My First Knife
 

I completed my first knife during a bladesmithing class I took last week.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC01397.jpg

I'm pretty proud of it, despite the flaws. The most obvious problem with the knife is that the handle is made to fit my hand and the blade is undersized in comparison. I could go back, fix it and then spend another couple of hours refinishing it so it looks nice again.

I think I'll keep it around as-is to remind me of my mistake.

The whole album of pictures that were captured during the process are here.

Anyway. I'll call out a few of the pictures and provide some commentary.

I forged out 3 blades on the first day of class. Two hidden tang blades and one full tang blade. The full tang was set aside early on due to time constraints.

Here are the two hidden/stub tang blades after they've been rough ground and heat treated and then cleaned up after the heat treat.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0260.jpg

This is one of my favorite parts: hand finishing. I'm sanding out 400 grit scratches with 600 grit Rhynowet paper.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0272.jpg

Here I am filing the shoulders off so that the ricasso and guard fit together without gaps. The file guide has a layer of carbide on top to keep the file from destroying it.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0264.jpg

After the blade is filed and sanded to 600 grit. I etched the blade. This is done to show up any flaws in the blade, especially for a newbie maker like me. The etching brings out any remaining < 600 grit scratches, among other flaws.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0284.jpg

Filing the guard nearly drove me insane. You really can't see what you're doing...

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0281.jpg

At this point the guard has been fitted to the blade, the handle material has been drilled out and it's all been stuck together with Acraglass.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF0289.jpg

When that is hard, you take it back to the grinder to shape the handle. Then you hit it on the buffer and you're done, aside from sharpening the blade...

Sorry about the huge pictures. I'll see if I can figure out how to resize them with GIMP...

I, for one, like these huge pics.

It's beautiful, Perry.

I was surprised that your hands weren't more beat up.

Verry cool , dont worry about the big pics , they show detail

cool skill to have. +5 points to you

Okay, I'll leave the big pictures since ya'll like them. They are relatively small bandwidth-wise.

For the curious, this knife is composed of:
Nickel (aka German) silver guard
1084 steel
Honduran Mahogany

I figure if the end of the civilization comes about, I can make weapons. It's a relatively cushy job compared to fighting off zombie hordes.

The majority of the damage to my hands was done while forging on the first day. I developed a huge blister on the heel of my hand. In a few weeks or months it will develop into a thick callus.

A couple of ancient Chinese secrets I learned last week: Vaseline will keep epoxy from sticking to something. Windex will neutralize ferric chloride. This particular type of mahogany smells like a mocha when you're drilling and grinding it.

How do I place an order? I have an urgent want.

Very cool. I'm one of the main whingers about oversized pics, I find those fine, thanks for sharing :)

Excellent work! Do you know how many hours you have into it?

Excellent!
I definitely would like to place an order for two. I'm thinking Christmas for my boys.
Let me know what I need to do - pm is good.

Absolutely gorgeous, Perry.

Your work is excellent and I, for one, like the progress pictures, especially the large ones. As for the proportions of the knife, that's a good set of proportions. A handle that fills the hand is a good size, and a blade about the width of your hand is plenty of blade. You have a well proportioned knife there.

Did you start with blanks or did you create them from flat stock? The guard looks like stainless steel in the finished picture, but in the filing picture it looks like a block of copper or maybe a block of micarta. For the full tang blade, do you intend to make some through rivets to secure cheek pieces for the handle? Or something else? What other handle materials do you have in mind?

O look at me, such a chatterbox. Your knife is a piece of art, Perry. You have a lot to be proud of. I look forward to more pictures and stories from you, and maybe a knife of yours for my own someday.

This knife wasn't made to sell was it? Or to hang on the wall as a piece of art? The handle fits your hand, and the blade is long enough to do what you want it to do. Why is this a problem? I'll take function over appearance.

It's a beautiful knife, you should be proud of it.

Is that a bucket full of wet sparks underneath the belt grinders? Clever! Also, nice clamp/vise. Your instructor has a nice shop, and I can clearly see that he's given a lot of thought to the finish product, especially on the glamour shots.

Wow. I'm thrilled by all the appreciation you all are expressing. Thanks for all of the encouragement.

Classic. Foot3. I haven't really given any thought to selling knives yet. I'd be happy to make whatever you'd like, as long as it's in my power.

I'll PM you guys and we can talk more about details.

Yeah. Those buckets really help with the sparks and wood particles. There's even a vacuum hose to suck wood dust away on one of the grinders.

Ed's knife vise is awesome. It's got rubber padded jaws/clamping area and rotates so you can get at three sides of your blade without taking it out. A little design flaw keeps it from going all the way around.

I am very proud of it. It just that with all physical artifacts, there is always room for improvement. I want each of my knives to be better from a design and functional perspective than the last.

