Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,522
I got some shop time last night. I decided to work on a project I started a few years back. It will be a long and slow project, as some stages are very time intensive.
The basic shape was pre-forged in the beginning stages. It probably took 50 hours to make the forged blank ( basically a tapered billet). I didn't take any as-forges photos, but it started out as a much thickr piece than it is now. this style needs a good bit of extra thickness for the grind.
Last night I ground the bevels in. This took about two hours. From here it is hand sanding only.
This grind is a modification of the Besh Wedge. Brent Bashara is the inventor, and holds the patent, and has graciously allowed me use of his patent on this blade. His design allows for a blade with apparently thin places that are actually much stronger and thicker than appearances seem.
This is a complex grind with very exacting control required in grinding the bevels. Many of the steps are make with your eye directly over the flat platen sighting straight down. It is hard to say in words, but you have to "twist" the blade slightly in two axes as you grind the bevels. Any parallax or error in direction will make the bevels come out wrong.
In the photos you can see that all the bevels look at angles. Thus is part true and part illusion. The ricasso is dead flat and the two sides are parallel.
The opposing and angled looking main bevels coming off the ricasso on each side are actually parallel to each other.....but not parallel to the ricasso. They end in a tanto-like tip with a rectangular cross section. This make a very strong tip that still has good penetration. The edges will be sharp as any Japanese blade.
The distal taper is extremely even as that is the only way to get this grind to come out even.
The biggest optical illusion is that the tip is actually dead center in the blade centerline.... Yep, you can place a ruler from tip to tang and bisect the blade.
I will add more angled "facets" as I add the edges and finish the tip.
There are several other special features of this blade and project that I will reveal as I get the stages done.
Stay tuned in!
The basic shape was pre-forged in the beginning stages. It probably took 50 hours to make the forged blank ( basically a tapered billet). I didn't take any as-forges photos, but it started out as a much thickr piece than it is now. this style needs a good bit of extra thickness for the grind.
Last night I ground the bevels in. This took about two hours. From here it is hand sanding only.
This grind is a modification of the Besh Wedge. Brent Bashara is the inventor, and holds the patent, and has graciously allowed me use of his patent on this blade. His design allows for a blade with apparently thin places that are actually much stronger and thicker than appearances seem.
This is a complex grind with very exacting control required in grinding the bevels. Many of the steps are make with your eye directly over the flat platen sighting straight down. It is hard to say in words, but you have to "twist" the blade slightly in two axes as you grind the bevels. Any parallax or error in direction will make the bevels come out wrong.
In the photos you can see that all the bevels look at angles. Thus is part true and part illusion. The ricasso is dead flat and the two sides are parallel.
The opposing and angled looking main bevels coming off the ricasso on each side are actually parallel to each other.....but not parallel to the ricasso. They end in a tanto-like tip with a rectangular cross section. This make a very strong tip that still has good penetration. The edges will be sharp as any Japanese blade.
The distal taper is extremely even as that is the only way to get this grind to come out even.
The biggest optical illusion is that the tip is actually dead center in the blade centerline.... Yep, you can place a ruler from tip to tang and bisect the blade.
I will add more angled "facets" as I add the edges and finish the tip.
There are several other special features of this blade and project that I will reveal as I get the stages done.
Stay tuned in!
Attachments
Last edited:
. Thank you.