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Haven't been along for the adventure but just stumbled onto this thread and wanted to say congrats on a very unique, very cool blade!
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Uh, oh! Not a knife, yet.
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
Yep that's a knife! I took the corner off a table like that once. One of the reasons I don't do chopping competitions. Not that my knife wouldn't cut it, but that I couldn't hit it. Thanks Lorien. The true test will be the test of time to see how it holds up during one of your trail making expeditions. Let us know how it goes when you get take it to the woods.
Lorien!
Wow brother, the fact that you did everything by hand from start to finish...
Truly is an insperation to me(I'm sure to others as well)! Thank You for taking the time to take pictures along the way. I hope they keep this one around a while. I'm still learning from it.
Wow brother, the fact that you did everything by hand from start to finish...
Truly is an insperation to me(I'm sure to others as well)! Thank You for taking the time to take pictures along the way. I hope they keep this one around a while. I'm still learning from it.
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Interesting journey with an outstanding ending.
Congrats.
Congrats.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
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- 28,397
thanks guys, I'm glad you're enjoying it
The journey ain't over yet! I know now that the knife performs pretty much as intended, so I think I'm going to revisit the handle and get it just right.
It is hard to know exactly how a knife is going to work out until you either have full sized mockup or the real deal in your hand. Especially if you'll be designing one on paper.
The journey ain't over yet! I know now that the knife performs pretty much as intended, so I think I'm going to revisit the handle and get it just right.
It is hard to know exactly how a knife is going to work out until you either have full sized mockup or the real deal in your hand. Especially if you'll be designing one on paper.
Lorien when you get that handle all wrapped and the blade is as sharp as you want, hang up one of your bike inner tubes and give the lose end a chop. If it is as sharp as it should be, you won't have any trouble cutting it. If it is not sharp, hang on good because it won't cut it. That stuff is grabby and it takes a sharp edge with good geometry to cut.
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I have never been able to get a knife to cut a hanging inner tube with any consistency! I haven't tried too many times, do to the potential for disaster, but I'll take your advice and make it one of my standard edge tests. I don't usually require an extreme level of keenness from my bush blades, but I do generally believe 'the sharper the better'!
Harry, I did take your advice and I Crazy glued the crack in the handle:thumbup:
Harry, I did take your advice and I Crazy glued the crack in the handle:thumbup:
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Glad you tired the crazy glue Lorien. It will be interesting to see how this handle holds up. I know you will put it through some tough use. What kind of finish are you going to put on the binding? Have you thought about using something hard that would help the binding support the wood underneath, like epoxy? It would make a layer kind of like micarta... I guess.
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I thought epoxy would be the best choice Harry, but all I have on hand is polyurethane. Do you have any specific suggestions for epoxy?
I've used spar varnish and while it hardens up nice, it's kind of smelly. I don't know how this polyurethane will do, since last time I applied it over the spar varnish it never hardened. Just stayed sticky and felt really gross. But I think I'll try thin coats of it this time and hopefully it will end up nice and hard and I can sand it smooth where it needs to be and keep it tractiony elsewhere.
I can always cut the wrap off and try it again if it doesn't work.
I've used spar varnish and while it hardens up nice, it's kind of smelly. I don't know how this polyurethane will do, since last time I applied it over the spar varnish it never hardened. Just stayed sticky and felt really gross. But I think I'll try thin coats of it this time and hopefully it will end up nice and hard and I can sand it smooth where it needs to be and keep it tractiony elsewhere.
I can always cut the wrap off and try it again if it doesn't work.
Pop's Knife Supply has some very good 2part epoxy(s) that have done me well on a couple pictures. Someone on bladeforums turned me on to their website and they are really friendly folks!
Lorien, just wanted to let you know: You inspired me and I spent a good 5 hours this afternoon/evening at my bench with a handfull of files and a nice piece of d2 that I dug out from storage... I have been giving myself excuses because I am not all setup and don't have all the tools I want (as if any of us could have All of 'em). Anyway, I got 3 blanks cut out and 1 of them roughed in pretty far along. Thanks for pushing me over the edge
Respectfully
Gabriel
Lorien, just wanted to let you know: You inspired me and I spent a good 5 hours this afternoon/evening at my bench with a handfull of files and a nice piece of d2 that I dug out from storage... I have been giving myself excuses because I am not all setup and don't have all the tools I want (as if any of us could have All of 'em). Anyway, I got 3 blanks cut out and 1 of them roughed in pretty far along. Thanks for pushing me over the edge
Respectfully
Gabriel
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Hi Lorien. Your blade looks like it cuts really well. Nice and clean and deep.
How's it handle with the angle of the blade to the handle? It must throw the tip down and make for some wicked speed and great "flick" cuts.
For epoxy, you can get some West System stuff locally. There's different hardeners, Fast, Slow (though the difference is like 12 hours or 16 hours so I wouldn't call fast very fast); and there's a 207(?) coating hardener that's clearer than the others but I haven't tried it.
If you're planning to sand the epoxy, it tend not to go all shiny or anything but rather opaque.. I'd try a test to see how it'll work. If you don't like it, you won't be able to cut the wrap off. You'd have to grind it away.
The Polyurethane glue is likely a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised it didn't foam up on you last time.
How's it handle with the angle of the blade to the handle? It must throw the tip down and make for some wicked speed and great "flick" cuts.
For epoxy, you can get some West System stuff locally. There's different hardeners, Fast, Slow (though the difference is like 12 hours or 16 hours so I wouldn't call fast very fast); and there's a 207(?) coating hardener that's clearer than the others but I haven't tried it.
If you're planning to sand the epoxy, it tend not to go all shiny or anything but rather opaque.. I'd try a test to see how it'll work. If you don't like it, you won't be able to cut the wrap off. You'd have to grind it away.
The Polyurethane glue is likely a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised it didn't foam up on you last time.
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grlangr- I'm so glad you have found this thread to be inspiring. It wasn't my aim to inspire, but if that was the effect then I am proud of that achievement.
I've checked out the West Systems stuff online, and I think that I will order some. In order to soak into the hemp twine, it's gotta be pretty aqueous.
Instead of spending more money on stuff, I'm going to just use what I've got on hand. But this time, I'll follow the instructions when I apply it
I'm so glad you have found this thread to be inspiring. It wasn't my aim to inspire, but if that was the effect then I am proud of that achievement.I've checked out the West Systems stuff online, and I think that I will order some. In order to soak into the hemp twine, it's gotta be pretty aqueous.
Instead of spending more money on stuff, I'm going to just use what I've got on hand. But this time, I'll follow the instructions when I apply it
grlangr-
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Thanks, I am taking pictures along the way. At some point when I get around to having the money and am a full member I'll post them in a WIP kind of like you have done and hopefully It'll inspire others as well!
All the best to you bro!
