Time to give back to W&SS

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
Any budding knifemakers out there?






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******GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER******
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Winner announced here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8304171&postcount=22



























I'm asking this here in W&SS instead of ShopTalk where I KNOW there are a ton of "budding knifemakers" already.

Plus W&SS is a *COOLER* place to hang out. :D



I have a Bushcraft knife blank that I screwed up. The edge of the belt came loose and snagged the blade and ground away a bit of the edge. Since this is a Scandi Grind.....removing the notch would mean significantly raising the grind and thus makes it worthless to me as it no longer *looks new*...or like the 600+ others I have made.

So.....rather than throw it away (or throw it into the ceiling which is what I REALLY wanted to do...:p).....I have ground out the notch and want to give it away to a *deserving newb* for FREE (I'll pick up s/h).

Must be in the USA.



When I was a *budding knifemaker* I read about other makers screwing up stuff and tossing it in the trash. Always made me wish I could "eat the crumbs from the table" so to speak....take the blade and finish it myself. I understood why most wouldn't allow it....it was their work, not mine. But since I sell these as unmarked blanks already, I figured it's no big deal to give away one that is not even a true blem. (I'm trying to rationalize this - help me out here...:D)



Post what you're going to do with it - don't email me about it. I'll come back in a couple hours when the dust has settled and pick someone and send it off.





To sum up:

You will be getting a 2009 Bushcraft blank in CPM154 - fully heat-treated - with perfectly flat scandi grinds, finished flats, drilled tang...ready to glue up. I'll even toss in a pair of brass corby bolts if you ask nicely. :D

The only difference between this blank and the ones I sell for $80+s/h is that this one will have *slightly higher* grinds and, of course, it is FREE. :p

Sorry, no pics - use your imagination. www.kosterknives.com/pics

Thanks, guys

Dan



p.s. *deserving newb* => has never attempted making a knife of their own, has always wanted to, and has (or has access to) the necessary hand tools or power tools to do the job...and will actually do it (not shelf it). ;)
 
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Well I sure would like to try!

Never done any of this! :)

Id attempt tpo put some handles on her and make her my first custom bush knife!

Never made a knife before, but always thought it would be VERY cool. I think i would also attempt to make micarta! I saw a guy that made denim micarta... it SEEMED do-able. :)

Thanks for the offer!
 
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Very cool offer Dan, thanks for making it.

I haven't made a knife yet, but would love to give it a shot, and shaping a handle on an already existing knife blank seems like a perfect starting point. I'd like to do something with recycled materials - there are some great thrift shops and similar places in Boulder, and I'd like to hit them up, either for some old stabilized wood, or if I'm unable to find that, maybe some old fabrics that could be combined with some resin for some recycled micarta. I like the idea of sourcing the handle material from a non-traditional place, instead of buying some burl blanks from somebody and slapping them on.
 
I've always wanted to try my hand at making knives. This looks like it could be some good practice, for handle making anways. I'm up for it. Thanks for the opputunity.
 
Thanks Dan.

I've done some customizing and have made one. Failed at the heat treat but I'm learning. I'd love a shot at finishing one of your blanks.

What I'll do with it is dress it in some Ebony Gaboon with solid brass pins. I might reshape the handle a bit to suit my taste and keep it from looking too much like one of yours.

Thanks again.
 
i think i would rehandle it to begin . i've done a few of those projects some better then others. Then i would most likely just see how it looks and feels with no real plan of action . i don't know i'm thinking take it down to a warnie? for a shop knife for carving and fitting out axe handles. i enjoy hanging axes. a good knife for that is something ive needed for a while.

thanks for the chance dan. :thumbup:

and hey i'll take the bolts please.
 
Good on you. I think someone will be pretty happy when they get done :thumbup:
 
Ok since its fully ht'd I'd defintatley not want to do any serious grinding on it or anything. I would probably want to add some type of thumb grooves or filework to the spine.

I have some purpleheart wood and some lignum vitae and think a two piece handle in green and purple would look pretty cool. I also have some other woods like curly maple which would also make for a nice lookign handle. I have not really tried to make a sheath but I have the leather for it. I'd love to try to make a sheath for this knife. I have black and brown leather to do it with and this would be a great reason to not only work on my handle making skills but also attempt my first sheath:)
 
I have never done a "good" knife. Just modded some Old Hickorys. I have a piece of black walnut that my grandpa had in his garage for over 40 years that he use to slice off a piece every once and while and make a clock out of. I have been dying to try using it on something like this. Make something that I could use the hell out of and every time I use it think of gramps!
 
