Z-sere done

bindlestitch

bindlestitch

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
1,461
Finally got this thing done. After a year of wanting to do it I got 'er done.

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It's been a long journey but I wanted to finish this thing to kind of put the word out about Paul Zinsmeister. He's the guy who made the knife that inspired this one. You can see that knife in Terry's (iawoodsman) video "using large knives". It's an amazing piece of craftsmanship from a maker who left us at a young age. My knife isn't even a pimple on the original's backside.
I positively won't be taking orders for these, it's a personal project really and that's all.
I hope you guys like it. I'll do a fun vid sometime on it, taker 'er out and rough it up a little.
Here's the original knife that I used as inspiration. A z-made bolo.
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I finished up another special project today. I refurbished a knife for a friend. Something I usually don't do but this knife was his Grandpa's knife and it means the world to him to have it to use. I can respect that, I only wish I had something like that from my dad or granddad to kinda feel that connection/tradition.
It was a basket case, no handle, flat edge and rusted up pretty good. I left the deep pits so there'd still be a knife to use. heh.
The scales are from trees that his Granddad planted on the family farm. Quarter sawn oak and a quarter sawn sycamore pommel.

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She ain't gonna win no beauty contest but I know he'll cherish getting to use it this season and I was proud to be a part of making that happen.

Let me know what you guys think if you don't mind.
Iz
 
I think both are fantastic. Looking forward to a review on the sere. You sure you don't want orders on it? I am not personally into big knives, but many on BF are...just saying.
 
The Z-Sere is amazing but that goes without saying eh !

However for me the second knife is even more special, for a knife with that many memories to be given a second shot of life is awesome.....great work buddy !
 
:eek:Dude.........

Way cool bro. :thumbup::thumbup:

I cant wait to play with that Z......You really nailed it... That thing is a beast....

That hunter came out nice too. Looks a bit differant then when I saw it last......
 
Handle design and blade profile are awesome, Iz. Is that a scandi or a full convex? Either way I'm sure it's a devistating chopper!
 
One word,

BEAST

Can't wait to see a vid with that monster in it. Thanks Iz. Moose
 
PayetteRucker said:
Handle design and blade profile are awesome, Iz. Is that a scandi or a full convex? Either way I'm sure it's a devistating chopper!
Click to expand...

CONVEX, Payette.:thumbup:


Thanks everybody for the kind words and encouragement. Both of these were fun to do and sort of had some special meaning.
I'll try to get a z-sere fun video up next week sometime.:thumbup:
You guys, rock.
Iz
 
the Z-SERE looks like a great design and execution.

the refurb looks like a similar design to an old knife my dad has tucked away. small "bowie", similar to the ones made by Western and that you could find in the knife cases in hardware stores, etc. up until 20 years ago or so. the one my dad has is from his mother's or grandmother's first husband who was a cavalry officer. last time i saw it, it was in good shape, but needed a new sheath. scales were checkered ebony or some kind of black wood. had a few Colt .38 Police Specials with it.

great work as always!
 
Fixer,
That's a very cool story. This knife has no marking any longer but I was guessing it to be a western. I'm not sure if it is or if it's one of the other companies from the time period though.
Thanks for the nice words and for the neat story.
Iz
 
also forgot to mention that some of the ancestors were Turles from the Kickapoo Creek area.

no clue if "Turle" and "Turley" are two branches on the same family tree or not, but we *may* have common ancestors. unfortunately, i can never remember all the genealogy. the family name isn't that anymore, IIRC, it was some great, great grandmother that was a Turle, who married a Hall and i forget where it went from there, but they were in the St. Louis area a few generations ago before moving west.

the segue here is that Kickapoo Creek would be a great name for a knife... since all your models are named after creeks or rivers. don't know what it would be appropriate for... perhaps a necker since to me that seems suitable for a moonshiner's knife. :D

and, no. i'm not making any of this up. :rolleyes:
 
Lol. That's cool. I'm thinking that there may be a connection there, not sure though. I can't remember the original spelling (the Irish way) but I think it might be Turle. It meant low land dweller if I remember right.
I know that it got changed to Turley (for whatever reason) before my ancestors came to the new world in the 1640s.
Then they came to Missouri before it was a state and it's all down hill form there.:D
Iz
 
bindlestitch said:
It's been a long journey but I wanted to finish this thing to kind of put the word out about Paul Zinsmeister. He's the guy who made the knife that inspired this one. You can see that knife in Terry's (iawoodsman) video "using large knives".

Let me know what you guys think if you don't mind.
Iz
Click to expand...

Wow! Nice idea to commemorate Paul & a Cool piece Iz.

I'd seen Terry's video a while ago and it's what pushed me over the edge to order my Model 4 from you. The thing that really struck me about it was Terry's dexterity with the knife and the "shing" that baby made everytime he lopped off a branch!

I would still love to know the specs on Paul's blade....
 
gerberbmf said:
Wow! Nice idea to commemorate Paul & a Cool piece Iz.

I'd seen Terry's video a while ago and it's what pushed me over the edge to order my Model 4 from you. The thing that really struck me about it was Terry's dexterity with the knife and the "shing" that baby made everytime he lopped off a branch!

I would still love to know the specs on Paul's blade....
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliments, man.
Yeah, you can tell Terry has used that knife a bunch just by watching that video. He uses a big knife correctly. He explained his big knife philosophy to me one day and it makes total sense. Even though he's not a knife maker he knows how to use knives well and correctly.
The specs on the z-sere are
1/4" thick stock (this one was o-1 which I think was a mistake. It should have been 5160 or something similar. The next one will be 5160)
Handle length is @ 5 1/2"
Blade length is @ 9 1/4"
Overall length is about 15 1/2"
Iz
 
Well the z-sere turned out to be somewhat dissapointing when it met up with some hedge this weekend. I tried using o-1 for this one and got the heat treat wrong so it got dinged up pretty good on the edge.
But that's what these test knives are for....tests.:D
The next one (and last one ever) will be in 5160 if I ever finish it. That's the steel I should have chosen to begin with but I wanted to see if I could make o-1 perform as a hard woods chopper. I can't.
I'm sure I can on the 5160.
Just a little up date for those interested.
Iz
 
What steel do you use for most of your knives? 5160 I am assuming. What are the benefits of 5160. Or is it just that that is what you are used to. B/c I love O1, dont know how one can go wrong with it. Plus love the way it patinias, crazy fast.
 
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