Now for Something Completely Different

[seaco]

This is my first attempt at making any kind of knife my father does hawking and needed a good knife so I thought I'd have a go from scratch,

I know it's alot of metal but the handle's wood...:wink:



I started out with a bar of 01 steel 30mm x 4mm

Roughly cut out with a hacksaw

Little work on the grinder

Gave me this

Now time to bevel the blade edge I made this jig from a link I found on the net, all done with varying size files...

Gave me this!

Next to diamond polishing stones used wet

I missed a bit here as I got a bit excited as the next step which was forging the blade, this I did by hollowing out the centre of a large air/fire brick then drilled a hole in the side to let a propane torch in, I heated the blade until the metal became un-magnetic the quenched it quickly in a 2 gallon of cooking oil then reheated it with the torch to hopefully temper it and ended up with this...

A bit more polishing!

Now for the handle I used Amboyna burr

Cut roughly to shape

Drilled out

Pins used for attaching, these are hollow rod as I added buffalo horn as an insert!

Roughed up the tang and handle

Joined together with epoxy

Clamped up

After 24hrs I sanded it all around to follow the tang...

Now for shaping the handle again with varying size files

And sandpaper right up to 2000 grit

now it's steeped in a solution of 50% linseed oil 30% turps and 20% Danish oil for 36hrs

Dried for a week a lightly buffed I'm not 100% happy with the finish so I may try something different soon...

Sharpened it to 20 degrees and it easily take hairs off my arms...

Hope you like I'm really happy with for a first go... Please let me know what you think!
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[PowerTool]

Whole thing looks very nice
Handle is a lovely shape,and has a nice "warm" look to it.Like the idea of the jig with files for shaping.And the finished blade looks excellent.
Pleasantly different project - thanks for all the photos.

Andrew

 

[wizer]

WOW!

Love it!

 

[motownmartin]

Fantastic project with a good outcome, not sure that I understand the sharpening jig though

 

[Philly]

Wonderful! Great work, Lee!
Love the burr, smashing. Also like the file guide - must have a go at one of those. Any links?
Cheers
Philly

P.s. Notice I didn't make any cheap puns like "cutting edge woodwork" :lol:

 

[Slim]

Beautiful! The finish looks great from here. What don't you like about it?

 

[TonyW]

Fantastic job - really appreciated the WIP shots.

Hard to believe that this is your first attempt at knife making

Is the design specific to "Hawking" (assume this to be falconry not Stephen :lol

Cheers
Tony

 

[Gordon T]

First attempt, very well done, it is a beauty.

GT

 

[brianhabby]

That is fantastic, it looks really nice. And for a first attempt you should be very pleased indeed.

As Slim says above - Why don't you like it? - It's beautiful.

regards

Brian

 

[shim20]

that awsome. where do you get the tool steel from??. i want to have a go at this.

 

[tnimble]

Very, very nice indeed. Lovely knife!

 

[Rich]

Very Very impressive, if I had made that I would'nt want to part with it, thanks for showing us, very nice indeed.
Rich.

 

[Waka]

Now thats really beautiful.

 

[DavidE]

Hi Lee,

That is an amazing piece of work - I think the finish looks awesome on the handle. I like the filing jig... though having spent weeks as an apprentice filing bar flat then square - I think it is cheating!

David

 

[seaco]

Thankyou for all you very kind comments...

Fantastic project with a good outcome, not sure that I understand the sharpening jig though

Hi Martin

The jig has a vertical bar with the adjustable cube on it by raising or lowering this you can set the angle of the second horizontal bar that holds the files, the two cubes have a grub screw between them that allows movement, like a simple universal joint then you just move the file back and forth... that either explains it or sounds like double dutch and I'm not sure which?

Beautiful! The finish looks great from here. What don't you like about it?

Hi Slim

I was looking for a bit more of a shine on the handle but it is growing on me now...

Fantastic job - really appreciated the WIP shots.

Hard to believe that this is your first attempt at knife making

Is the design specific to "Hawking" (assume this to be falconry not Stephen :lol

Cheers
Tony

Hi Tony

The design isn't specifically for hawking but is based on a bushcraft my father wanted it for paunching rabbits to chopping holly bushes for walking sticks so needs to be a jack of all trades really...

Being as I was making a knife my father thought he would do one also and his has turned out well also, I'll post some pics of his soon, so it looks as though I may be keeping this one myself after all oh pipper...:wink:

that awsome. where do you get the tool steel from??. i want to have a go at this.

Shim20

My Dad ordered the steel but I will find out and post asap.

 

[gidon]

I love it! Would love to have a go at that myself. How did you know what you were doing?
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Harbo]

Great knife - love the handle - how did you cut the horn for the inserts?

Now how about a leather sheath to go with it?

Rod

 

[seaco]

I love it! Would love to have a go at that myself. How did you know what you were doing?
Cheers
Gidon

Hi Gidon

I have done a fair bit of research on the web even youtube if anyone is really interested I'll try to post a few useful links, if you take it step by step then it's not to bad probably the hardest thing is to get the even bevel on the blade in my case 10 degrees?

 

[seaco]

Great knife - love the handle - how did you cut the horn for the inserts?

Now how about a leather sheath to go with it?

Rod

Hi Rod

The buffalo horn was a real headache i needed a 5mm cylinder of the stuff to fit in the brass tube, first I tried drilling a 5mm hole through some steel plate, cutting the horn down a bit oversize on the bandsaw and gently tapping it through but it split...

The way that worked was to cut it on my lathe but being a big Record C3 wasn't the easiest but it worked.

We have the leather for the sheath so your right that's next!

 

[srs]

interesting project, up till now I have only put handles on blades that I brought, How did you get on with the tempering of the blade, dose it seem to be holding the edge ok?


Simon