Trio of simple utilities (lotsa pics!)

PIndelicato

PIndelicato

Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
1,577
Hi guys,

Just finished an order for 3 simple utility knives. The customer is going to have his 3 young sons' initials and birth dates engraved on the ricasso (opposite my maker's mark.)

Feedback and critique on design and/or execution is always welcomed, valued, and appreciated. Thanks for looking!


Steel: 3/16" 1080 from Kelly Cupples w/ full height flat grinds

Finish: Hand-rubbed satin

Handle Scales: Desert Ironwood (2) and Stabilized Koa (1)

Fittings: 3/32" stainless pins, 1/4" stainless thong tubes

Blade Length: ~4" from tip to plunge

OAL: ~8 3/4"

P1030340.jpg

P1030330.jpg

P1030324.jpg

P1030326.jpg

P1030343.jpg

P1030287_2.jpg

P1030303.jpg

P1030320.jpg
P1030297.jpg
 
My first 2 hamons! What's the trick to getting these to show up well in photos?

P1030354.jpg


P1030355.jpg


Edit: Thanks to Nick Wheeler and Stephan Fowler for their hamon polishing methods they have posted here and on another forum...I used a combination of them in finishing these.
 
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Nice work, a trio of elegant knives. I like the wood that you've chosen, desert Ironwood and Koa are two of my three favorites, the third being ringed gidgee. Are you still cutting your plunges with a file?

Congrats on the hamons too, I find indirect natural light brings them out well, I play with the white balance on my camera and point it at the knife, shift the knife around, play with the camera angle, and the angle of light onto the blade, while looking at the knife through the camera screen. You'll find a combination of angle and light that will make the hamon pop. Another trick for a lightbox is to reflect light onto the blade from a black object, black plastic bag around a card or something.

Your light looks too yellow and your camera angle looks far too direct in those hamon pics.

Lastly, your mark is cool. "Indelicato" actually looks elegant on a clean knife like that, though I'd not say they look indelicate at all.
 
Paul,

Your attension to detail really shows. Simple utilities but GREAT finish work and handle shaping. My Fav is the one with the 4 small pins, just has a more balanced appearance to my eye. Nothing at all wrong with the other two just a matter of appearance.

Cant even make anything up to pick on .... LOL, So I'll just say "I told you so" about your makers mark. Fits those blades perfectly and looks great.

Good work Buddy, Josh

PS- I wouldn't be disappointed if you challenged yourself with a new technique in the near future as you've OBVIOUSLY got a very good grasp of the basics
Bolsters
tapered tang
perhaps a bowie with a swedge
hidden tang

Food for thought !
 
I agree with Salem, nice trio there.
Why a hamon on only 2 knives? Or is there also one on the third?
What oil did you use?

Questions questions questions...;)
 
Wow! That is really nice, clean work! I'd be proud to carry any of them! :thumbup: -Matt-
 
Salem Straub said:
Nice work, a trio of elegant knives. I like the wood that you've chosen, desert Ironwood and Koa are two of my three favorites, the third being ringed gidgee. Are you still cutting your plunges with a file?

Congrats on the hamons too, I find indirect natural light brings them out well, I play with the white balance on my camera and point it at the knife, shift the knife around, play with the camera angle, and the angle of light onto the blade, while looking at the knife through the camera screen. You'll find a combination of angle and light that will make the hamon pop. Another trick for a lightbox is to reflect light onto the blade from a black object, black plastic bag around a card or something.

Your light looks too yellow and your camera angle looks far too direct in those hamon pics.

Lastly, your mark is cool. "Indelicato" actually looks elegant on a clean knife like that, though I'd not say they look indelicate at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much, Salem! I haven't cut a plunge with a file since my very first knife that I made with hand tools. Is there something amiss with the plunges? Thanks for the photography tips for the hamon...I'll play around with it some more.

Josh Dabney said:
Paul,

Your attension to detail really shows. Simple utilities but GREAT finish work and handle shaping. My Fav is the one with the 4 small pins, just has a more balanced appearance to my eye. Nothing at all wrong with the other two just a matter of appearance.

Cant even make anything up to pick on .... LOL, So I'll just say "I told you so" about your makers mark. Fits those blades perfectly and looks great.

Good work Buddy, Josh

PS- I wouldn't be disappointed if you challenged yourself with a new technique in the near future as you've OBVIOUSLY got a very good grasp of the basics
Bolsters
tapered tang
perhaps a bowie with a swedge
hidden tang

Food for thought !
Click to expand...

Thanks Josh! Hmm, bolsters, tapered tang, etc. Something like this, perhaps? ;-)

P1020241.jpg

P1020223.jpg


Patrice Lemée;9591919 said:
I agree with Salem, nice trio there.
Why a hamon on only 2 knives? Or is there also one on the third?
What oil did you use?

