OT: A knife for craftsmen

Sylvrfalcn

Sylvrfalcn

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
3,930
I like to do a bit of woodcarving and leatherwork. Two very traditional knives used for such endeavors are a skew knife and a crooked knife. Can't make a proper crooked knife until I get access to a forge, but the skew knife was no problem. When I think traditional knives I am absolutely unbiased, so when I stumbled across what the Japanese call a "Kiridashi", I said "bingo, that's a skew knife in it's simplest form". I've attached a pic of one from the japanesetools.com website (keep your fingers crossed that it works). The one I made turned out really, really, nice. It's chisel ground (bevel on one side only) at a fairly acute angle, and the dang thing cuts wood or leather like it was cheese. For the handle I used my favorite handle wood, boxwood (it was very commonly used for knife handles during the middle ages),and for the saya (scabbard) I used basswood with a wrap of silk thread at the throat.

Why am I going on about this odd little knife? Because it would be a very simple knife for a first time knifemaker to try his hand at. A six inch metal cutting file is perfect for the blade, and since the blade is so much like a chisel you've got some nice unsharpened flats for use as a chakma on your khuks. Not a bad deal for a "custom" knife that'll cut figure eights in harness leather, and can be made for about five bucks in materials, in roughly two hours.

E0509.jpg


Sarge
 
Very cool. Looks great for whittling. How did you shape it? Does it need heat treating? I want one.
 
Bob, all you need is a bench grinder and a bucket of water for roughing out the blade (a steady hand helps;) ). Start by using the grinder to remove all the file teeth until you wind up with a smooth blade blank. Mark the blade shape you want and carefully cut it out with the grinder (quench well and often or you'll ruin the temper). The chisel ground bevel is fairly simple since you only have to work on one side of the blade. Work slowly and keep the bevel as straight and true as possible. Since grinding wheels are round you have to guard against repeatedly grinding along the exact same line, or else you'll wind up with a hollow ground effect. Get the bevel as straight and true as humanly possible on the grinder then you're ready to start finishing. For this an EZ-Lap diamond hone works well for truing up the flats and bevel on, or you can use my low tech method of using sandpaper on a known flat surface. Using progressively finer grades, and then moving on to leather strops dressed with compound, I wound up with a mirror polished bevel so true and so keen that it'll neatly cut a free hanging hair (an old sharpness test I use for my straight razor). You're right about the whittling bit, it's a champ. Good luck and let us hear about your results. One last thing, I strongly recommend eye protection and a good dusk mask when using bench grinders or belt sanders.

Sarge
 
I bought one of these a few years ago, marketed by Cold Steel, for about $6 with a neat plastic scabbard. It's a terrific marking knife in the wood shop.
 
Six bucks is dirt cheap Russ, do they still sell 'em? It would make a good "toolbox knife" for hobbyists. Only one problem, the "neat plastic sheath". Plastic stuff to me is like garlic to a vampire.:barf: ;)

Sarge
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
I like to do a bit of woodcarving and leatherwork. Two very traditional knives used for such endeavors are a skew knife and a crooked knife. (A)Can't make a proper crooked knife until I get access to a forge, but the skew knife was no problem. When I think traditional knives I am absolutely unbiased, so when I stumbled across what the Japanese call a "Kiridashi", I said "bingo, that's a skew knife in it's simplest form". I've attached a pic of one from the japanesetools.com website (keep your fingers crossed that it works). The one I made turned out really, really, nice. It's chisel ground (bevel on one side only) at a fairly acute angle, and the dang thing cuts wood or leather like it was cheese. For the handle I used my favorite handle wood, boxwood (it was very commonly used for knife handles during the middle ages),and for the saya (scabbard) I used basswood with a wrap of silk thread at the throat.

Why am I going on about this odd little knife? (B) Because it would be a very simple knife for a first time knifemaker to try his hand at. A six inch metal cutting file is perfect for the blade, and since the blade is so much like a chisel you've got some nice unsharpened flats for use as a chakma on your khuks. Not a bad deal for a "custom" knife that'll cut figure eights in harness leather, and can be made for about five bucks in materials, in roughly two hours.

E0509.jpg


Sarge
Click to expand...