There's an intimacy you feel with a handcrafted artifact. I've always heard craftsmen talk about it. It is an amazing feeling.

I started with 1.25x0.25 stock and forged the blade by hand. I did "cheat" and draw the tangs down with the power hammer and hydraulic press. (Funnest tools ever, btw.) That's a luxury I won't have in my own shop, and will probably add an hour's worth of forging to a hidden tang blade.

Nickel silver is all copper but for just enough nickel to make it silver. I think that's what might be showing on the surface of the raw guard stock. Nickel silver mirror polishes really, really easy. 400 grit and then buff it.

For the full tang I'll be using pins or rivets of some sort. Most likely nickel, stainless or brass depending on the particulars. Titanium is another popular pin stock.

I've got a few pieces of deer and stag antler to use for handles. I'll also do micarta, g10 and carbon fiber. I really want to try homebrew micarta. Oh, yeah, I also have some dyed camel bone that I think is going to come out REALLY cool.

There's a black spacer between the guard and the handle. It's made from vulcanized paper.

I have little idea. We worked back and fourth between three different blades. There was also a lot of instructional and bullshitting time.

Since I'm not doing it for a business, I probably won't pay much attention to the time investment right now. I need to keep my focus where it matters.

Again, I have to thank you all for the kind words and encouragement and interest in my work.

The knife looks great. That over-size handle will pay off in blade control.

Good job!

Great knife perry.

Thanks!

Exactly right, my missing knife has a large handle which makes it awesome for all kinds of stuff when it isn't missing.

A year or two ago I found a Spyderco Meerkat whilst hiking. Look at the proportions between the handle and blade.

(I'd post an image, but I'm hotlink-shy.)

Mine is just like that, except it's made in Golden of 440C, instead of Aus-6 from Seki City.

I also have a Boker Chad Los Banos Subcom F, which has interesting proportions.

Spyderco Meerkat

Thanks Bruce.

us humans love us some patterns:

more on inlay banding

This guy has an amazing catalog:http://www.inlaybanding.com/products.html

Those have tiny handles. I'd be curious to see how they feel in my (large) hands.

This is an enormous thread from one of the knifemaking forums I frequent.

It's a work-in-progress thread that details the entire knifemaking process. It goes to show you why custom handmade knives easily go for thousands of dollars.

Damn. That is amazing. I was going to post a few pictures of a dorky knife I made in school, but it would be an insult to knifemaking.

149 posts into the thread at this point. OUTSTANDING Perry, thank you. I noticed it took 113 posts to generate the first set of questions. I, too, am fond of WIP threads. This one is especially wonderful. I'm super envious of the guy's shop. Of course, this is his professional work (I'm guessing) so he can justify it more easily than I can. I can also sympathize with the specific moans about the difficulty and the extra trouble it takes to photo document one's own work. I have numerous projects I've done this for, and some of them have made it to the cellar. This guy's cook's tour through the shop of a master knifemaker is thrilling for me. I give him a standing ovation. You'll do well to read stuff like this. I know you have just as much potential as he's demonstrating. Go get'em, tiger!

bull shit. Post them, *please*. I like to see what work my friends do. you're a damn renaissance man anyhow, you have nothing left to prove, just show us the pictchurs man.

I'm envious of all of the big fancy tools he's got. His disc grinder, surface grinder, milling machine, salt pot, etc. are all things I want to have some day. But what really blows me away is his attention to his own personal process, which gives rise to all of the crazy custom jigs and tools he's built.

His trick with the jeweler's saw is brilliant (around post 210). And like most brilliant things it's obvious after you see it done once.

I'm flattered that you think I have that sort of potential. I'm so nervous about the three knives I've committed to make for dwellers. I know I can do it, but that emotional component is still a hurdle.

I have to second this.

My knife wouldn't have turned out half as good if I weren't being baby-sat by a world-class knifemaker. It also would have taken twice as long in my ill-equipped shop.

I was disappointed that he tried to fill the void with superglue. And then tore off the handle. I would have tried shellac stick, it can be used to mimic figured grain by using different colors much the same way the damascus is done. Otherwise I'd consider inlaying a design in silver or gold or ivory or mother of pearl or something. That would make it seem intentional, it could also be a counterpoint to the single rivet. He could have cast a small decorative concho or whatever you call it.

Just my .02 as a creative problem solver who hates to do things twice.

Since I am an attention whom are, here are some photos of my knife made about 16 years ago.

The steel is from a coil spring we scavenged at an auto junk yard. We used leaf springs for wood turning tools and froes and axe heads and such. the coil spring was straightened and flattened then roughly shaped, and sandblasted. There are still a lot of files marks and grinder marks.

The guard and pommel were first made in wax and then cast in Brittania Metal which I then dimpled with a tiny ball peen hammer that I made out of a grade 5 bolt that I ground and polished.

