Working on 2nd kitchen knife...advice wanted (Final Pics)

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I generally don't leave the etch on the spine or tang rim. The pattern on the bevels is the main factor.

 

[Willie71]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I'm almost finished, have the knife etched, scales cut and sanded to 1000g and pins cut and ready to epoxy together, but....I'd like to keep the etching throughout the tang and am wondering how y'all finish sand the handle scales without sanding/polishing off the etching on the tang. Do you sand and polish the scales before epoxying them on? or are you just really careful not to sand on the tang when finishing the handle? (and is that what makes you guys Master smiths and me just a wannabe?)
Thanks
~billyO

Go with a hidden tang design in future. Problem solved.

 

[weo]

Thanks Matt, that's a good idea.

I generally don't leave the etch on the spine or tang rim. The pattern on the bevels is the main factor.

Thanks Stacy, that's what I've done on all my other knives so far, but thought I'd try to keep the pattern on the spine this time.

Go with a hidden tang design in future. Problem solved.

Thanks Warren. I did that on my first Damascus knife and last kitchen knife, and will probably continue with this route in the future. Although full tang handles are a bit easier/less work than hidden tangs....

 

[S.Alexander]

I have done the q-tip trick before. Worked just fine.

I suppose the other option is to temporarily attach the handles, finish them, remove them, etch the blade, then reattach the handles. Q-tips seem easier though...

 

[Willie71]

Thanks Matt, that's a good idea.


Thanks Stacy, that's what I've done on all my other knives so far, but thought I'd try to keep the pattern on the spine this time.


Thanks Warren. I did that on my first Damascus knife and last kitchen knife, and will probably continue with this route in the future. Although full tang handles are a bit easier/less work than hidden tangs....

My thoughts are that going with Damascus, easier doesn't seem like the best reason. I find hidden tangs no harder than full tang now, as I usually go with dovetailed bolsters with liners on full tangs. Slotting a guard isn't too hard once you've done a few.

 

[Fish30114]

I have made quite a few Kitchen knives with already hardened Damascus that I had been gifted. I liked that the etch is showing on the tang of these knives, being as the blade steel was already etched, I just sanded the side of the tang, leaving the edges of the tang taped up, and got the tang as rough as I wanted to give added confidence that the epoxy had some extra grabbing surface. I always use pins on my knives and don't even know if this was necessary, but I think this approach will work for you.

Good looking knives so far brother!!

 

[weo]

Thanks for all the suggestions, replies and help on this project. Here are pics of the final result, the etching on the tang didn't show up well in the pics. I ended up trying to finish sand the scales off the tang because I had already etched the blade, and then epoxy/pin followed by a quick buff/polish using my dremel polishing wheel and compound. Worked OK.
Damascus pattern was made by grinding random grooves through the original billet. Handle is stabilized maple and ebony with stainless inside brass pins.

Thanks again for all the help.
~billyO

 

[Natlek]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I'm almost finished, have the knife etched, scales cut and sanded to 1000g and pins cut and ready to epoxy together, but....I'd like to keep the etching throughout the tang and am wondering how y'all finish sand the handle scales without sanding/polishing off the etching on the tang. Do you sand and polish the scales before epoxying them on? or are you just really careful not to sand on the tang when finishing the handle? (and is that what makes you guys Master smiths and me just a wannabe?)
Thanks
~billyO

For hard chrome finsh knive I finish handle on COPY of tang which I made

 

[JTknives]

watching burt foster and Jason knight make that blade someone asked how thy etch the spine and tang. Thy said thy don't, thy leave it at a sanded finish.