Guys, I dredged up this old thread for y'all's amusement, and to put ideas in the heads of guys thinking about trying their hand at making a knife. What better project than a small, useful, craft knife that can be used in making other stuff. Regarding the highlighted phrases above;
A. No longer a problem
B. Git 'er done

attachment.php


Sarge

p.s.: now if I could just learn to take a decent dadgum picture. . . . .
 

Attachments

  • Picture 161.jpg
    Picture 161.jpg
    20.8 KB · Views: 142
OOOooops, this durned old thread don't realize it should be in the cantina, it's from before we got "compartmentalized" :rolleyes: :D Mods, your kind assistance if you please, many thanks.

Sarge
 
Its a neat thing to see how different cultures approach relatively the same tasks . The Japanese designs seem silmpler yet functional . Their is art in their simplicity yet not in their form . It may be just the tools I get to see . Most of the aboriginal knives I see whether stone or stainless are more inclined towards functionality with an eye kept on a decorative approach . Form follows function in both cases .
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
OOOooops, this durned old thread don't realize it should be in the cantina, it's from before we got "compartmentalized" :rolleyes: :D Mods, your kind assistance if you please, many thanks.

Sarge
Click to expand...

Looks like you're talking about knives to me. I'm happy with the thread where it is.

We're still feeling our way with the Cantina but I'm a little tempted to move some of the knife discussions over there back here to the main forum. My main concern is that the stuff in the Cantina is subject to future deletion whereas I think the content in the main HI forum is fairly safe.
 
I bow to your judgement Howard, thanks for the topcover.

Kevin, anybody who's into all the traditional stuff you are ought to have him a good crooked knife, they're indispensable tools. One of these days I'll do a thread that's a step by step tutorial on making one. Not all that hard to do, but I've learned a trick or two that'll save a lot of headaches. :D

Sarge
 
Hey Sarge, do you know where I might get ahold of one of those crooked knives in the picture? I really want to make a few wooden spoons. Well, at least one as I learned the technique from a friend and then promised my wife that it was part of her Christmas present--just as soon as I can find one of those knives:o
 
MauiRob said:
Hey Sarge, do you know where I might get ahold of one of those crooked knives in the picture? I really want to make a few wooden spoons. Well, at least one as I learned the technique from a friend and then promised my wife that it was part of her Christmas present--just as soon as I can find one of those knives:o
Click to expand...

Ragnar carries some. Scroll down the page a ways.
http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

DaddyDett
 
Thanks DD, but those are not quite it. I'm looking for the ones like Sarge's that have the handle extending out at an angle so you can use them with your wrist in a natural extended position.
 
MauiRob said:
Thanks DD, but those are not quite it. I'm looking for the ones like Sarge's that have the handle extending out at an angle so you can use them with your wrist in a natural extended position.
Click to expand...

A farrier's knife has more of a bent handle. You can pick one up at a feed store.

Here's a good compilation of information. Be sure to take a look at the scan of the page from Jaeger's "Wildwood Wisdom." (A good book, by the way.)

Here's a little about putting on a handle of the kind you like.
 
It is pretty easy to take a knife blade, say a Japanese marking knife without a handle, and sandwich it between two pieces of hardwood to produce a handle. I have used maple in the past. All you really need to do is inlet the wood to accept the blade and then glue with an epoxy.
You don't chop with a craft knife.
I like the steel in Japanese marking knives - they use a very hard steel that takes a great edge. It is sandwiched between two layers of softer steel or iron.
You could alter the angle as you inlay the blade into the wood, but it is still easy to epoxy a knife blade between layers of wood. After doing this with a utility blade from Pfiel, I shaped the handle so it was comfortable.
 
eBay "bent" or "crooked" knife

show up fairly often.

Also look at "hoof knife"


Good hunting.
 
Howard, I definitely like Jaeger's book, lots of neat stuff and charming illustrations. A couple more books I highly recommend are Keith Wilbur's book "Indian Handicrafts" and W. Ben Hunt's book "Indian Crafts and Lore". Another truly excellent book, with a vast array of exquisitely photographed original artifacts is Lar Hothem's book "Indian Trade Relics". I can stare at the pages of that book for hours on end. :D

Sarge
 
Great thread Sarge. So you got a forge now I take it? I forged a blade this weekend with Kricket from the makers section of BF. Great guy. I really owe him one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top