some current work

[canid]

i wanted to share with you all some of my current projects, as they are coming along:

this is the santoku project i have going. it's from L6 stock:

ground out profile:

gave it my attempt at a decent flat grind and distal taper:

added bevels, more agressive on the right side, but keeping the total blade angle still rather steep. hand filed notches on the right side:

left it quite hard, and i'm not sure how durable the blade will be under gentle use, but it's certainly a sharp one.

i forced a patina with vinegar. admittedly, i like this look in small part because it makes an imperfect finish look a little better to my eye, but i love the color as well:

two sgian dubh knives and an interesting drop point:

i started out both sgian dubh blade from a junked pair of grass shear blades, of unknown steel:

i made the handles from mule deer antler and pronghorn.

i botched the heat treat on the larger blade [heated too high, too fast on the temper, but at least they looked nice. i figured i'd finish and just keep that one for display.

after temper, i attempted to correct some bowing in the larger blade. using too much force, on what turned out to be a weakened blade, i broke it:

more in next post.

 

[canid]

not to be deterred, and to make the best from a series of mistakes, i started out a replacement blade from some 1095 i recovered from a much cruder knife i had laying around. it had an unfortunately located hole, but i can live with it, and it caused no problems:

forced a patina on it as well:

i roughed out a couple more blades from the L6 stock:

here is the smaller drop point, mostly finished. i still haven't done anything with the larger wavy one:

and here they are pretty much done:

smaller wavy drop point hunter:

prepared stock for a handle; antler, padauk, white ash:

shaped, stained and sealed. before peening the tang over, i'm waiting on a couple pieces of thick gauge coppy plate for the but and bolster:

i love feedback, and i'm more than willing to accept criticism an advice.

 

[Mr. Bad Example]

I really like the little Sgian Dubh!

 

[canid]

thank you.
i didn't have a picture ready, bit i made it a cherry wood hard-sheath, with a little pronghorn accent at the tip as well.

the blade is a tad softer than i'd like, but it's permanently glued up now. it take a great edge, but should probably hold it better. live and learn. i'm still fairly inexperienced at heat treatment, and it's not terrible.

 

[Mr. Bad Example]

For a defensive knife like that, how long would it HAVE to hold an edge, really? If it lasts for a poke or two and a couple of slashes, I'd say it's good enough.

Anyway, the other knifes are great, but that one just catches my eye--keep up the good work!

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

More pics of the Santoku, please. I'm practicing on making one so I can eventually make a set of kitchen knives. I hadn't considered the filed notches in the blade. How did you do it on such a wide blade?

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

Good thing I tried it on a practice blade. Totally botched it, but had some neat results with the bench grinder. Do practice knives count toward your total? What do you think of the grind mark in the middle? Although, I don't think I could do six of them nicely on a blade without destroying it.

 

[silver_pilate]

Don't worry about filing notches on your gun, zaph. Just go out an make some good knives! It doesn't matter if it's your 1st or 500th, it will be judged by what it is.

--nathan

 

[canid]

i laid the blade down flat on the workbench [after cleaning it off, and on top of a piece of paper] and clamped it in place with the blade facing toward me.

i eyeballed and marked regular intervals along the blade, though measuring them would have been better.

i found an angle about half way between the angle of the flat and that of the blade bevel, and that is the angle i tried to keep the file at.

using the narrow side of a mill file, and holding it at a slight tilt so that one corner was against the blade to start the notch, i gradually leveled the file back off once the notch was started. i filed carefully until the notch was as deep and wide as i liked it.

it's not an easy task. i am absolutely certain there is a jig for this out there, and that it has saved people their sanity.