Release the Kraiken (A Joe P build) NEW Video Page 3

BenR.T.

BenR.T.

Tanto grinder & High performance blade peddler
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Apr 18, 2011
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Hey guys, I am sure most of you have checked out the awesome review and resulting thread Joe recently did on the Hartsfield kwaikens. Joe mentioned his like for "kinked" handle style Japanese inspired blades. Here is the resulting drawing I posted up with that in mind.

I call it the "Kraiken" One of the root words for Kraken, is crooked or twisted. So it seemed fitting.


I still like this original slimmer design, but Joe also asked me to make a few slight changes to fit his design preferences (he'll talk a bit on his reasoning). So I adjusted it, mainly moving the curve into the blade and adding more belly. Here is a pic showing the 3 Kwaiken designs. The middle one is the modified Joe P Kraiken.



I have now started the blade, I'll post up some build pics soon. Stay tuned!
 
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Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Ben. Can't wait to see this one. Double bevel or chisel grind? And you know that Joe is moving to California now, so you can just send it to me until he get here.:D Mike
 
Mike157 said:
And you know that Joe is moving to California now...
Click to expand...

Wait a minute.... I totally missed this. How the heck is a guy who loves knives and guns going to move to California? Won't he have to leave half his collection at the border?
 
No worries of me moving to Ca :)

First I want to thank Ben for jumping on this

This conversation came up in the Hartsfield thread where I mentioned I would love to see a KWAIKEN with dialed up Sori

For those of you that do not know what Sori is

Sori is the term used to describe blade and handle curvature in Jaanese style blades

Here are some examples







These examples show it depicted in Katana length blades but Sori is seen in Wakasashi , Tanto and Naginato to name a few

You do not see it as much in Kwaiken sized blades especially the modern Americanized style KWAIKEN

Some including Phill Hartsfield's were almost straight

Matt Gregory has done a few that exhibit Sori

What does Sori do ?

Sori gives a blade an advantage in cutting when the blade is used to do a draw cut

When you swing a blade your arm moves thru a linear arc ...... Sorry helps facilitate a more powerful cut

It is mgnified of course in longer blades but in theory it should work in any blade

So my idea was to see a KWAIKEN that exhibited jacked up Sori

I am not the only one that has had this idea

Thru the history of the Japanese blade you see it on many occasions notably from blades from the 17 th century

On a sword I like to see Koshi Sori or Torii Sori

This is good on smaller blades also but on a KWAIKEN sized blade I really wanted to see one that exhibited Saki Sori

Again I am not the first that wanted this

Martialist James Wiliams of Buguei fame and notable blade designer for CRKT was after this effect when he designed the SakiMori

So I am very pleased that Ben is willing and able to take up this project and I am very excited to see the final outcome

In a small blade will it really make much of a difference in cutting power ? I have no idea but it's gonna look real cool :)

Bens first version that exibits more Torii Sori will also be a stunner and I am anxious to see that one come to life

Thanks Ben and thank you all for the interest in the Modern adaptation of the Japanese KWAIKEN

Ben show um what ya got :)
 
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James Willams on the Sakimori

[video=youtube_share;0nxfHb_J2z8]http://youtu.be/0nxfHb_J2z8[/video]
 
Thanks Joe. Always been a fan of the James Williams crkt designs.

My very first "kwaiken" designs I did Actually exhibited far more sori, it's been a while but I dug up some pics.



Anyway moving on.....I am actually working on a batch of kwaikens right now, including Joe's And my original Kraiken design. On this batch I went full "strongboy" with 1/4"+ CPM 3v. With a 20 degree chisel, it is the equivalent of a 10 degree per side cutting edge. So although super thick, they should be nasty cutters.

I didn't get any pics of me hunched over my bandsaw cutting out the blades, but it's not very exciting anyway.
Here I am lightening the handle area...





Here the blade is rough ground and ready for HT foil.



Here are all 3 designs ready to HT.



Ready to wrap in high temp SS foil. This keeps the 2050f kiln from burning up the steel. : )



Everyone in the oven!



Once my HT cycle is complete, I pull the blades out of the kiln and plate quench them. Once the blades are cool enough to handle, I pull them out of the foil, straighten them if needed and then they got straight into Liquid Nitrogen for a Cryo bath.

Here is Joe's knife ready to go into LN.


Everyone in the pool!!



I let the blades soak in LN overnight, 6-8hrs is fine, but longer is fine too.
Here they are all frosty cming up to room temp before temper.

 
I don't know squat about Japanese blades, but like Joe said, the new design is gonna look really cool. Of the 3 blades shown above the ss wrap photo, I personally prefer the bottom one with more belly.
 
BenR.T. said:
Thanks Joe. Always been a fan of the James Williams crkt designs.
Click to expand...

Me too. That's part of the journey that led me to your work. Great stuff!

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Thanks guys, more pics coming tomorrow. Sunday is my family day. :thumbup:
 
I was finishing up another kwaiken order today. But I did get the "swedge" ground in on Joes blade.

 
So that's a kicked back handle, SICK belly.
Very nice work, Ben.
Great stuff, Joe.

Doug
 
Doug thanks for the kind words

These pieces are the ultimate carry pieces in my opinion
 
Finish grinding the blade.
Although I don't do the buffed 40 grit finish on these, I am leaving them with a machine finish on the flats and bevels. I'd be happy to do 60grit Finish if someone really likes that look though. ;)

 
BenR.T. said:
Finish grinding the blade.
Although I don't do the buffed 40 grit finish on these, I am leaving them with a machine finish on the flats and bevels. I'd be happy to do 60grit Finish if someone really likes that look though. ;)

Click to expand...

Look at that blade sweep !
 
Ok, here are the progress pics for the day. After the last pic, I cleaned up the flats, etched my makers mark and then cleaned up the flats again.

Here is the knife, blade wrapped to protect the finish, on my fancy pants handle wrapping jig. It basically is a hinge I clamp the blade to so I can flip the handle back and forth while I wrap it. Doing Tsuka Ito, my version anyway, is tricky enough. So this helps be an extra hand.



Here is the handle with the underwrap done. I used black hemp cord for this.



My hands don't leave the knife once I start the wrap, so no being wrapped pics. Here I am ready to tie the finished knot, Hair pins make this WAY easier to accomplish.
Notice the alternating over/under knots, IMO this is the proper way to do it. Most people wouldn't notice if all the knots were the same direction, but I would. It's the little details that make the knife.
It should be noted that Josh Mason got me started when I had questions about wrapping handles, probably wouldn't do them if it wasn't for his help back then.



The wrap is done and I am tying the oh so fun Turks Head knot.



Once the knot is complete, I brush on West systems G/flex epoxy. I make sure and get it in all of the nooks and crannies. It has great "wetting" ability and 99.99% of what is on the wrap in this pics will soak in. If there are any wet spots after about 10min, I clean them up with a paper towel. If done properly you almost can't tell by looking that is has be treated, but it ends up being very solid.

 
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