Hello everyone. My name is Nicolas FOURNIALS, I live in Southern France, and I am a metal addict. (Chorus: Hi nicolas...)
Fortunately for me, getting a family drew me close to bankrupcy and forced me to sleep on my couch for the past three years, in a small appartment with two VERY small and intrusive kids. Living in a small space with danger lying ahead was NOT a reasonnable way of getting acquainted with steel work, and more accurately Knife making.
Unfortunately, that also meant I wouldn't be able to extend my collection.
So as a derivative for my addiction, I took upon creating WOODEN knives. Yeah, I know, it ain't nothing like the real deal. But at least, it lets me dream that someday, I may ask some real knifemaker to transform one of my wooden models into a steel one.
And believe me, it takes pain, cunning and dedication to be able to find whatever I need to make those, in order for the materials to be both lightweight, not overly dangerous in any confined environment containing two trampling little kiddies, stackable so as to stock everything at the top of the wardrobe, easily hidden... well, anything that you may require from a hobby you want to enjoy in a confined environment with your one year-old and your four-years-old constantly trying to climb onto your lap...
Most evidently, with the materials at hand, I couldn't do a folder, and wouldn't have even if possible. My favor goes to fighters and daggers.
So my first attempt led me to making a nice looking fighter from balsa and mahogany veneers in a sandwich structure, coated with inlay resin. The "knife" had a very nice overall look, but my absence of skill with that resin, of time and space to let it dry gave the coating some "blots" which, in my opinion, ruined most of the effect.
My second attempt at wooden-model knifemaking saw me creating for my fiancee a dagger with the same materials, but with the addition of epoxy glue, in order to rigidify the assembly, and a slightly different structure. Feeling enthusiastic, I also made some inlays of mahogany in the external balsa layer, for a nice look. Once again, I wasn't satisfied with my lack of time and appropriate tools. (I have to note at this point that I had been cutting the mahogany veneers with a scalpel, which had almost ripped the flesh from my fingers, from the sheer strength needed to go through the mahogany in order to cut...)
For my next attempt, which may or may not happen, depending on wether or not I find time to toy around with wood and epoxy after working 40 to 45 hours a week, I'm planning on trying a different method. For my previous attempts, the veneers had been bought in a scale-model shop, and were 10/10 mm sheets. For the next one, I'll buy 5/10 mm sheets in a specialized shop, and will try to give alternate layers, so as to get a simili damas steel, or more accurately, a mokume gane of wood. More epoxy will also enter in the composition. I may use different sorts of wood too, so as to get the epoxy to enter more deeply the pores of it, and rigidify even more the assembly. Maybe I'll post some pictures, someday, if required to.
By the way, I've only seen seasonned knifemakers around here, aren't there some junior apprentices? Some people ready to share passion and apprenticeship stories? Or maybe people like me who would like to get to forging, but retort to different means to touch their passion? If anybody has tips on woodwork, I'd like to hear them too.
Cheers!!
Fortunately for me, getting a family drew me close to bankrupcy and forced me to sleep on my couch for the past three years, in a small appartment with two VERY small and intrusive kids. Living in a small space with danger lying ahead was NOT a reasonnable way of getting acquainted with steel work, and more accurately Knife making.
Unfortunately, that also meant I wouldn't be able to extend my collection.
So as a derivative for my addiction, I took upon creating WOODEN knives. Yeah, I know, it ain't nothing like the real deal. But at least, it lets me dream that someday, I may ask some real knifemaker to transform one of my wooden models into a steel one.
And believe me, it takes pain, cunning and dedication to be able to find whatever I need to make those, in order for the materials to be both lightweight, not overly dangerous in any confined environment containing two trampling little kiddies, stackable so as to stock everything at the top of the wardrobe, easily hidden... well, anything that you may require from a hobby you want to enjoy in a confined environment with your one year-old and your four-years-old constantly trying to climb onto your lap...
Most evidently, with the materials at hand, I couldn't do a folder, and wouldn't have even if possible. My favor goes to fighters and daggers.
So my first attempt led me to making a nice looking fighter from balsa and mahogany veneers in a sandwich structure, coated with inlay resin. The "knife" had a very nice overall look, but my absence of skill with that resin, of time and space to let it dry gave the coating some "blots" which, in my opinion, ruined most of the effect.
My second attempt at wooden-model knifemaking saw me creating for my fiancee a dagger with the same materials, but with the addition of epoxy glue, in order to rigidify the assembly, and a slightly different structure. Feeling enthusiastic, I also made some inlays of mahogany in the external balsa layer, for a nice look. Once again, I wasn't satisfied with my lack of time and appropriate tools. (I have to note at this point that I had been cutting the mahogany veneers with a scalpel, which had almost ripped the flesh from my fingers, from the sheer strength needed to go through the mahogany in order to cut...)
For my next attempt, which may or may not happen, depending on wether or not I find time to toy around with wood and epoxy after working 40 to 45 hours a week, I'm planning on trying a different method. For my previous attempts, the veneers had been bought in a scale-model shop, and were 10/10 mm sheets. For the next one, I'll buy 5/10 mm sheets in a specialized shop, and will try to give alternate layers, so as to get a simili damas steel, or more accurately, a mokume gane of wood. More epoxy will also enter in the composition. I may use different sorts of wood too, so as to get the epoxy to enter more deeply the pores of it, and rigidify even more the assembly. Maybe I'll post some pictures, someday, if required to.
By the way, I've only seen seasonned knifemakers around here, aren't there some junior apprentices? Some people ready to share passion and apprenticeship stories? Or maybe people like me who would like to get to forging, but retort to different means to touch their passion? If anybody has tips on woodwork, I'd like to hear them too.
Cheers!!
