Made my first knife at work today, be gentle. (updated with new pictures) - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Made my first knife at work today, be gentle. (updated with new pictures)

Posted: 8/16/2016 4:57:16 PM EDT

I have more pictures but posting them is being PITA since my phone doesn't want to log into my photobucket account.

It's all stainless steel, the scales are pinned / welded. Needs more work still, but since it's just a practice knife out of scrap stainless steel that I have no idea what it is so I don't want to put to much time into it, I figure I'll polish the scales and bead blast the rest of it again, maybe round the sides of the scales a little too, clean up a few spots on it and calling it good since it's a mystery SS.... oh and round the rear of that spot for your finger next to the blade...I forget what it's called.

P.S. looks better in person. Oh and I didn't plan it at all but it's point of balance is the leading edge of the blade end of the scales... practically perfect.

Posted: 8/16/2016 5:02:19 PM EDT

[#1]

What kind of tools did you use to do your cutting and grinding?

Posted: 8/16/2016 5:14:55 PM EDT

[#2]

Did 90% of it with a band saw.

Posted: 8/16/2016 7:43:29 PM EDT

[#3]

Grinding with a bench grinder?

Posted: 8/16/2016 7:54:06 PM EDT

[#4]

No, band saw and hand held pneumatic grinder... I'm not finished with it, just wanted to show it. We HAD a vertical belt sander that would have been perfect for the blade edge....except it got knocked off a table a week or two ago and it turns out the plastic wheel/roller on top doesn't take impact so well.

Posted: 8/16/2016 10:04:04 PM EDT

[#5]

Looks cool to me especially for a first try! I made one recently and like the look but I used cheap steel. It is still fun to do. I'll have to make a few more.

I also use very basic tools. At the end of the day it's a tool to cut stuff and it doesn't HAVE to be pretty. Pretty is for the experienced bladesmiths lol. There is a certain beauty in homemade practical blades.

Posted: 8/16/2016 10:36:56 PM EDT

[#6]

I'm not criticizing just trying to see what you're working with. It's a neat shape. Ironic like mini cleavers in that it's too short to chop but has that deep weight at the end. With some refinement it would be pretty cool. The jimping on the back is really too far forward. You could clean it up nicely with a triangle file I bet.

The bevels are too short and steep but like you said, you are just roughing one out of unknown steel to get a feel for it, and they look pretty symmetrical and consistent- dimensions can be adjusted but consistency is key.

Good work.

Posted: 8/16/2016 10:54:08 PM EDT

[#7]

Nice looking blade!!

I'm sure once you do some polishing it will look even better.

Posted: 8/17/2016 10:43:55 AM EDT

[#8]

I actually like that design. It looks like the kind of knife that could put in some work and not be hurt by it. Refine it a bit and you would have a solid (and nice looking) knife.

Posted: 8/17/2016 2:23:57 PM EDT

[#9]

I can't post pics until I get home but I cleaned it up a good bit and polished it, covered polished area with electrical tape and the.ln head blasted it. I'll post new pics once I get home. Oh and that jumping works perfect you can really choke up on the blade if you want for detail work. Can't wait to post pics cause it looks 4x better now. Just wish it had a good 1095 carbon steel blade now lol. I plan to order some and duplicate this thing more or less. I'll post a pic of it balanced on my finger too so you can see how well balanced it came out, it's not front heavy at all.

Posted: 8/17/2016 2:30:27 PM EDT

[#10]

Unless you have experience heat treating and a good temperature controlled furnace I'd suggest you go with 1084 rather than 1095 when you get to that point. It's much more forgiving to heat treat.

Posted: 8/17/2016 4:42:38 PM EDT

[#11]

The one I'm going to make "for real", I'm going to send the blade off to be treated by someone that knows what they're doing lol. That considered would the 1084 in any way be better?

New pic's

And the balancing point, it's the edge of the scale which seems nearly perfect.

Posted: 8/17/2016 4:57:41 PM EDT

[#12]

It is hideous, but I kinda like it. Good work. Looks like it might be "slippery" in the hand.

Posted: 8/17/2016 5:03:31 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
It is hideous, but I kinda like it. Good work. Looks like it might be "slippery" in the hand.

View Quote

It's not nearly as bad as I would have thought it would be... unless you're hands get sweaty lol, which is one of the reasons I did the band end of the handle the way I did. When I do the "real" one I'm thinking about using antler for the scales.

Posted: 8/17/2016 5:16:07 PM EDT

[#14]

Cut yourself?

Posted: 8/17/2016 6:08:34 PM EDT

[#15]

Nope, stabbed with the electrode from the TIG torch. I sharpen mine to the point its like a damn needle...

Posted: 8/18/2016 6:51:19 AM EDT

[#16]

So I'm ordering the 1095 hi-carbon steel, thinking about scaling up th blade some. The practice blade is 4". I'm also considering a slimmer profile. I'll probably rough out a few designs and see if I like them better.

Posted: 8/18/2016 8:16:32 AM EDT

[#17]

No, 1095 is superior if it's heat treated properly. It's a fantastic inexpensive simple carbon blade steel.

I was hand sanding a 1095 blade last night that I heat treated Japanese style with a clay wrapped spine. The spine measures RC 45-50 and the edge RC 62. My silicon carbide sandpaper bites into the spine and literally slides over the hardened portion, like how you would expect a file to skip along a hardened edge.

Posted: 8/18/2016 9:33:19 AM EDT

[#18]

Very nice, I have started another practice knife, longer blade and over all length but skinnier. Blade is 6" on this one.

Posted: 8/18/2016 6:29:04 PM EDT

[#19]

Crazy, but this one is harder to not mess up the blade.

Posted: 8/18/2016 6:37:32 PM EDT

[#20]

Looks sweet.

The polish job makes a big difference.

Nice work.

Now use it to clean under your fingernails.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Made my first knife at work today, be gentle. (updated with new pictures)

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