Pics of my first knife.

M

mpj13

Joined
Oct 5, 2001
Messages
108
Well I am allmost done with it except for polishing the blade and handle. I almost wish I could just finish it and then post a few pics of it, but I don't have a scanner or digital camera. So I had to bring it in to work and have a friend take a few pics. I screwed up the middle pin, next time I am using a slow setting epoxy and not a light speed epoxy:( I still need to finish hand sanding the blade, the night before I took the pics I was in my garage and I could not see it very well so it is not as smooth as I though I am going to buy a lamp too:D The pic showing the thin part of the handle is very rough I over looked that so I still have to smooth it out. I also need to get some 2000 grit paper to finish it up. Any helpful ideas or complaints? Any coments are welcome.

What should I use to polish it and give it that finished look? The blade and micarta, I would like to give the micarta a more finished look. There is one small crack in the handle and this is from screwing up the middle pin, because of this a few other little things are messed up on the handle. Again keep in mind I still need to do a little touch up so no "the, uh... blade has a little scratch at the bottom" stuff J/K

I am going to try and post a pic again once it is totaly polished and done, but for now I had to get some pics while I can.

The Specs are:
1084, Triple quenched and triple tempered, passed the brass rod and 2X4 test and stayed sharp

Handle is black linen micarta. (This is my first time using micarta. It was rough getting the grain to look decent. Live and learn)

3 3/4" blade
4 1/4" handle
OAL 8"

Pics: Here it is

You may have to hit refresh(F5) as soon as it starts to load.

By the way for a great web hosting company go to www.skaggsweb.com and click on services.
 
Good start Michael! What size pins did you use in this one? They look a tad on the big side, personally. The bigger the pin the more there is to peen and the odds of cracking the handle is greater. I've always used 3/32" pins with good results. Also, did you counter sink/bevel, the holes before you put the handle on?
Just from reading your post it sounds like you have the desire. You'll be amazed how fast you learn the little things that make the difference.
 
It looks pretty darn good for a first knife, when you build a knife you learn something new with everyone you make and little tricks that will help you improve the next one, and the next one and the one after that. People on this forum can give a lot of great advise, but learning how to use that advise is the hard part( and fun part).

Enjoy the making part and you will go far. ;)

Bill ????
 
I Used 3/16" rod, after I started to drill it out I thought it looked pretty big. I accualy like the smaller pins but I thought it might be easier using larger ones. I think I will order 1/8" for my next one. One thing I tried to is to offset the middle pin a little bit because of the finger grooves, the grooves work nicly it gives a good grip on th knife allmost too short though, but I can't complain.

L6,
When you say bevel do you mean on the underneath side to allow more glue to stick? all I did was drill the pin holes with a 3/16" drill bit and a few others for the glue.

One question though, when you put the pins in can you pound them in a little extra and let the brass expand into the hole making a tighter fit?

The problem I had with the middle pin was that I used super glue for the handle and it started to set allmost right away so I was struggling to get all the pins in before it was too late, I got the outside pins in and then the middle pin stuck so I hit it a little harder than I should have and it messed it up. Oh-well live and learn.
 
looks like a good beginning. Don't get discouraged. I learn something new on every one I make. (some of them never get out of the shop) they become shop knives. Looks like you're on your way. Just keep monitoring this forum and learn a little from everyone!
 
The problem I had with the middle pin was that I used super glue for the handle
Click to expand...

Go to Wal-Mart and pick up Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. Not the 30 minute stuff, even that starts to set up too quickly. It comes in a 2 part tube that you squeeze out even amounts of, mix it and spread it on. There are lots of other great epoxies out there to use, some better, this is just one of the easiest to start with.

Ed Fowler points out in his latest Blade column, epoxy for the handle is just to act as a seal and has little value in actually holding the handle scales on the blank. Pins are what holds the scales on. After some testing on this, I'd agree with this -- to a point. There is some bonding value to be had from epoxy.

Super glue sets much too fast and it's grip is often subject to the materials being glued. I routinely use super glue during fabrication to hold scales onto a blank to drill holes and merely tap it off with a light hammer tap on the edge when I'm done drilling. It pops right off.
Have fun with your new knife.
 
Michael, looks a lot better than my first knife. It probably actually looks better than some of my knifemaking attempts that are more recent, and I think I'm on #8 or something. My first knife was an abomination. It might help to do your hand sanding and polishing of the blade before putting your handle on though. Then cover your blade in some tape so as to not get scratches from thrown grinder grit (or get epoxy or glue smeared on it) and then put on the handles.
 
Wish my first knife looked that good! All in all, it's the knife's heat treat(and to a lesser extent desighn) that is above all the most important, and it sounds like you nailed it.:) Every thing else will come with time and practice.

Good work and where's #2?
 
Great start. I've enjoyed following the evolution of a Knifemaker through your previous posts. Thanks.
Happy Holidays, Greg
 
How's it feel to hold your first knife? I hope you will carry and use it! Keep working, get yourself a lot of light, be patient and do the best you can at every step. If you start feeling impatient, stop and go sweep the floor or something; don't rush your work! It just doesn't pay. I think I spend about 4 hours thinking about what I'm going to do next for every hour I spend actually working on a knife. You've done a great job building your first one, so it's time to start #2! You can profile your next blade and start planning it while you hand rub this one... It never ends! Congratulations and good luck. Thanks for sharing with us, keep up the good work.

Dave
 
Well, I'm not going to say it looks good for your first knife because it just plain looks good. It's also a useful design. I expect you will get a lot of use out of it. You are off to a good start. No one I know started as a great knifemaker. They all try to make the next one just a little better. There will be things you don't like about this one and on the next one you will fix them.

Don't "pound" your pins. Peen them. They will bump up a little in size during the peening process but if you try to do this you will almost always split the scale.

One bad thing. From the looks of your first one, I don't think you will take the Ugly Knife title from me anytime soon.
 
MPJ, I use super-glue as well for my handles. What I do is glue the handle slab on, then drill the holes. You must leave the handle slab on because you could never set it in place quickly enough to line up the pin holes. After the first slab is drilled, then put the other side on and drill that one. Don't worry, it all get's easier.

Hugh
 
Thanks a lot everyone for the hints, tips and comments. You all have been very helpful.

My next step is I am going to try and make a sheath for it out of Kydex, this will be interesting. My next knife project is either going to be a push dagger mostly for more practice and then a 12" OAL Tanto. I am kind of leaning torwards the Tanto first though, if you read the Japanese sword threadyou'll know why. I do think it is biting off a bit much for me right now but who cares as long as it is fun, if worse comes to worse I might have to try a few (hundred) times to get it right.

I would never have even known were to start in making a knife if it wasn't for the help of everyone here on the forums. Thanks a lot.
 
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