The handle is from some walnut from a 200 year old tree that that was cut down to make way for a hospital. My teacher and his friend brought a chainsaw mill to the building site and took away most of the trunk. A friend and I got to keep some of the larger branches (8-12 in diameter) I still have some of it sawn into bowl blanks. I just expoxied or bondo-ed the handle and pommel on.

I have no idea of the rockwell hardness but a file has to be pretty new and sharp to bite the steel. After looking at Wheeler's process I see how I did a lot of things out of step causing me problems later.

Maybe I will sharpen it. The handle is a bit slim for my hand.

One of the pommel. Not sure that is the right name, but whatever.

Those have tiny handles. I'd be curious to see how they feel in my (large) hands.

I carry a Spyderco Dragon fly ,
Small Knife that fills my large hands ,
Weird at first until you start working with it

foot3 - that's awesome and you were how old?

Well done footie.

Amazing thread PW and keep the links coming guys, this is really interesting stuff.

Great knife, Foot!

This thread is interesting, and the timing is good too. My son wants to make a knife, but I have no real tools for it. Plus, I don't allow him to use power tools yet. I showed him where I have a scrap bar of steel, and where the hack saw and files are. He filed on that bar for about 60 seconds before giving up. In 7 years he will be old enough to join the local blacksmith club and use their shop.

Until then, I guess he will have to stick to wood. He's made 3-4 wooden swords so far. I should take a picture of his latest. It's actually pretty good. A half lap joint holds the guard on, and the sword is nice and sharp on the edges with a blunt tip and an carved handle.

Cool knife, F3.

How old is he? Do you have to be 18 to join the club?

If you find a smith to talk to, he might have your son in to get some hands on learning. I've read in knife magazines about kids as young as 8 forging and finishing knives (with strict adult supervision).

They do have blades you can buy and then just finish them from there. It's a lower barrier to "making a knife." The kit blades go from simple fixed blades to complex folders. Most of them let you mix and match handle materials, pins, bolster, etc.

I've heard good things about Knife Kits and USA Knife Maker.

Also, if the steel is not annealed it's going to be significantly harder to cold work.

Pretty sure you have to be 16 to join the local blacksmith club. He's 9 now. He's had a pocket knife for 2 months, so he's not even a seasoned pro at using a knife yet, let alone making one.

But those kits look like a good idea. Maybe a Christmas present for him.

Wow, what a beautiful piece of art.
Well done.

Pw Check this dude out
Part 1

Part 2 (bigger so you can see detail )

Wow - that was really neat.

I was watching the first vid and thinking ,
Why is he twisting all that Metal ???
And whats up with all the little plates ???
then he started grinding and I was like Oh ,, thats Why !!!

That is fascinating to follow thru the entire process.
It's at the 10' mark of the 2nd video that the whole process makes sense.

We've all read the poem, but these 2 videos bring it to life.

Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

Thanks for posting

Spectacular!

Very cool. Thanks zippy!

I can't imagine how difficult it is to keep that much steel straight.

I need to get back in gear with the hot work. It's been too cold lately to do anything else in the shop.

Oh thanks ya prick, you just cost me 3 hours of my beauty sleep. ;) :lol:

You don't need no more beauty, Bruce.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who was hooked and had to read the entire thing.

Yeah, when he found that flaw in the handle it damn near made me physically ill.

<---- twice.

Had a little accident in the shop. Should have use of my hand back in 3-4 more weeks.

Here's a WIP thread I was jonesing over today:
http://www.customknifecollectorsasso...ead.php?t=1674

Really cool D-guard bowie with a stars and stripes pattern damascus blade.

:eek:

Will it gain full function again?

Been there, done that, have the scars, don't recommend it
 

The guy uses his power screw-driver as a simple lathe. Freaking brilliant. I'll probably end up dead if I try it.

you should check out some of the crazy shit boatbuilders do.

Thank you for Accidents Will Happen.
There isn't enough Costello on YouTube.

Knew this whole album by heart.
I lie. I knew it by half - the flip side was scratched...

Elvis is the shiznit.

Here's a tame one: note the zip tie on the trigger

I was leaning away from the display of the computer as I watched that, waiting for the shaft of the drill bit to burn through that two by four and fling the mast through my screen like a powered caber toss.

It almost looks like he has a dowel chucked in the drill that is then fastened inside the mast. As long as they are epoxied together and spin as one unit than it might be pretty safe from any kaber tossing movements.

Yeah. My buffer grabbed a knife and flung it at me. Luckily I got most of my body out of the way and the blade didn't smack me pointy-end first. I broke 3 bones in my hand and had some cutting and bruising. Painful, but recoverable.

Yikes! Do you have a new plan for buffing?