What are some "new tech/technique" things that are up and coming?

[Maelstrom78]

Personally, I am excited about the salt baths commercially available from Evenheat.

I watched a video where Travis Wuertz was working on a few new ideas for grinders and bevels.

Hybrid/epoxy handle materials were hot recently with people innovating with adding some stretched out extruded aluminum into the hybrid. Just creative stuff. I'm always interested in something unique that the guy down the street won't have.

Damascus patterns still seem to hold their own.

What's shakin' that I don't know about?

 

[kuraki]

I'm having some custom diamond grinding tools made for easily doing things like fluting guards, radius edges or full round edges, as well as a "universal" diamond file with 4 different radii on the corner for truing up plunges or whatever, as well as a concave radius block for dressing corners/edges of EDM stones to particular radii.

If they work out like I intend I have some more ideas on knifemaker specific diamond abrasive tools, or, maybe will do CBN instead as that's also an option.

 

[Mike Read]

Not sure if it counts as new or up and coming as I have been doing it for a few years.

Moulding home made micarta directly onto a knife tang. It is easy to do and opens up a whole range of possibilites. All sorts of taper tang, half tang, stick tang, pretty much any tang shape you want. You can even put the plunge under your scales for a real clean simple blade.

A few pics showing some of the things I have tried. It would be good to see some others using this technique.

 

[bikedave99]

Not sure if it counts as new or up and coming as I have been doing it for a few years.

Moulding home made micarta directly onto a knife tang. It is easy to do and opens up a whole range of possibilites. All sorts of taper tang, half tang, stick tang, pretty much any tang shape you want. You can even put the plunge under your scales for a real clean simple blade.

A few pics showing some of the things I have tried. It would be good to see some others using this technique.

Thats pretty cool Mike! So do you press with the blade sticking out of the micarta press? Or just wrap it up tight and do a lot of cleanup?

 

[Maelstrom78]

I'm having some custom diamond grinding tools made for easily doing things like fluting guards, radius edges or full round edges, as well as a "universal" diamond file with 4 different radii on the corner for truing up plunges or whatever, as well as a concave radius block for dressing corners/edges of EDM stones to particular radii.

If they work out like I intend I have some more ideas on knifemaker specific diamond abrasive tools, or, maybe will do CBN instead as that's also an option.

Dang that is a great idea.

I had a similar idea of purpose made radius tools like cutting PVC pipe in half and gluing down sandpaper for making a rounded intersection between scale and bolster.s easier

 

[Maelstrom78]

Not sure if it counts as new or up and coming as I have been doing it for a few years.

Moulding home made micarta directly onto a knife tang.

Man those look really nice and creative. I like anything that is unique. I seem to recall you did a tutorial on that or was I smoking crack? If not can you give me the lowdown?

I would think the front of the scales would be the most difficult thing. How do you do that like on your first pic?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

New prototype. Had the extra long piece of 8" rusting in the shed, thought I'd see how it turned out.

 

[Mike Read]

Thats pretty cool Mike! So do you press with the blade sticking out of the micarta press? Or just wrap it up tight and do a lot of cleanup?

For bolsterless knives I put layers of cling film between the blade and the laminate so when it is cured you can pop the scales off , clean up the front edge and glue and pin them back on.
For bolstered designs I have covered the blade and front edge of bolsters with release wax and cling film and then pressed the laminate directly onto the tang. Obviously the bolsters mean you dont need to clean up the front faces of the scales. If you design the knife carefully the scales will bond together through or around the tang so you dont necessarily need pins. If you do want to fit pins you have to drill oversize pin holes in the tang and then take care to drill pin holes right through scales and tang in the correct place. I havent done many bolstered knives.

I think Cling Film is called Saran Wrap in the US

 

[Mike Read]

Man those look really nice and creative. I like anything that is unique. I seem to recall you did a tutorial on that or was I smoking crack? If not can you give me the lowdown?

I would think the front of the scales would be the most difficult thing. How do you do that like on your first pic?

Thanks for sharing!

I did a tutorial many years ago on the now defunct British Blades. I keep meaning to do another but never get round to it.

The first one starts with a blank like this:



The main bevels are ground with the plunge just in front of the front pin hole and the tang is tapered. It is then pressed between two slabs of home made laminate with cling film to stop it sticking. When it sets, pop the scales off, clean up front edge, glue and pin back on and shape.

It is very easy once you have the micarta making sorted.

