What caused this- crazy lines on my blade?!?

HaHa, I was expecting a bunch of serious answers... ;) I think the LSD quench is my favorite idea here. :D

Sam, that's my leather mark. I haven't gotten an actual leather stamp yet, so I have been stamping the leather with a steel stamp and a socket (to give it an outline). Glad you like the stud on the sheath--- that little gizwiz is a nice and simple example of a 4 jaw lathe chuck coming in handy.

Tom- Not yet, but I am hoping to test one of these years... Thank you! :)

Here are a couple shots I took while making the stud. I used a piece of guard stock that had not worked out as a guard. ;)
DSCN6377.jpg DSCN6379.jpg DSCN6380.jpg
 
Absolutely stellar package Nick! I personally have never been the biggest fan of either harpoon grinds or mosaic Damascus but ....

Have to ask, is the entire guard face radiused or is it just the lugs?

Subtle details and unique/quality materials - joining forces - point to a tireless maker with a great plan! That blackwood's character is just lovely too.

Thanks for all you share. Seriously. Now go make more!

Best
Andy
 
Nick, welcome to shop talk! You actually answered your own question when you referred to the blade as mosaic damascus. You see, when you mix steels like 1084 and 15N20 in the same billit, it creates a contrast when etched.

You really should read the stickies before you jump head-first into something as complicated as mosaic damascus. You seem to have a lot of enthusiasm, and that is great, but like I said, do some reading beforehand to keep you from spinning your wheels or even putting yourself in danger. The Count has a great post with a ton of links to resources and posts that is very helpful for someone trying to learn-up. I'll see if I can find a link, or maybe the Count can post it here for your reference.

The good news is that your attempts to date are looking ok. I think with some research, you can be on your way to being a fair smith. That said, your leather work looks pretty darn nice. So you have that going for you....

Happy smithing.

--Nathan
 
silver_pilate said:
Nick, welcome to shop talk! ......... good news is that your attempts to date are looking ok. I think with some research, you can be on your way to being a fair smith. That said, your leather work looks pretty darn nice. So you have that going for you....

Happy smithing.

--Nathan
Click to expand...

:applouse: :applouse: :applouse: :applouse: :tears_of_joy::sorrow::very_drunk: Best post evah!
 
silver_pilate said:
Nick, welcome to shop talk! You actually answered your own question when you referred to the blade as mosaic damascus. You see, when you mix steels like 1084 and 15N20 in the same billit, it creates a contrast when etched.

You really should read the stickies before you jump head-first into something as complicated as mosaic damascus. You seem to have a lot of enthusiasm, and that is great, but like I said, do some reading beforehand to keep you from spinning your wheels or even putting yourself in danger. The Count has a great post with a ton of links to resources and posts that is very helpful for someone trying to learn-up. I'll see if I can find a link, or maybe the Count can post it here for your reference.

The good news is that your attempts to date are looking ok. I think with some research, you can be on your way to being a fair smith. That said, your leather work looks pretty darn nice. So you have that going for you....

Happy smithing.

--Nathan
Click to expand...


Man, I just knew there must be a simple answer!

I tried to read through those sticky things, but I don't really like reading, and I'd really prefer somebody just tell me what I need to do rather than have to search and stuff. And I plan on disregarding whatever I read and doing whatever strikes my fancy anyway...

:eek:

:D :p :D


Thanks for the good chuckle my friend! :) (btw- I was waiting on the arrival of some shop materials before sending your knife, and it all got here yesterday.... make sure the USPS box is totally empty before you throw it away ;) )

Andy- I never used to care much for this type of blade shape either. A friend/collector worked with me on a project that gave me a new appreciation for the positive attributes it can bring to a fighting knife (especially when the clip is sharp sharp :)).

It took me a long time to warm up to mosaic steel as well. I actually started forging it about 10 years ago, but I haven't finished out very many knives made from it until the last couple of years.

Personally, I really love the organic nature of a random pattern, and the chatoyance of a tight, clean ladder pattern. But I have come to be fond of the many variations you can achieve with Ws billets. :)

The way I do guards like this one, is to fit it up with a flat face. Once it's fit-up, then I lay-out the arc I want, and shape the face with the belt, then the disc sander. It's actually not a true arc, because it remains flat across the ricasso, but with a careful lay-out and shaping, it gives the illusion of being a long, smooth arc. IMHO anyway. ;) :)

Thanks guys!!! :)
 
Those lines on the blade are from quencing in motor oil, 30 weight. If I could just taste the steel I'd tell you the carbon content. :D


Nick you rock! Your knives keep getting better which seems hard to do. :cool: The spine signature and Damascus in that area have been especially cool on the last ones.
 
While the harpoon blade and mosaic damascus aren't really my thing, the workmanship and flow of the knife is unbelievable. I like the contrast with the stainless guard. My own esthetic tastes prefers this contrast to using damascus guards.

:):):):):):)
 
Nick-

Thanks much for the detail regarding how you managed the face radius on your guard here. Makes good sense - after the fact - and sure serves well on this design. I'm guessing you radius/profile the guard face before coming in to taper the lugs from behind.

BTW it was actually Erin B's recent (kick@ss) Harpoon Fighter that opened my eyes to similar profiles. I think the magic happens when you can push/exploit such lines to a point just this side of being too obvious or garish. (But then I suppose that applies to most unusual designs eh?)

Anyway, I truly appreciate your openness, generosity and time spent. A lot of the work we see here is no doubt better for it; at least mine is. You are an old-school class act all the way! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Andy
 
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