach you are using is just right. They will never be silk purses - they are much better than that and deserve the respect you are giving them!!
As I gaze from my computer to my right, I look at a display case that has 50 Empire knives in it, all worn, some with a broken or a ground up blade. One is a pearl Scout knife - very rare - that has seen better days.
But that display is a history book, one I refer to often.
Whether you use it or not, you have a "Radiant" history in your possession!
 
Wow Duncan, nice work! You could actually carry that beauty once in a while and use it if need be.
 
Gorgeous old Stag, right up my ally as well. I pretty much agree with everyone else, I don't think I'd get the blade replaced, although if it was done with a nice carbon steel and then got a nice patina it could work, but I wouldn't go that route. I would re-profile the blade with as little steel removed as possible, probably a sheepsfoot and I actually would file the kick to drop drop the blade into the handle. I like my blades down as low as possible too, so I'd probably drop it pretty good, but that's me. Right there with you on that stag though, that is some beautiful smoothed over stag, it deserves to be preserved and used.

Jon
 
jnevill said:
Wow Duncan, nice work! You could actually carry that beauty once in a while and use it if need be.
Click to expand...
Thank you, the blade is going to get a lot more done to it( as in finer finishing ), I want to round off the shoulder just slightly that I have made on the tang while I took it back, the sides need a lot more work in stoning, I wont polish these blades-they will be finished in possibly 800g...I will judge that when I finish the stoning stage with a fine Arkansas stone., then will be the big challenge for me, the actual cutting edge is now gone and needs profiling to a real edge...I am completely useless at sharpening, but I do have a Lansky kit...so I may try this...at least then I can retain an even angle?
Thanks for the comment..as I go on with the blade I will throw a photo up if you want...and then hopefully show the knife in action( this wont be skinning any deer or Buffalo :o, its use will be a garden knife..yep thats me, the great white hunter lol.
 
I think you made the right choice...I would have just cleaned them up with some sandpaper and fixed the edge. It's a memento, not a show piece.

Wife got me a "SHARP" (K-Mart I think) small hunter fixed from a junk seller, hopefully she didn't pay much for it. Was dirty and dull, but it was a gift from the wife...so I cleaned it all up and put a nice edge on it and on the pile it will go. High end? Hardly, but it was a gift from my wife and for that alone I'll keep it.
 
Work in process. I like what youv'e done so far Duncan. If it were mine I would be doing the same thing. Mt Queen #9 has a 400 finish on it now. I would keep away from the spine as much as possible if it were mine. It makes me want to go out and find a junker to bring back to life.(not saying yours is a junker, it's not) in my eyes anyways. Can't wait to see the finished knife.

That blades has plenty of life left.

P1010041-2.jpg
 
Great job. You did exactly what I would have done. The one thing I cannot stand is an exposed blade tip. To my eye, in its current condition it looks 200% better than where it was when you received it.

If it was an important piece historically or monetarily- probably not. But I don't guess that was the case.
 
Thanks guys, I will sit down tonight and continue on it, we are going camping for a few days...i can just see myself...sitting in front of the waters edge, sipping a Bourbon, and using my Lansky kit to get a edge on the ol' girl :thumbup:
Man I love this place...thank you guys.
 
i bet you think of what a loving and generous gift from your wife that knife is with every stroke of the stone on the blade. and i bet that every time you use it you're going to use it with a smile. :D it's looking great so far and i would be proud to carry that knife with me. :)
 
Good job making that knife serviceable again Duncan. That looks much better now.

- Christian
 
Ok...I think the knife is as finished as I want, What I basically did to the knife was take down the kick so it would sit down, bevel the blades edge straight, and stone the sides to get rid of the scollops that had been horribly ground in.
I attempted to sharpen the knife-I basically started with a flat bit of steel once the damage was taken back to a relative straight edge...and to be honest folks...I couldnt sharpen a knife to save myself, I tried the Lansky system, but the rods didnt seem to work on a small blade....I must do something about this, Im not happy about not being able to sharpen my own knives nicely.
I finished the blade in 800g after I used the finer stone.
At least now this knife can be, and will be used most frequently....I hope you guys think its an improvement as to where it was before.
Thanks for looking, and thanks for your comments,
Happy and safe holidays forum friends.
Duncan

Now this knife can go out to work again...but not before I send it to my Cossack mate to put a real edge on it.
Saturday015.jpg

Saturday016.jpg

Saturday020.jpg

Saturday019.jpg

Saturday021.jpg
 
Last edited:
navihawk said:
I can't see your problem with sharpening. Looks like it cuts to me.
Click to expand...
Hi Steve...boy..that lemon juice sure put colour back into that old steel very quickly..nothing worse than that shiny look on a old knife :barf:

It just doesnt cut "nice", and Im sure the angle is not correct...and the edge wont hold, Cosack will spend a bit of time with me next time we meet to get on on a basci track with the sharpening side of things. :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top