Old School Camp Knife

LongRifle

LongRifle

Joined
Apr 5, 2000
Messages
2,018
You guys are probably getting sick of seeing my work :), but I'll post one more ;) :p .

This is a shot of one of the first few knives I sold, almost two years ago (which I believe currently resides in Mr. Stumpy's collection). It still ranks high on my favorite list I've wanted to revisit the design for quite a while, so I decided to make a smaller version with a few additions.

The current piece is a couple inches shorter than the original with a 5.25" blade, SS fittings, and a stabilized African blackwood handle. Swedges, a radiused spine, underside of ricasso, and slightly better craftsmanship have been added :).

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As you can probably tell, I built a light box. Photos seem to be better, now I just need a little more work with the software :).

Matt
 
Just gorgeous! The African Blackwood is super.

Don't let Danbo, or any of the other barbarians, near it t'il I see it in Atlanta.

best,

Peter
 
You guys are probably getting sick of seeing my work , but I'll post one more .
Click to expand...

I'm getting sick of you not giving me one of these. :D

You just keep the pics coming and I will find it in my heart to forgive you. :D

Fine work.
 
Time flies Matt.That is another beauty you have made there,your work keeps improving with every new piece.Yup ,that original stiil resides with me,just not so pretty.:)
 
Matt,
Terry beat me,was going to say,ya',sick of not seeing one at my house.:D
As Peter posted,beautifully figured AB!:cool:
What is steel? :confused:

Doug:)
 
W2. That is a new one on me.

What are its properties and performance ups and downs?
 
Matt,
I was gonna' guess W2 but didn't wanna' get caught with my foot in my mouth.Terry,check out Matt's Fighting Bowie in this forum.

Doug
 
Terry, I'll give you my honest review of w2.

W2 is a simple carbon steel with the addition of vanadium, which increases wear resistance and decreases grain size. In terms of performance I notice very little difference between w2, 1084, w1, 52100, and even 5160. I do notice a slight difference when working the steel. From my experience it can be brittle if not properly tempered, it is not particularly forgiving.

The deciding factor for me is the steel is super clean. I haven't found a single inclusion or abnormality, which is great when I put a high finish on a blade.

On a side note, the specs on any given piece of w2 varies wildly in both carbon and vanadium. The w2 which I forged the fighting bowie from is at the high end of both carbon and vanadium, which can be a pain. Out of the quench I estimate that I'm getting 66rc (maybe a little more), which requires a very high temper to reduce brittleness.

Hope that helps.

Matt
 
Very nice Matt-

Good, clean lines make for a very sleek profile. :)

I'm not sure where you keep getting this light blackwood but I love it :cool:

edited to add: as per the W2, I find there's a pretty substantial edge holding difference for this steel vs. most other simple carbon steels, but it may just be a sugar pill. :)

Terry- W2 is a "new-old" steel. It was THE favorite of bladesmiths for many years, but it's no longer smelted on a regular basis... it wasn't made at all for years. If you look in the older books you'll find it was a favorite of smiths like Bill Moran and Jim Schmidt. :)
 
Matt,

That was a great description. A Rockwell of 66?! Wow!

I bet that thing will cut you for three days if you get something in the way. :D

I agree on the finish. It does look great. I love a well done sation finish.

How does W2 compare in costs to the other steels?

Thanks again.
 
Very nice knife Matt.

I'll have to agree with Nick on W2, it's a super carbon steel. Most of the top forgers of the 70's and early 80's were using W2 then it became very hard to get and all but disappeared. Some has recently resurfaced and I have a nice little stash :) it's one of my favorite steels.
 
Terry, w2 is slightly more expensive than the one series steels. However, the cost of most carbon steels is so close (and makes up such a small percentage of the total cost of the knife) that there is almost no cost difference for a w2 hunter or a 52100 hunter. By far and away the biggest cost is the handle material.

The problem with w2 is finding it. I have very little left and I'm not sure what I'm going to switch to when my supply is gone.

Nick and Don, I'm surprised you guys notice much of a difference in the steels. I'll toss out another brutally honest opinion ;), the average user probably cannot tell the difference between any of the carbon steels...that is probably way too general :) but I think it represents the vast majority of steels and the users. The differences are so subtle that only a highly trained and seasoned user will notice a difference.
 
I believe there are so many variables that can affect your perception of the quality of a steel that make this a true statement.

I personally cannot comment on a steel that is of at least good quality until I have used it for 6 to 12 months. I just don't feel I have given it a great shot at proving itself b/c of the variables.

The biggest problem of course is that these discussions are purely subjective until someone comes up with a way to actually analyse the level of sharpness and edge retention of a given steel.

At any rate, you can definitely tell when one looks good and was made right.
 
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