What's on your bench for summer?

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
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Because of vacation but in most case because of the hot weather, summer is usually a slow knifemaking season. For the hobbyist of course, the pros still have to make a living.

Thanks to a small AC installed in the shop (should have done that a long time ago) I myself may be able to make a little progress on some knives compared to an almost complete stop in the past.

Here is what's on the bench for me:

1) Small Damascus hunter that I had the blade done for a while. Mock-up wood handle in place. I will be using something called cross-cut ambrosia maple (stabilized).
2) Follow up knife to the Inquisitor. This one will be a bit larger and called the Confessor. Still not sure if this will be the final design for clip.

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If you know how much time it takes me to make each knives you know that these won't be finished by the end of summer but at least I can make some progress.

So what's on YOUR bench?
 
Here are a few neck knives that I'm trying to get out of the shop. I'm getting tired of these things.

On the right is a couple of Skinners and white tall antlers for handles. A total of 4 knives will come from the crowns and tines for a widow lady. The antlers are from the first deer her husband shot in the 70's and she will give the knives to her kids as a gift. The chef knife is also for her and will be wearing koa scales.

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Well currently I have a few on my bench but all in various states of production. I have two full tang knives, one skinner and hunter heat treated, one hidden tang heat treated and sanded to 600, and my first forged fighter heat treated with a guard fitted up. I am hoping to finish up one of the full tangs by Tuesday for the father in laws birthday. Spent 4 hours forging a knife and a hawk today, and drank 2 gallons of water. 32 degrees C here today.
 
I have a gladius in the planning stages. Approx. 20-22" blade. Will probably be the leaf shaped gladius, the mainz(?). Haven't decided if I'm going to use 1095 and put a hamon on it, or go with 1084. Other than that, well. I don't have an a/c.

Patrice, I didn't think it got hot on the way up in Quebec.
 
Good stuff guys. :thumbup:

David, sorry you don't have an A/C. My shop is not that big so I got the smallest unit, 5000 BTU I think, but I am pretty sure that it could do for a larger shop. If not to keep it at subarctic temps at least to make it livable. As far as the temperature in Quebec, it may be a little better farther form the big cities but for me its now around 83-84 but 95 or more with the humidity. And it got hotter than that on some days. The high humidity is what makes it unbearable, for e anyway.
 
I have enough sweat on my bench to drown a whale! Plus a couple of rustic "trade knives" with tiger maple handles. A lot of people dont realize how hot it can get in the north . It can get just as hot as it does cold !!!
 
It's not only the heat and humidity. Its the temperature swings. In winter here in Mississauga, it can be -10 degrees F or more, Lake Ontario always lessens the severity of the cold. Then it swings to +85 Degrees F. or so and with humidity not fun. All within 5 months.

Where Pat lives, there is no big lake and it gets freaking cold there. Go to Montreal in February, you'll see why the Quebecers are all in Cuba or Florida or anywhere warm.

Fb
 
I've got a dao-styled sword, 3 mini-dao blades, a bush sword, 2 BK6 blanks, 2 EDC's, 2 camp choppers, a kitchen knife, and a dagger coming back from HT soon. After that, I'll be making a few more swords, depending on if I can sell some of my stuff.
 
I have three EDCs, 2 hunter/skinners, and a recurve bowie on the bench. I'll post some pics today. I just finished my mini for the KITH, and am pretty happy with it.

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I just finished my first large knife, and it has a ton of flaws, but I learned a lot from it. I did a lot of work since this picture, but I delivered it to my brother before I set up my photo box. My brother is a hobbyist photographer so he will send me some pictures when he has a chance to take them.

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I am a bit north of Edmonton, Alberta, and we had a really hot week here as well. We were over 30c and almost 100% humidity. In Alberta, out climate is one of extremes.
 
Trying not to mess up Patrice's thread , but just gotta' tell ya' Willie71 , that big Bowie lookin' one in the lower photo is one of the coolest looking knives I have EVER seen .I think it is my all time favorite knife .Let me see....YES as of right now that is my all time favorite knife.
 
Thank you. Its a bit of a hybrid design. Its 1/8" O1, 12" blade, 16 3/4" OAL and is nicknamed "Turkey Slayer." I wanted the edge really hard for kitchen use, so I differentially hardened it, and you can see the faint outline of the "hamon." It looks more like a smudge than a hamon though. It was a gift to my brother for his 40th birthday. Its basically a fancy looking carving knife. It is finished better now than in the pic, but my work is no where near Patrice and the other amazing makers here. I was apprehensive putting it up because of how limited my skills are still. I definitely bit off more than I could chew at the time with that one.
 
Mostly a mess as I finish off a dashi for a kith and throw the rest of the stuff on the bench as I am sailing for the rest of the summer.. yep, a summer wasted, I wont be back until the end of september. Maybe I can get something done this fall.
 
Good stuff guys. Very good stuff. I'm hoping to get this one done before the leaves start turning.

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I'm jealous of all you folks talking about heat, humidity and airconditioners, send some of it this way, the cold keeps pumping in from Hudson's Bay, and if not it snaps, back at us from the lake Superior, as a result no warmth no vegetable garden this season. Its a cool gray wet buggy summer this year (plain awful so far) after being spoiled with steady beach weather last year. All this causes the shop bug to bite me into spending time down there. Workers are doing siding on the house so that all keeps me on a short leash. To pass the time I have a couple of small game hunter fixed blades on the go, and if the urge rises, maybe a big chopper or a fighter, but I hope by then the summer weather will kick back in so as to spend time on the lakes.

I am running low on 440C is there a good source to procure some? Last time I bought a bunch from Jim Downie, not sure if he sells steel anymore.
 
Patrice… only one on my bench now. Currently rough-profiled.
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Erin
 
Looking good guys. :thumbup:

Erin, those holes in the blade would sure look pwety gold filled with maybe a fine engraving on them. :D
 
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