Small Pocket Fighter

Both knives look very nice aesthetically and are constructed well. The convexing can be done on the slack belt as you said but the results depend on a few things. Depending on the grinder you have you may be able to increase the tension on the belt to firm it up. Results vary depending upon where you position the blade along the span of the belt between wheels. The closer to the middle of the span the more slack you'll feel. The closer to the wheel the stiffer the feel. Naturally, you can adjust hand pressure as well. You should be letting the belt do the work. Concentrate on the gentle rocking of the blade and keep the blade cool. Some people also use a rotary platen which has different short lengths of slack belts for different radii and varying firmness. A little experimentation will get you there.

That style of blade will go very nicely into almost any kind of sheath. A taco style folded sheath and stacked construction will work equally well. You'll probably get a more form fitted result with the stacked construction but if you wet form a taco style sheath it can also be very form fitting. There will be a bit less stitching with the taco style. If you are planning on a horizontal orientation to the sheath just make sure there is adequate coverage and retention using either friction, a molded detent, strap or combination. You could also use a thermoplastic like Kydex but I think these knives would look nice in leather.
 
i4Marc said:
Both knives look very nice aesthetically and are constructed well. The convexing can be done on the slack belt as you said but the results depend on a few things. Depending on the grinder you have you may be able to increase the tension on the belt to firm it up. Results vary depending upon where you position the blade along the span of the belt between wheels. The closer to the middle of the span the more slack you'll feel. The closer to the wheel the stiffer the feel. Naturally, you can adjust hand pressure as well. You should be letting the belt do the work. Concentrate on the gentle rocking of the blade and keep the blade cool. Some people also use a rotary platen which has different short lengths of slack belts for different radii and varying firmness. A little experimentation will get you there.

That style of blade will go very nicely into almost any kind of sheath. A taco style folded sheath and stacked construction will work equally well. You'll probably get a more form fitted result with the stacked construction but if you wet form a taco style sheath it can also be very form fitting. There will be a bit less stitching with the taco style. If you are planning on a horizontal orientation to the sheath just make sure there is adequate coverage and retention using either friction, a molded detent, strap or combination. You could also use a thermoplastic like Kydex but I think these knives would look nice in leather.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for you kind words and the detailed explanations. I shied away from convexing on the slack belt because I have found it difficult to get the belt into my plunge cuts, especially if they are smaller....I felt I'm never really in control when using a slack belt in the plunge area. Maybe that is just me and my skill at this point in time.

As for the sheaths I will probably try a stacked construction, since I think it will be a bit more form fitting as you described it. Anyway wish me luck, as these will be my first leather sheaths.
 
I do like those grinds...

FYI, Ash Leaf Maple (Acer negundo) goes by that name and is also known as Box Elder in the US.
 
Good luck, but I don't think you'll need much of it. Based on the work you did on the knives I'm sure the sheaths will be great too. Some first timers will leave the square cut edges. Keep in mind that beveling the edges will give it a more finished look. Take some time and look at sheaths in the Sheaths 'n Such section or in the Gallery section. Take notes about the kinds of details that make a sheath stand out or look professional. Then incorporate some of those touches in your sheath.
 
This thread is a bit older but I feel it would be unnecessary to create a new one, if posting in an older thread is against any forum rule, I apologise.

I made another small pocket fighter, although this one has a little bit different blade shape. The blade is a little bit wider and the clip is a little bit shorter compared to the other 2 pocket fighters I have posted. The blade shape was an experiment, to me personally it looks a little less stabby and a bit more EDC-ish...don't know if that makes any sense, but that is what came to my mind.

The blade is made from 80CrV2. The flats were etched in ferric chloride and the primary grind has a hand rubbed 800grit satin finish. The handle is stabilized box elder burl with red liners and nickel-silver pins.

The handle on this knife is a little thinner than the other 2 I have posted. At first I thought I really screwed up the handle but then I went with it and it fits my hand even better than the other two. Still, I wish I had left the handle just a little bit thicker when I was grinding it but other than that, I am quite happy with it.

The knife is a little over 21cm long overall and the blade is about 10,5cm long.

Please let me know what you think:

Ke0D2t.jpg


wIKJEB.jpg


ojk2DP.jpg


9OLAGU.jpg


Thank you for looking. I am always grateful for construcive criticism.
 
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