 

[lanternnate]

New prototype. Had the extra long piece of 8" rusting in the shed, thought I'd see how it turned out.

You must need beta testers

I did a tutorial many years ago on the now defunct British Blades. I keep meaning to do another but never get round to it.

The first one starts with a blank like this:



The main bevels are ground with the plunge just in front of the front pin hole and the tang is tapered. It is then pressed between two slabs of home made laminate with cling film to stop it sticking. When it sets, pop the scales off, clean up front edge, glue and pin back on and shape.

It is very easy once you have the micarta making sorted.

This exploded my mind. I have to try this now.

 

[john april]

very cool idea mike read !!

 

[John Blazy]

Way to think outside the box Mike Read! Love that formed effect.

My answer to the OP's question regarding hybrid epoxy handle material is a bit self plugging, but have to share, since I have been in a creative storm lately interleafing metallic pigmented aliphatic epoxy between CF in my heavy topography molds. You asked or new tech / epoxy hybrids etc. thats up and coming, so here ya go. Unidirectional CF molded into real wood figure - molds CNC'd based on top 5A grade figure.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

As far as making knives go, I think salt pot sets of HT and LT will be a new and popular thing.

 

[Maelstrom78]

As far as making knives go, I think salt pot sets of HT and LT will be a new and popular thing.

For sure. I just want to say that my knife is made of "bainite!!!!!!!"

What is it?!?!?! You don't have to know. But it has BANE in it!

I saw Walter Sorrels had a video on bainite but I haven't had a chance to watch.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Rubberized sheath lining.

I've used this technique on several large and extremely sharp knives I have made lately. I tape off the sheath parts I do not want covered and then spray the inside with a rubber substance which stays flexible after it dries. The end result is a water proof interior along with a protective surface that protects the leather from the sharp point and edge. It also protects any interior stitching. It needs to set 24 hours to set up properly. The spots on the right portion are from me not waiting to test for dry.

 

[JG Custom Metal Works]

I did a tutorial many years ago on the now defunct British Blades. I keep meaning to do another but never get round to it.

Link?

If not, I’d love it if you could do another one. I’d also be interested as to how you make your micarta and what adhesive you use. I’ve heard a lot of people use that bondo stuff, but it just didn’t seem to work that well for me the could times I tried it. I’m thinking west systems or other slow cure epoxy would be best.

 

[Mike Read]

Link?

If not, I’d love it if you could do another one. I’d also be interested as to how you make your micarta and what adhesive you use. I’ve heard a lot of people use that bondo stuff, but it just didn’t seem to work that well for me the could times I tried it. I’m thinking west systems or other slow cure epoxy would be best.

I have used West System Epoxy and various other equivalents - all epoxy - and they have all been fine. Runnier is better as wetting out fabric is easier.

I haven't tried polyester resins, primarily because of the smell. It is much cheaper but for the quantities you need for a knife handle the extra cost is not a big deal. I have also tried polyeurethane resin and wouldn't recommend it as it is a faff and the one knife I made with the stuff is falling apart.

I have a copy of my tutorial as a Word Doc. I will update it and post it as a tutorial some time in the next week or two, if you want it earlier drop me a pm with your e-mail and I will send a copy.

 

[John Blazy]

Continue with epoxy, as the Polyester Resin (bondo) has much higher shrinkage, and continues to shrink over time.

 

[tmickley]

Mike
excellent!
I've never seen this done on anything other than an injection molded knife and you made it harder using a layup.
Nice job and great technique.
t

Not sure if it counts as new or up and coming as I have been doing it for a few years.

Moulding home made micarta directly onto a knife tang. It is easy to do and opens up a whole range of possibilites. All sorts of taper tang, half tang, stick tang, pretty much any tang shape you want. You can even put the plunge under your scales for a real clean simple blade.

A few pics showing some of the things I have tried. It would be good to see some others using this technique.

 

[REK Knives]

I did a tutorial many years ago on the now defunct British Blades. I keep meaning to do another but never get round to it.

The first one starts with a blank like this:



The main bevels are ground with the plunge just in front of the front pin hole and the tang is tapered. It is then pressed between two slabs of home made laminate with cling film to stop it sticking. When it sets, pop the scales off, clean up front edge, glue and pin back on and shape.

It is very easy once you have the micarta making sorted.

I would love to see a video of your process as well those are amazing!

Speaking of which... is this what Andrew Jordan does, if you had to guess? Looks like it's a one piece full wrap on the main portion of the handle... always wondered how he did it and got that bumpy texture!