Kohai999
Second Degree Cutter
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- Jul 15, 2003
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Raymond Richard dagger blank WIP
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
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- 28,391
thank you, STeven. After doing a quick search, I found this link;
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=377589
and I must say that after reading it, I have a newfound respect for you sir.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=377589
and I must say that after reading it, I have a newfound respect for you sir.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
- 28,391
I did these pictures a couple of weeks ago about, and I've made a little progress since then, maybe I'll snap a couple shots later in the day.
Being a 'home Dad' a couple days a week while the wife is working is treating me really well I must say.
So, here's my hibachi progress, almost til now;
Being a 'home Dad' a couple days a week while the wife is working is treating me really well I must say.
So, here's my hibachi progress, almost til now;
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
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took awhile, but I pretty much got that chunk of copper to fit;
There's a gap but I think I have a couple of solutions. One is to finish everything nice and smooth and then when I epoxy this habaki thing on, I'll sprinkle a good layer of fine copper filings which I saved and smoosh it into the epoxy. The other idea is to texture the habaki and sort of blend it via hammer strikes into the blade. I like the juxtaposition of the smoothly finished copper against the hammered blade. What do you think?
I've got some truing up to do yet, but I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. This particular piece wouldn't have take so long if I had a drill press when I started, but I have one now and it's going to make the rest of this job go much more smoothly. And hopefully quicker.
There's a gap but I think I have a couple of solutions. One is to finish everything nice and smooth and then when I epoxy this habaki thing on, I'll sprinkle a good layer of fine copper filings which I saved and smoosh it into the epoxy. The other idea is to texture the habaki and sort of blend it via hammer strikes into the blade. I like the juxtaposition of the smoothly finished copper against the hammered blade. What do you think?
I've got some truing up to do yet, but I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. This particular piece wouldn't have take so long if I had a drill press when I started, but I have one now and it's going to make the rest of this job go much more smoothly. And hopefully quicker.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
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- 1,924
If you hammer the two faces you may open up the other two sides and the habaki may slide up a bit. Also, you can grind or sand off the hammer marks. Here is a tutorial by Jesus Hernandez showing how he does it. http://www.jhbladesmith.com/en/tutorials/techniques/habaki-making.html
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- Dec 5, 2005
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Thanks bro! 
Made some great progress today! Got rid of that gap by crunching the habaki against the tang using my vise. I can really start to see this project amounting to something pretty good, so long as I don't screw up too bad.
Ready to get started here. Word to the wise: you want flat planes? A sheet of glass is your friend!
I learned the trick of hammering a guard on using a phone book from Jason Knight, (not to name drop);
starting to get the guard planned out so I can drill some holes with my spankin new drill press. This material is silicon bronze.
Ran out of clean sandpaper. Will bring some 320 and 400 in to get the habaki finished tomorrow, and hopefully start to work on the guard.
Made some great progress today! Got rid of that gap by crunching the habaki against the tang using my vise. I can really start to see this project amounting to something pretty good, so long as I don't screw up too bad.
Ready to get started here. Word to the wise: you want flat planes? A sheet of glass is your friend!
I learned the trick of hammering a guard on using a phone book from Jason Knight, (not to name drop
);
starting to get the guard planned out so I can drill some holes with my spankin new drill press. This material is silicon bronze.
Ran out of clean sandpaper. Will bring some 320 and 400 in to get the habaki finished tomorrow, and hopefully start to work on the guard.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
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I'm thinking of applying a very nice 400 grit finish to it, and then ruining it with 80 grit, then brown patina and a rub down with 1500 grit. We'll see though, I'm kind of playing it by ear.
Thanks for asking and for your suggestion:thumbup:
Thanks for asking and for your suggestion:thumbup:
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- Dec 5, 2005
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it occurred to me that I should probably put an edge on this knife before I started to assemble it. The habaki is a very tight fit and I will get only one chance to get it on without causing some damage getting it off. Putting an edge on with the hardware fixed to the tang will only amount to heartache if I were to put a big gouge into this suckhole of time piece of copper.
I started in with a crappy hardware store half round bastard and quickly found that Ray's heat treatment was spot on. To be honest, I was a little worried because the tang was so easy to work on at low hardness and although I had at one time tested the blade itself with a file, the fact that I wore my file out getting these bevels in showed me the edge is plenty hard. Not only that, it is slightly softer out toward the tip, which I think is preferable for a knife like this. I'd prefer the tip bend when it connects with a cougar's spinal column, as opposed to breaking off.
