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Posted: 7/8/2010 11:46:46 AM EDT
My time in the Garage has be limited due to Texas heat and the demands of my day job but I did manage to get this one finished up over the 4th Holiday.
3/16" 440C Heat and Cryo Treated Linen Micarta Nickel/Sliver Pins and Tube Filework Akra Glue Up Blasted . |
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Thanks for the compliment and I agree with you. It would look much better with a polished blade.
Originally this knife was going to be for me. I have made a few knives from this pattern and all of them are serving overseas with blasted finishes and micarta handles. I was going to dress this one up by polishing the blade and putting a nice set of stabilized maple scales on it with mosaic pins but a buddy wanted it more than I did. He wanted it as a pack knife to carry hunting and the blasted finish is more durable (won't scratch) than a polished blade. I could have blasted the handle and pins to make them match the dull blade but they will dull with usage and it will look better with age. . |
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I see a lot of "custom knives" at gun shows I vend at. I don't care for the polished blades most of them have. Why? Because I can sell all sorts of "lines", scratches, or other tool marks. These don't make for a presentable finished look for me. I'd rather see something with a more uniform finish, even if it is matte.
The knife looks nice. In what part of Texas are you? jonblack |
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Thanks for the compliments!
I agree, I love a polished blade but if you don't take the time to do them right they just don't look good. I've polished a few blades and it is major pita. I normally hand sand them down to about 1500grit and then take them to the buffing wheel. The trick is completely sanding the lines of the previous grits before moving on to the next. It takes a lot of effort and time to do right. In order to get a nice even matte finish by blasting you have to hand sand down to 400 or 600 grit prior to blasting. Blasting the blade will not take the grind marks out and you can see them through the matte finish if you don't sand them out first. So, blasting the blades is faster than a full polish but there is still a lot of work involved in making it look good. Jon, I live just South of FW. Here are few I did a full polish on. Wedding gift to a buddy of mine 
Polish on a skinner I made for my Dad. 
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Gene, I do not have a website. I make them in my garage as time allows. Knife making is a hobby for me and I don't depend on the income generated for anything more than enabling me to make more knives. My day job is pretty demanding so I make knives when I have time in the evenings and weekends.
Most of my knife sales have been due to word of mouth and I don't take any more orders than I think I can fill in a reasonable time. I explain timeframes upfront so that customers have a reasonable expectation of how long I can turn an order around. This allows me to take my time and do the best job I'm capable of doing with each and every knife I make. Thanks for the compliments and questions! . |
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