Gel....knew that would grab your attention.
Awoke this morning another year older,the big 50 no less,my good wife presented me with hot cuppa tea and present. upon opening I find a voucher for a 2 day knife making course....2 days help to make my own custom knife!!!1
Ive looked at this,thought about it and couldnt justify the price ...but now I have no excuses.....
looking at my rather extensive collection of knives the obvious way to go/shape to create is to duplicate my green river bushmans friend...basically a 8" bowie without 2nd edge being sharp........over the years I have tried many different knives but went back to this one 3 years ago and dont regret it at all,its the same blade I started out with 40 years ago,field dressing is a breaze ,skinning gutting,quartering all just too easy. Ive got about a dozen folders too and the one that I like the best is same shape just smaller with a 4" not 8" blade..... guess we likes what we likes....

You will enjoy it.
Knife making is an addictive thing.

The more patience you have in making it, the better your result would be.
Have fun


Btw, who is the teacher?
I might know him too

Shane Minnear of Geraldine. I used to work with his Daughter and his Son in law is in same mens group/bible study I sometimes attend.

Elvis wrote:

Shane Minnear of Geraldine..

I think I have heard of his name before, somewhere in NewZealand Knife making group in Farcebook.
I am sure he is proficient to show you how to make a great knife for yourself

spent some time yesterday looking at firebird knives website....very enlightening.... the knife he built for Nathan Foster is not unlike what Im intending to make,mine will be a little smaller but basically same shape....scales I will see what is on offer but a hilt/hand guard is a must for me....
one of the most unique handles I ve seen was made from pine cone,,,,,pretty sure it was soaked in resin then sliced...VERY VERY pretty.

The resin hybrid scales are indeed pretty

Enjoy the course and show us the result

Shane knows of you my fine Ozzie friend.....what a interesting day,certainly was different to what I expected...
started with a small lump of steel about 40x50x10mm and ended up with something that resembles a knife of sorts.
its ended up chunkier than I first intended,it sort of took on a life of its own.
Ive taken a few photos on cell phone along the way so will get SWMBO to load them up for me at some stage.
tomorrow will be fitting scales and a sharpen up.....funnily enough that was the thing I found the hardest,NOT sharpening the blade when forming it on linisher,I actually had to stop,take a bit of the edge off and then carry on again to keep grind centered.

LOL, yeah, my biggest problem is also handle making.

job done....the scales came up as good as I had hoped,not bad for a bit of firewood out of the shed....
not 100% sure of the final sharpen...Im picking I will try it for a bit then get stuck in and have another go if not happy with how it cuts....slices through 1/4" leather well,sheath made,nice n deep so it wont fall out (touch wood) melted a bit of conduit pipe flat to cover blade inside sheath so it can not cut its way out...I have scar across my upper shin from knife doing that,couldve been serious but luckily I got away with it.

75kg air hammer

raw shape coming along

next

next

drilled,pinned and glued,the clamp its in is a great bit of kit.able to turn it everywhich way,hold either blade or handle....the fine grinding of blade,draw filing and emery paper work was done in here with pointy bit out towards me....

finished product...not everyones cuppa tea,shes a chunky monkey ,but somehow I cant see me ever bending it or taking chip out of blade,the leading egde is almost rounded in to final cutting bit,done on purpose to give it strength...time will tell.