This is a cougar hunting knife after all.
Having worn out this file, and sandpaper on glass not really cutting it, I looked in the old box for another file. Lo and behold I find me a little two pack of hardware store sharpening stones that who knows where they came from. I learned something new today and that is the ole ole skool dudes had it right- rock and water is a good way to work down steel.
the little file here is what I used to hog out the habaki's innards. I turned to it in desperation after wearing out my bastard, and yeah it's toast now too
Man my hand tools are taking a beating these days. Guess that's a good thing or maybe I'm using them wrong, or maybe they're just shoddy tools. Probably a combination of the above.
the sword AND the stone.
I've worked at it a bit since and it looks really nice with it's increasing polished appleseed edge. I'll show you some more pictures tomorrow. But you gotta keep in mind that this is an entirely hand hammered to shape knife, bevels and all. The edge is not anywhere near straight and the blade has kind of twist to it, do to the fact that Ray is not ambidextrous with the hammer. It has a very nice organic feel to it especially now that there is a hard, sharp edge guided by the shape hammered into it. Although a little twisted, it will be highly effective. Just like me, (well maybe with the ratio skewed toward 'twisted').
I started in with a crappy hardware store half round bastard and quickly found that Ray's heat treatment was spot on. To be honest, I was a little worried because the tang was so easy to work on at low hardness and although I had at one time tested the blade itself with a file, the fact that I wore my file out getting these bevels in showed me the edge is plenty hard. Not only that, it is slightly softer out toward the tip, which I think is preferable for a knife like this. I'd prefer the tip bend when it connects with a cougar's spinal column, as opposed to breaking off.
This is a cougar hunting knife after all.
Having worn out this file, and sandpaper on glass not really cutting it, I looked in the old box for another file. Lo and behold I find me a little two pack of hardware store sharpening stones that who knows where they came from. I learned something new today and that is the ole ole skool dudes had it right- rock and water is a good way to work down steel.
the little file here is what I used to hog out the habaki's innards. I turned to it in desperation after wearing out my bastard, and yeah it's toast now too
Man my hand tools are taking a beating these days. Guess that's a good thing or maybe I'm using them wrong, or maybe they're just shoddy tools. Probably a combination of the above.
the sword AND the stone.
I've worked at it a bit since and it looks really nice with it's increasing polished appleseed edge. I'll show you some more pictures tomorrow. But you gotta keep in mind that this is an entirely hand hammered to shape knife, bevels and all. The edge is not anywhere near straight and the blade has kind of twist to it, do to the fact that Ray is not ambidextrous with the hammer. It has a very nice organic feel to it especially now that there is a hard, sharp edge guided by the shape hammered into it. Although a little twisted, it will be highly effective. Just like me, (well maybe with the ratio skewed toward 'twisted').
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- Dec 5, 2005
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cross your fingers for me please!
I think I'm going to install the habaki...
please, everything go alright
ps. now that the knife is taking form, I redrew the design partially to ensure that I get the habaki on straight. It will be the foundation for the rest of the handle so I better get it right!
I think I'm going to install the habaki...
please, everything go alright
ps. now that the knife is taking form, I redrew the design partially to ensure that I get the habaki on straight. It will be the foundation for the rest of the handle so I better get it right!
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
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- 2,142
Habaki looking good, Lorien.
Those fingers are looking well used, though.
John
Those fingers are looking well used, though.
John
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well it pretty much worked. I'm a little disappointed though; the habaki is a little crooked, but hell there isn't much straight about this knife anyway so I'm good with it.
I LOVE my drill press!!!
I LOVE my drill press!!!
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
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so, like, since my habaki is a little off kilter, I decided to use some of this vulcanized material a friend gave me to hopefully hide any ugly gaps;
got the guard pretty much shaped, (still lots to do, but the basic idea should be obvious) and the copper spacer fit to the tang;
shaping the spacer;
and I'm getting close now. This is really starting to come together.
got the guard pretty much shaped, (still lots to do, but the basic idea should be obvious) and the copper spacer fit to the tang;
shaping the spacer;
and I'm getting close now. This is really starting to come together.