hand made knife

Vince · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: hand made knife

Elvis me old mate…you have achieved wonderfully, your knife looks amazing. Well done. Looking at the shape of the blade, I reckon that will be a combination of a useful camp knife and a really good skinner. I like the timber in your scales…a very nice looking piece of timber.

I’m sure Gelan will support me here, but now that you have made one, the bug will have bitten you deep…you will want to make more knives, of different shapes and styles.

Elvis · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 8:42 pm Post subject: Re: hand made knife

the timber is ash.....a wee bit out of my wood shed....now you may understand why when sawing it up I HAD TO rebel and cut 4 planks out with chainsaw and drop them off to a gunsmith stock maker...the grain is unlike any I ve seen anywhere,some bits of it look like coat of a golden retriever,almost impossibly to split it,even with a hydrolic log splitter...unreal bit of wood.
hopefully in the next week I can find something worthy to blood the knife with...
shes a chunky monkey..... but its mine LOL.

gelandangan · Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: hand made knife

Excellent job. definitely looking good.

And you are lucky to get to use power hammer on your first knife Very Happy

It is fun hey

Elvis · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:19 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

well it certainly is good at poking holes in live things to convert them to dead things....not too shabby at removing the skin and cutting leg off either...

inthedark · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:52 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

very nice mate

Elvis · Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2023 1:15 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

Ive chopped up a few animals with it now...works well...not as well as a slimmer blade does but I dont have to worry so much about damaging it either.

on similar note and because this is as good of place as any to type this.
my hunting knife journey has taken a few twists over the years,trying to find the best for me...
started out with ss bowie..tried a few others,bought a green river bushmans friend and it was perfect for me...then years later had incident where I cut my leg as knife had cut its way out of sheath..went away from fixed..to folding knives,then 3-4 years ago I bought a knifcut version of the bushmands friend and it was like coming home to an old friend...it just worked for me,blade length and shape just suit my style of doing things,so Ive been happy enough for last few years but always in back of my mind I knew the edge retention wasnt quite right...I consider myself better than average at getting a knife sharp...but couldnt get that last degree of super sharp on that knife..sure it cut well and did the job..but...just not as I had remembered them being..so the other day,feeling crook with headcold(when I have a head cold I dont even like myself,other people dont get a look it,just a right pig to be around) that turned out to be our first go at the dreaded chinaflue,I decided..bugger it I will do it..so went and spent $50 and bought a green river version.....wifey gave me the look,said "what yo uwant ANOTHER knife for" etc etc but nope I wanted one so bought one....
got it home,got the other knifcut version out..thats stainless the green river is hicarbon.... put both to the steel...WOW the difference in sound was like running fingernails down blackboard VS velvet curtains... the knifecut was louder and high pitched the green river more of a slosh.... dozen strokes with diamond steel,dozen with super fine steel and the hairs shaved off my arm with the green river...always struggled to get that with the knifecut.
identicle shape and length but so much difference in steel. looking forward to using the new knife.

Vince · Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2023 5:03 pm Post subject: Re: hand made knife

Good job Elvis. I don’t need another knife…I have more than enough now for my needs/wants.

One thing I’ve found over the years is knives made of differing materials need different sharpening stones etc to bring out their true edge. I’ve always used a two sided stone to get the basic shape/angle of the edge, then finished with an hard but fine Arkansas Stone using only water on the stone. I only ever use a steel (I have one that is almost dead smooth) to touch up the edge when it starts to go off with use. I used to fair hook in with the steel, but soon realised that softly softly was the go for a fine edge. Also, the angle of the edge makes a big difference as well. Once you get both of those things right, the edge will come up razor sharp, and then some.

Elvis · Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2023 1:22 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

I consider myself better than average at getting knives sharp....made living on end of one years back and have been using and sharpening them for over 40 years...stainless steel and hard steels have always given me trouble getting that last bit sharp.
years ago I had access to old sandstone wheel ,used for shearing blades,and could get stainless sharper.... guess your right about the angle thing.

Elvis · Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2023 2:29 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

gave the "chunky monkey" another work out on a super fine stone today..then gave it a bit of polish with fine sandpaper..came up well and seems sharper too. wont know how much better till next get animal to process.

RePete · Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2023 7:41 am Post subject: Re: hand made knife

Elvis wrote:

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.

I like it. I like the raw section of the knife.

Well done and thanks for sharing.