Will Power
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Two different approaches which both work well
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Will Power
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Really admire that Burlap and fine work on the patination. I'm with you about forcing it on user blades, the slowly slowly approach is all too often an eyesore and I end up polishing it off, start again....Most recent Spear. A fat lad with a nail nick (Fat Nick?).
It had been decided long before it landed in my possession that this TFG SFO 92 was going to be a USER! I use em all, but this was going to get USED.
I usually like a long pull on a Spear due to them still looking more interesting, I guess that’s just growing up with Swiss Army Knives and the like. But the simpler drawn-swedge and nail nick suits this particular 92 to the ground and feels right for a , dare I say it, hard user?!
I’ve gone with a forced patina from the get go really as I wanted to play around here and didn’t fancy that patchwork patina of just letting it happen.
That said it’s a subtle one , just enough to get that oxidation going in the hard to reach areas which I do find helps fend off the dreaded Red!
UP THE SPEARS !!
Care to say what method you used?Thanks, Will
Will Power
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Oddly enough, the 92 Talon single blade (Spear or Wharncliffe) despite sharing the same frame as its cousin the 2 blade 92 Eureka (Spear/Coping) does not have the same Spear master. The Talon's is slimmer and more pointed than the Eureka's fatter Spear. I'll try and muster a side by side picture sometime.
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AusLoX
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JW225
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JW225
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Many thanks, Cudgee.Can see why. Beautiful knife.
Will Power
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In my view, one of THE best Spears that GEC has put out and a superb housing for it too. Equal-End, amazing bone, intricate but appropriate shield, then consider the blade: opens straight out no droop/cant, masterful swedge/longpull arrangement . A truly impressive exampleOne of my favorite Spears -- a 54 Appaloosa...
The cigarette tin is something I found in a house clearance, dates from before World War One, apparently you could send the tins back to the shop in Mayfair and they'd refill and post it back to you the same day in Britain- kind of like home delivery of food today......
Will Power
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The Talon sports a distinctly slimmer blade than its 2 blade Eureka cousin. The Eurekas shown-Greenbone, Ivorybone -are from the first issue-2013 all steel construction with a masterclass in tight spring execution, wrap-around spring too. High time they made some more Talons and Eurekas .
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That Bill Howard likes to keep us on our toes! I like that version also, looks to be different again to a spear on the 15 pattern which is similar in length and width? And I must say, that Ebony is
, I can see where your love of capless comes from.My patination process is the standard dipping clean sterile blade in warm vinegar.
I think the only thing I’d add is to hold it in the vinegar for roughly a minute at a time waving it around gently but frequently wiping the oxidation off the blade with paper towel to allow the vinegar fresh access to the steel and letting it “breath” .
I used to do a lot of blade etching with ferric chloride in the past and the key to that was agitation of the bubbles produced and removing the slurry build up which is basically the oxidation happening.
I then rinsed thoroughly with warm water , quick towel dry off then drench in WD40 to force out any remaining water. While the WD is still on the blade a thoroughly rub it in, I find this removes some of that satin look to the steel and leaves it looking more natural.
Is that similar to your process?
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Will Power
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H
Honest_Thomas
Yes the all steel backs are really impressive, GEC usually runs a tight gap free knife but somehow the all steels are exceptionally well executed, can't see any daylight there.
Big fan of the Eureka as it was a rare pattern before GEC revived it, CASE/Bose followed some years later and whilst the latter is more costly and uses stainless it's a more skimpy styled version in my view, thus less satisfying. There is a Stockman version of the Eureka but not seen any from US makers for decades. Rough Rider did one in a compact size and not at all bad, but it sports Turkish Clip master, not Spear -pity....
My forced patina has also been with hot vinegar but it's not as exacting as yours, shoddy workmanship here? Main problem is avoiding contact with brass or the scales especially Bone or Stag, so I brush it on and leave to dry. Did think about using larger copper pipe, closing the end and using this as a vertical soaking tube but don't know what chemical reactions could result from copper. Sticking the blade in a Lime or Lemon can work very well, if degreased, but you can't leave it in too long as pitting will occur. How do I know....
Big fan of the Eureka as it was a rare pattern before GEC revived it, CASE/Bose followed some years later and whilst the latter is more costly and uses stainless it's a more skimpy styled version in my view, thus less satisfying. There is a Stockman version of the Eureka but not seen any from US makers for decades. Rough Rider did one in a compact size and not at all bad, but it sports Turkish Clip master, not Spear -pity....
My forced patina has also been with hot vinegar but it's not as exacting as yours, shoddy workmanship here? Main problem is avoiding contact with brass or the scales especially Bone or Stag, so I brush it on and leave to dry. Did think about using larger copper pipe, closing the end and using this as a vertical soaking tube but don't know what chemical reactions could result from copper. Sticking the blade in a Lime or Lemon can work very well, if degreased, but you can't leave it in too long as pitting will occur. How do I know....
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Took this for another thread then thought it might go well here, too. A pair of Tribal Locks, SS and CV.
