Scavenger blade: bush tanto

[Storm Crow]

I've been busy lately but haven't put up many pics of what I've been doing. I feel like I'm falling behind!

This was one I made a while back. It's what I term a "scavenger blade", a stock removal blade that is made from a plow disk from my family's farm. The blade was cut from the disk, flattened out, the profile cleaned up, and then it was normalized multiple times to make sure it didn't try to return to its previous curved cross section. Then the bevels were ground in and it was heat treated.

The blade is 8" long and the overall length is 13 1/8", with a spine thickness of approximately 1/8". The handle has full-length leather slabs underneath a hemp cord wrap and a triple strand Turk's head knot in black cotton, all sealed with amber shellac. I think of this as a "bush tanto", though a couple of people have commented that they think it would make a good barbecue slicer. The texture on the blade comes from rust pitting on the plow disk from years of sitting under live oak leaves.

I tried to figure out how to get a stock removal wakizashi out of a plow disk but wasn't able to.

 

[Steve Nuckels]

James, very interesting! I like all the details!

Steve
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Potomac Forge

 

[JAlexander]

I like that one a lot, particularly how the curve of the blade continues through the handle.

 

[Z Bacon]

You make some of the most rugged, beat up knives I have ever seen...

That being said, I can't wait until I can buy one of my own to use! I really like the style.

 

[Storm Crow]

Thank y'all! I'm planning on doing a forged something similar at some point.

Z Bacon - This one's up in the For Sale subforum. Cheap! Don't mind me, I need some sleep.

 

[Z Bacon]

Unfortunately it's not a matter of money, it's a matter of my not being old enough. Once I turn 18 I'll be able to set up my own PayPal though.