Questions questions questions...;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Patrice! These were heat treated in my friend Mike Mooney's shop, and I believe we used ATF (if I'm not mistaken.) No hamon appeared on the third one...I guess it was shy.
 
Paul,

Ooooops, musta missed that one. Looks great too !

I forgot to ask if you made/are making sheaths for these three ? I'd be interested in seeing what you came up with

Since we've crossed tapered tang and bolsters off the "must try at least once" list I guess we'll have to push ya towards the hidden tang with guard ;)

-Josh
 
grease-man said:
Wow! That is really nice, clean work! I'd be proud to carry any of them! :thumbup: -Matt-
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt, I appreciate the nice words!

Josh Dabney said:
Paul,

Ooooops, musta missed that one. Looks great too !

I forgot to ask if you made/are making sheaths for these three ? I'd be interested in seeing what you came up with

Since we've crossed tapered tang and bolsters off the "must try at least once" list I guess we'll have to push ya towards the hidden tang with guard ;)

-Josh
Click to expand...

Just Joshin ya, Josh...get it "Joshin" ya...

Anyways...no, there won't be sheaths with these as the customer's budget was pretty snug and he isn't going to give them to his boys until they reach a certain age. I think he may have his boys make some kit sheaths as a fun project for them later (or who knows, maybe he'll end up sending them back to me.)

I've tried a few hidden tangs, but really struggled with cutting well-fitting guard slots, so I set that aside for a looong time. I'm informally doing Lorien's Pay it Forward Buildoff, though, so it looks like I'll be trying again at some point in the relatively near future.

Thanks again for your comments!
 
P J 234 said:
I've tried a few hidden tangs, but really struggled with cutting well-fitting guard slots, so I set that aside for a looong time.
Click to expand...

For me cutting the guard slots is relatively simple.

1) Take measurements
2) Find and mark the center line and the actual center of the piece of metal you will make the guard from
3) Use caliper to measure the tang at the point of intersection with the guard (a scribe would be better than a pen)
4) Measure and mark the dimensions of the slot
5) Confirm measurements and centering of the slot box
6) Get a drill bit one size too small
7) Use an automatic center punch to mark the holes going across the slot along the center line (if you screw up on one or more, flip the piece over and mark that side as well)
8) Drill the holes as close together as possible without much overlap (lest the drill bit veer into the previous hole)
9) Use a diamond dust impregnated wheel of about the same width as the drill bit on a flex shaft rotary tool to connect the holes and flatten out the high spots (but not quite all the way flat)
10) Use an appropriately sized file to finish the job of flattening the sides and squaring the ends, and getting the fit perfect

- Greg
 
Thanks Greg! I followed a method more or less the same as what you outline above (although I used files to connect the holes as opposed to a dremel.) For some reason, things that seem simple for many rarely end up being so for me!
 
As to photographing hamons, it's all about the angle and light. Use indirect light with a dark "reflector" or dark background out of the picture (maybe in front of the knife). That tends to help bring out the activity a bit. I photograph under a window with shutters that I can adjust to bring in the indirect light from outside to the piece I'm photographing. Use an angle that avoids visible reflections. I use a tripod and adjust the angle of the knife and tripod until I get the action I'm looking for through the viewer. Oh, and no flash. Use the tripod and a 2 second timer on shots to avoid blurr with the longer exposure.

Great knives, PJ. You've continued to refine your skills. Keep it up!

--nathan
 
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Those came out great, Paul.

The oil was 10 wt. hydraulic oil. Could temp change over the course of...was it four or five blades, Paul...have caused the HT of the two to show hamons but not the others?

Cheers!
Mike
 
Maybe something faster (Parks 50) would have helped? I thought you had a kiln Paul?

I was like Josh and missed that one. Looks perfect to me so I say it's time for a take down. ;)

Try making the shoulder go around the thole tang. Helps to hide small gaps on the sides while you get the slot fitting process down (which I am still trying to do by the way).
 
Thanks for the correction on the oil, Mike. Yes, there were a total of 4 of these, and 3 of them appear to have hamons. (What is the correct term for plural, hamons or hamon?)

Patrice, a kiln would be nice, but no I don't currently have one. Mike is very generously helping me out with heat treating at the moment. I was actually wondering about putting a shoulder on all four sides of the tang recently and wondering if there were any downsides to that approach.

I appreciate everyone's comments, feedback, and photography tips!
 
Wow Paul! Nice looking knives! Nice, Elegant and ready to be used...just the way i like em' !
 
Looks like a lot of thought & work has gone into a design that looks at first view to be a very simple knife. Very Nice blend of ergos & utility in a knife that would serve well in a range of tasks. Well Done.
 
Great looking knives, you should make up a few more I think you could sell a few of these.
Cheers Ron.
 
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