- Joined
- Aug 9, 2013
- Messages
- 78
So I started out here a few months ago asking if anyone would be willing to show me the ropes of knife making. A month or so passed and I got several offers from nice guys but I didn't want to travel more than an hour to meet someone. I figured there had to be someone in the Waco area. A while went by and then Jim McGuinn responded and I found out he lives less than 2 minutes from me!
Well we got together right away and before I knew it I had a bar of CPM154, a few handle scales, some spacers and pins and, with Jim's tools, everything I needed to make some knives! Some credit is definitely due to Stan Buzek as he came through in a pinch and gave me detailed instructions for how to heat treat cpm154 over the phone one night. I hope I don't sound too vain by saying I am pretty proud of these. That being said, most of the credit is due to Jim and Mr. Buzek and Blade Forums for all the help. The HT could probably use some slight adjustment but we achieved a final hardness of hrc 59.
This one started out as a design for myself. I thought I wanted a blade like this, but after doing the next two, it lost a lot of it's appeal to me. The grinding was left way too coarse before HT, thus the prominent grind marks. The handles are neoprene scales that were given to me and I'm not crazy about the way that they worked- I actually shaped most of this handle one night whittling at it with an xacto knife. All the sanding methods I used, except for on Jim's ginder with a fine grit belt make the stuff look funny. It also drives me crazy how the grind for the pointer finger got so close to the first pin. If I can find someone with the tool, I may try to flare the copper tubes I used as pins.
This next one has TerroTuf scales and I gave it to my cousin's husband at their wedding this last weekend. He's an Army EOD stationed at Fort Hood. I told him the only string attached was that he had to show it off to all his buddies. I figure I'll get some referrals out of the deal.
This last one is done with Resin Wood Cocobolo scales. This was my favorite and went fast to a friend as a gift to his dad. His dad is actually the Dr. that delivered both of my daughters- the last one being born just a couple weeks ago on 12/17.
So I made some money on these and have my next batch of materials ordered. I have one request from my cousin for a fillet knife in cpm154 (advice welcome) and another from a local guy for a couple small knives similar to the second two here. I also got a bunch of knife making supplies from a nice local guy that he never got around to using. That deal got me a bunch of files, including a couple of Nicholsons, a few of which are already started into blades; some brass rods and tubes; 8" bars of 1095, 1084, and 52100; 2 12" bars of o1; and two big pieces of micarta the guy made himself. Jim showed me the 1x30 HF grinder that he modified for someone on here and I got one the next weekend. With Jim's magic worked on it, that's what I plan to use for the stock removal on this next batch. I'm excited to do some work with Carbon Steel! I really want to try my hand on creating some Hamons.
Any feedback is welcome!
I am neurotically perfectionistic so I am all about the small details. All the kydex sheaths I've made scratch the blades and that drives me crazy. I put at least 3 layers of blue masking tape on each blade hoping to make enough space but it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference. I'm all about hard using my blades but there's nothing like spending hours sanding and polishing a knife and then slipping it into the sheath and pulling it out with scratches up and down the blade. :barf: For this reason, I am going to a local saddlery this weekend to get some leather scraps and starting my adventure into leather work. I wanted Kydex to work as I love the utility and tight hold. I've read extensively here on BF on this issue but any and all advice is welcome.
This has been a craft I have been fascinated with for many years and am over-the-top excited to finally be making my way into.
Well we got together right away and before I knew it I had a bar of CPM154, a few handle scales, some spacers and pins and, with Jim's tools, everything I needed to make some knives! Some credit is definitely due to Stan Buzek as he came through in a pinch and gave me detailed instructions for how to heat treat cpm154 over the phone one night. I hope I don't sound too vain by saying I am pretty proud of these. That being said, most of the credit is due to Jim and Mr. Buzek and Blade Forums for all the help. The HT could probably use some slight adjustment but we achieved a final hardness of hrc 59.
This one started out as a design for myself. I thought I wanted a blade like this, but after doing the next two, it lost a lot of it's appeal to me. The grinding was left way too coarse before HT, thus the prominent grind marks. The handles are neoprene scales that were given to me and I'm not crazy about the way that they worked- I actually shaped most of this handle one night whittling at it with an xacto knife. All the sanding methods I used, except for on Jim's ginder with a fine grit belt make the stuff look funny. It also drives me crazy how the grind for the pointer finger got so close to the first pin. If I can find someone with the tool, I may try to flare the copper tubes I used as pins.
This next one has TerroTuf scales and I gave it to my cousin's husband at their wedding this last weekend. He's an Army EOD stationed at Fort Hood. I told him the only string attached was that he had to show it off to all his buddies. I figure I'll get some referrals out of the deal.
This last one is done with Resin Wood Cocobolo scales. This was my favorite and went fast to a friend as a gift to his dad. His dad is actually the Dr. that delivered both of my daughters- the last one being born just a couple weeks ago on 12/17.
So I made some money on these and have my next batch of materials ordered. I have one request from my cousin for a fillet knife in cpm154 (advice welcome) and another from a local guy for a couple small knives similar to the second two here. I also got a bunch of knife making supplies from a nice local guy that he never got around to using. That deal got me a bunch of files, including a couple of Nicholsons, a few of which are already started into blades; some brass rods and tubes; 8" bars of 1095, 1084, and 52100; 2 12" bars of o1; and two big pieces of micarta the guy made himself. Jim showed me the 1x30 HF grinder that he modified for someone on here and I got one the next weekend. With Jim's magic worked on it, that's what I plan to use for the stock removal on this next batch. I'm excited to do some work with Carbon Steel! I really want to try my hand on creating some Hamons.
Any feedback is welcome!
I am neurotically perfectionistic so I am all about the small details. All the kydex sheaths I've made scratch the blades and that drives me crazy. I put at least 3 layers of blue masking tape on each blade hoping to make enough space but it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference. I'm all about hard using my blades but there's nothing like spending hours sanding and polishing a knife and then slipping it into the sheath and pulling it out with scratches up and down the blade. :barf: For this reason, I am going to a local saddlery this weekend to get some leather scraps and starting my adventure into leather work. I wanted Kydex to work as I love the utility and tight hold. I've read extensively here on BF on this issue but any and all advice is welcome.
This has been a craft I have been fascinated with for many years and am over-the-top excited to finally be making my way into.
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