rigging knife chisel grind?

koyote

koyote

Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
5,846
hey,

I'm making a rigging knife for a friend, just a little 2.75 inch blade, and i'm sitting here looking at the profile and wondering, would a chisel grind work out okay?

i haven't done a lot with chisel grinds, making or using - i am left handed and most production kitchen knives (the only chisel grinds i've used) are right handed, so they act funky in my hand.
 
Chisel grind works well for a rigging knife. Make the spine thick and tough, so it can be pounded through rope. No point, or sharp end, either.
Stacy
 
i was hoping you'd be one of the responders, stacy :)

very blunt wharnie type shape, about 7/8 (just measured) inch deep and 1/8 spine should be plenty for the size of the knife. doing a hidden tang, too- 2 through rivets.
 
1/8" might hold up, but you would be far better off with 5/32-3/16. A rigging knife can get some real abuse. If it is mostly a utility knife in the form of a rigging knife, then the 1/8 will be fine. Draw the spine temper back fully, with the edge in 1/4" of water. Also, make the tang as wide as practical at the ricasso. A rigging knife does well with a ferrule. A piece of brass tubing, ovaled out, works great. I tend to prefer a full tang on these for strength reasons.
Stacy
 
well, this is small craft- 32 foot sailboat- so it should work out on strength, i'm thinking. the tang is not really narrow, soft shoulders down to 1/2 so i can cover it. the length of the tang is 3.5 inches, too.

I had thought of peened copper pins and a copper ferrule, but i have the brass to do it.

i think if i was doing a fisherman's rigging knife i'd make it a 4 inch blade out of 1/4 inch stock with a turks head and whipping cord wrap handle and the whole thing dunked in varathane. I may just do one after christmas....
 
sounds good for rigging, as far as chisel grind goes. personally, though i dont think left or right hand matters, chisel grinds seem funny to me haha, just doesn't feel right in my hand. i think stacys idea about a thicker spine sounds good. just thought id chime in. your doin allot of work, im impressed!
-Lou
 
wait till i get the chef's knives done! one is a mild subhilt with ebony... yummy. i'm on the 400 grit now, should have it done out to 800 and buiffed in the morning and ready for final polish on the scales before attaching
 
The british navy folding rigging knives had a slightly thinner than 1/8 spine thickness, however the fixed blades carried by the crew on the schooner I sail on every other year probably have 5/32. Just curious, are you going to make a matched marlinspike to accompany it in the sheath? most of the ones I see worn in Camden have a knife and marlinspike both lanyarded to the sheath.

-Page
 
this one isn't getting a marlinspike, at least not right now. i might make it anyway and see what happens, i've got a pile of 1/2 inch rebar that has enough carbon to harden up and hold an edge, should do the trick. I've used both knife and spike in sailing, but never worked a tall ship.
 
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