Oooo, ooo, I just got some Kurly Koa that I have been trying to find a blade to put it on. Was going to try grinding the handle off of a Mora.

Would love to put it on a Koster!!

Doc
 
Wow Dan, thanks for the offer. I think I might actually have enough tools and knowledge to pull something like that off. I've had some nice black walnut that my dad had collected to make pictue frames hanging around that I've been staring at. Maybe some liner material, use my scroll saw to do initial shaping then go at it (the handle, no way the blade) with my files. Then it might give me an excuse to try my hand at leatherworking a sheath - haven't played with leather since Boy Scouts.

Oh, as far as what I'd do with it - probably criticize the heck out of the work I've done and ruined a perfectly good and pretty knife. After I got over it, use it as yet another way to out-slice and out-dice my wife in the kitchen and around the grill, as well as take it on hikes and camping trips, and since it's CPM154, heck on saltwater fishing trips too.
 
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I would personally put a handle on it, I would take it to the woods and I won't be afraid to use it as it should be used. I mean I tried but I still don't have the heart to really beat up a custom. That would be a breakthrough for me. I'm not talking about abuse, as I've seen in some stupid youtube knife tests... I know, I know....
That's a nice offer Dan.
 
Awesome opportunity Dan! I wanted in on one of these last year but didn't have the funds.

That's a blade that's made for use. I would probably do a G10 or micarta handle and a kydex sheath. I've never done either one but I'm dying to try it out!

I've actually been considering trying to make some no heat treat blades from old saws, once I can find them. I have to admit that I'm a little intimidated by it, but I really want to give it a try. This is a chance to start on something to do with knife making and I don't have to worry about heat treat still!

Thanks for the chance!
 
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I've never made a knife, but for quite a while I've wanted to try to make a custom fb...I have no access to stuff to heat treat anyways....But I would love a chance at this thing, and have a chance to make my own custom knife. I have access to tools and wood and what not to make handles, and could get leather to make a custom sheath. I'm also more than able to sharpen a knife. If I were to get this, I'd make it into my own custom bush/hunting/survival knife.
 
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Meh. I'm not knifemaker. BUT I do like to do things myself. Not to long ago i tried my hand at making some "micarta" out of some burlap straps that I found in my Dad's shed. These went on a coldsteel GI tanto. I wasn't overly impressed with my work, but it was better than the CS cord wrap and I'm glad I did it b/c now I know I can. Next up was going to be handles for my Collins 323, I'm just looking for the right materials. I also want to try my hand at molding a kydex sheath.

If I were up. I'de find some handle material that struck my fancy. Do several batches to try and get a good set of micarta handles. Do my best at trying to make a kydex sheath. And once all was said and done, I'de more than likely give it to my dad. I bought him a kershaw JYDII for x-mas this year and he was ecstatic about it he's edc'd it since. All he's ever carried are cheaper knives that he was given from some place or another. He doesn't really have any fixed blades. There's one old buck 102ish knive he's had since I can remember so at least 20yrs or so, and it has done EVERYTHING. After I got my ratpack knife several months back he swooned over it. I've been meaning to get him a fixed blade to carry hunting/fishing/camping.
 
Well, I have made a couple of knives, but obviously not of the same quality! I have some old black walnut that just begs to be a handle on a bushcraft knife, and I might have to try my hand at making a sheath for this one, if I get it. This would be my first scandi, and I couldn't do better than a Koster! I would use it with my boys when we go camping. Awesome gesture, Dan, no matter who gets it.
 
If i were to win this blank I would slap the black micarta scales I have on it and try my hand at stiching a leather sheath. Ive had these scales for about a year now but havent had anything worth putting them on. I have made two "knives" so far and they have been made out of scrap "no name" metal. This would be my first "real" knife to put a handle on. If you were to pick me I can promise you pictures and that ill use this knife for years to come. Thanks for the chance.

Mike
 
If I were to win this knife I would put some green g-11 on it when I get some. I "try" to make knives but always fail horribly.
 
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