Thoughts on proceeding with this knife?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Joined
Sep 29, 2009
Messages
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This is the first knife I forged while at Aldo's shop a little while back. I got my plunge lines pretty good on them I think (at least for my skill level) but I went too high with them I think. There wasn't a ton of thought going into the development while hammering on my end. I was just trying to make something knife like looking. So it's still in it's kind of ugly duckling stage which I'm hoping it will grow out of.

The biggest thing I'm looking at at the moment, (and feel free to think further ahead for me on anything you can think of). Is there isn't much of a guard or riccaso to it. I put the choil in there since without it the blade would basically go right up to whatever guard might be there.

Anyway I was thinking about doing something like attempting to put something like a brass guard on it... How I'd go about that I'm not exactly sure but cross that bridge when I get to it. :D

So basically what I'm looking for is some ideas on how some of you think it might take shape from here. I'm not fully finished with the sanding, It was sanded the length of the knife to 120, and I did the handle area to 220 going perpendicular to the knife. Started doing the one side of the blade with 220, once I get it all to 220 I'm thinking HT and still have to drill the holes for the handle as well.

So any input on it is welcome :thumbup:

Knife012.jpg


Knife011.jpg
 
I think a set of bolsters would look nice. You could probably place the front of the bolsters approx. 1/8" - 3/16" from the plunge line. Some 3/4" - 1" brass or stainless barstock a little thinner than the scales you're going to use should do. Just something to think about.
 
Slot a piece of metal the thickness of the tang, fit it onto the knife, drill at least 1 or 2 small holes through the guard and the tang. There ya go, a guard.
 
The high grind is not a bad thing unless your blade stock is very thin. Almost all of my knives have the bevels ground all the way to the spine.
 
Will Leavitt said:
Slot a piece of metal the thickness of the tang, fit it onto the knife, drill at least 1 or 2 small holes through the guard and the tang. There ya go, a guard.
Click to expand...

Sounds good.

How does one go about slotting a piece of metal though :confused:

Do the pins just hold the guard in place?

I was also debating putting a false edge on the part that curves up near the tip.... Good or bad idea you guys think?
 
I am relatively new at this knife making (made 6 so far)....so stay tuned for better advice from experts. :) For a finger guard I have recycled old solid brass candlesticks purchased from a thrift shop and re-shaped to my satisfaction. To slot them I use a metal cutting band saw but a hack saw and vice would also work... basically create a u-shaped chunk of brass...the open part of the u will be flush with the tang and bottom part will be the guard...to attach drill a peg hole or two through the guard and tang then tap the metal peg through it ( I use brass brazing rods ). Try to get a tight clean fit of the guard with no gaps between guard and blade. If you have gaps you can try filling them by brazing....I attach with epoxy on the guard, pins etc and gently, using a vice, pinch the top of the u to the blade until it dries.....then I finish shaping it with files, sandpaper etc.
 
I'd turn it into a hidden tang knife. I like your blade profile and the notion of the handle shape you have is a good one, but there seems to be a lack of flow with it.

If you knock it down to a hidden tang you can fit a guard up to it, then fit a handle and shape it similar to your current tang shape.

Just another idea :)
 
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