Two new fighters

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
Two new knives out of the shop. I know some folks will hate the first one, but that's okay.

Why do I think that? Because I handled it with Thunderstorm Kevlar that I got from Ben Tendick- Thanks Ben! :)

There seems to be some confusion/misinformation floating around about this stuff. First being that it's a "cheap" material. Is it less than ivory? Yea, of course, but it's more than many synthetics. The other is that it's "quick and easy" to use/finish. I shaped it, then hand finished it up to 1200X, then did a final finish by hand sanding with wet wax and 1500X paper. That's similar to how I finish most materials. :)

Anyway, here we go... :)



The knife is a "JoeP fighter" forged from 1084 with a hand sanded finish, 416 ss guard, and a handle made from Thunderstorm Kevlar scales on a black micarta frame with 2 ss Corby bolts.

This JoeP fighter is thinner than the original 10, but I finished it out in a way to make the balance feel very similar. I heat-treated this blade a couple years ago when I first got serious about understanding differential hardening without clay. So there are some ghostly shapes in the blade that can be seen in certain light.

OAL- 12-5/8"
Blade- L- 7-5/16"
W- ~1-9/16" at widest point
T- 0.230" at ricasso


[video=youtube;S2czK4bvL3g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2czK4bvL3g[/video]

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Next up is a personal carry fighter. This is a small (as bowies go) and light weight fighter.

Blade was forged in a ladder pattern from 1084 + 15N20, guard is 416 ss with an 800X satin finish on the sides and face and mirror polished lugs. Handle is a really awesome piece of Australian Black Mulga and domed 416 ss pin...

I hesitated using this VERY RARE block of wood, because I didn't know how to finish it out--- but after a lot of experimenting and some help from my friends over at the Aussie knife forum especially Keith, I figured out what to do with it. I'm very happy I did, it is a super nice piece of wood! :)

OAL- ~12-1/2"
BLADE- L- 7-9/16"
W- 1-7/16"
T- 0.173" at the ricasso


Thanks for looking!!! :)

[video=youtube;CWkP5CSvqQA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWkP5CSvqQA[/video]

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I couldn't get the wood to show its true colors in my little light tent, so I took the knife outside. These shots are a much better representation of the figure and color in this rare piece of wood from Australia. :)

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that Australian Black Mulga is insanely nice looking and the knife brings out the best in it for sure. Beautifully done work as usual Nick.
I'm also loving the look of that thunderstorm knife as well, and can't help but think of what it might look like with a blued blade...
 
I actually really like the Kevlar handled knife. Some day when I'm rich and infamous, I look forward to buying one...
 
Both very good looking blades Nick. Not sure about the kevlar, but hey still a ripper of a knife. I'm so glad you took that knife outside to get some shots of the Mulga. Those gold highlights really pop. Great job, great knife.
Cheers Keith
 
I like the handle shape on the first one very much, but the material.....almost works.

The blade on the second knife is beautiful, but the guard sort of flowing down, not really a fan of that.

Have to salute you on not playing it safe, tho.......you could regurgitate designs and use the same handle materials and be busy for years to come, but you always reinvent, and that is admirable.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Both are awesome! I like the Kevlar material. I was thinking of trying it on some knives myself.
 
I Love the "Joe P" fighter shape, and - while I am usually not a fan of the "funky" synthetics - I actually think that Kevlar-ish stuff looks good here :thumbup:

that hand sanded finish is anything but "user grade" though :D

Ladder Pattern is very nice and clean on the second knife, and that Black Mulga is very cool ! If I'm not mistaken, it's a type of acacia ( Like Koa) but much harder - ie more like ironwood.

But......where are the (now expected:p) Wheeler sheaths????


Bill Flynn
 
A great ladder pattern, accompanying your usual fine handle. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
I don't care for the first piece.
 
I really like both...but ever since I was able to hold the Prototype JP Fighter I have been a fan. I also like plain ol' steel blades.
 
Nick,

They are both great looking Fighters.

The Kevlar as a knife handle is something I have not ever seen before, and as STeven mentioned, kudos to you
for pushing the boundaries of your work.
Just wondering how it compares to CF and/or micarta in feel and durability, I'm guessing very well.
The micarta frame is pretty trick also.

I really like the Black Mulga handled ladder pattern, especially after seeing the outside shots of the fantastic looking figure and color.
Your ladder damascus looks SO nice and works very well in conjunction with this fine looking hardwood.

Amazing fit/finish, overall shape and styling on both, thanks for showing !

Doug
 
Thanks for looking and taking the time to comment guys. :)

I understand the Kevlar is just plain ugly to many folks. To be brutally honest, I wasn't sure what I thought when Ben first posted some of it. But it grew on me, and then a very good customer of mine requested a knife with it, so I figured I best try it out.

I told Angi when I first started the fit-up, "Some guys are gonna hate this one!" :eek: ;) But after using it, and getting a feel for how it actually looks in hand, I think it's neat stuff. I don't think any of us that have used it have managed to show it that well in photos. The brass wires really look cool in hand.

But I'm not trying to sell anybody on it. This is clearly one of those materials that some folks love and some hate--- I don't think there's much in between.

I do think the material fits well into the whole idea behind what our buddy Joe Paranee wanted the design to be about in the first place though. :)



As for the second one--- it's definitely more of what most folks expect from my shop. I spent a long time trying to figure out how to best finish the wood. Mark Farley at BurlSource sent me the block a few years ago with a tag that said, "Do NOT use until Sept 2011"

Bill, you nailed it. Black mulga is a desert Acacia. It's got the density of Ironwood, but the figure/color is like a mix of Ironwood and Koa. Mark posted something about changing its name to Black Ironwood Koa. ;) :)

STeven- Other than the guard, the damascus knife is a lot like the one you have. I still like a "standard" flat faced guard, but I had seen enough photos of crowned guards from Jason Knight, Sam Lurquin, Burt Foster.... that I really wanted to try it. This is only about the 5th or 6th time I've done it, but I do like it. I plan to continue with both styles... :)

David- Thanks! And I'm a big fan of plain 'ol steel too! :)
 
Gotta love the Thunderstorm. The frame is a real plus...sets the lighter material off nicely. I did that with blackwood and buckeye a couple of times...back when I was young and adventurous. Your damascus is looking great! Keep it up. Ben
 
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