Thats not a knife.

[sunnybob]

This is a knife (with apologies to mr, hogan).

Done as much as I can with the blade. Used ubelievable amounts of sandpaper and solvol and its still not mirror finish.
The blade is 12 3/4" long and 2 1/2" deep. It weighs in at over a kilo (2 1/2 lbs).
The cross guard is solid brass hollowed out so it slips over the metal handle and is epoxyed on. The handle is Bubinga, backed with Maple, with three brass pins, all epoxyed together. Since this picture I have added blood grooves. I shall try to get a good pic but my camera skills are slightly less than my Planing skills
Its been fun, but is just not practical to use it, let alone carry it, so now i'm making a permanent wooden display case for it and it will hang on my wall.

 

[AJB Temple]

I think your title is accurate Bob....

From what I can see, you have not thinned the blade at all. If you don't do that you will never get a usable, balanced and sharpen-able knife.

Grinding the blade properly is a lengthy job. Having done a couple of courses in Japan and spent a few days working with Will Catcheside, a large part of the grunt work is standing at a finisher getting the blade profile right. Hours and hours on a big linisher. Tedious actually.

The handle also looks a bit slab like, and needs rounding off. Sorry.

Why not keep working this one one until you get rid of at least half the weight? Be nice to have a usable implement.

Adrian

 

[sunnybob]

Adrian;
many reasons;
I never intended to use this blade, it was a fun exercise in futility from the start, but it needed to be gotten out of my system (blame Forged in Fire). I dont have any use whatsoever for something this big. I dont even have a use for a normal sized bowie. I havent carried a sheath knife since the mid 60's when I had a green river in my inside coat pocket (shhhh dont talk about mods and rockers bank holiday weekends .)
I dont have and cant afford to buy a dedicated knife grinder or linisher for something that is not going to be a hobby. I have a 4" belt sander and have done what I can. I suspect I have spent more on sanding materials than the original cost of the steel.
I have sharpened a carpenters pencil with it though, so it has done at least something in its life.
The mrs has gone apesh*t over the black dust I have dragged all around the house. I dont fancy a divorce after just shy of 50 years so I'm not making another.

The handle has admittedly not impressed me. The bubinga knot is much better than the picture shows, but I made it too flat and suspect that will be changed before it goes into its glass case.

 

[AJB Temple]

Fair enough! I don't have a big belt linisher either and that has held me back. The one's I used at Will's were very large and as I recall the belts are very expensive as you get through a lot. I do have a small; Robert Sorby one, but it is not really suitable for life making.

For me I enjoy the forging work and would prefer to make forged blades rather than ground ones. My main interest is kitchen knives, but I really don't have time for it at the moment.

I imagine the black dust is quite hazardous thinking about it. Never heard of a green river.

 

[novocaine]

that's something Sinbad would be proud of, but it's not a knife, it's a small persons sword.
Might need to put some support in the wall before you hang it in its box.

 

[sunnybob]

Adrian; Green River Knife

Novocaine; its just too damn heavy. Walking 50 yards with it my hand made my wrist ache. It serves no other purpose than to echo the original for shock value when some one asks me what I'm making at the moment.
Fun, passed a couple of weeks as a hobby, but I'm not about to change to another hobby at this stage, no space, no money, no time.

 

[Trevanion]

Nice axe

 

[hawkeyefxr]

That is a beautiful knife, it reminds me of one i bought over 55 years ago (and still have) I will never let it go.
You MADE yours and it is truly magnificent!

 

[AJB Temple]

Adrian; Green River Knife

Novocaine; its just too damn heavy. Walking 50 yards with it my hand made my wrist ache. It serves no other purpose than to echo the original for shock value when some one asks me what I'm making at the moment.
Fun, passed a couple of weeks as a hobby, but I'm not about to change to another hobby at this stage, no space, no money, no time.

Thanks. Had not heard the phrase Green River before. Reminds me of my grandfather's bayonet. He brought it home from the war, along with his rifle. And a German telescope.

 

[sunnybob]

My elder brother is the family knife man. German bayonets were on our bedroom wall along with other war trophies all through the 50's and early 60's. They got cut down to all kinds of sizes. I had 4 uncles who all served in different countries during the war. They bought back a lot of kit. He has a half dozen oversized knives a la Rambo. One of them has a long slot in it for which he has made a huge detachable cross piece with double curved axe heads that makes it almost impossible to hold. I feel its ridiculous ( I know, even MORE risiculous than mine), but each to his own.

 

[sunnybob]

This is the one that he has made the cross piece for.
https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/p...signature-edition-with-wooden-handle-9297.htm
The wooden handle supplied is extremely poor, it fits where it touches. I made him a replacement out of teak. I havent seen him this year so have not seen the knife with the new handle.

 

[novocaine]

Whilst I'm partial to a nice blade and rather fond of the one's I have, I have absolutely 0 interest in something that does not serve a purpose. so a "rambo" knife just doesn't do anything for me. give me a delightfully cheap opinel or a decent size bowie and I'm happy as larry, but when you can't use it for fear of damaging yourself, nar your alright, you keep it.

It was once said that the only things you needed to survive in the wilderness was a good knife and a piece of string to make a bow. unfortunately, no one specified what a good knife was, so you get grotesque and pointless pieces of tat like that shown above (the rambo knife, not Bobs folly), often wielded by the sort of person who believes war paint is high fashion for a walk in the local woods.
I once wound up on a survival course with a bunch of them. It was most fun to watch especially once the instructor figured out the difference in skill set between the few who could and the majority who shouldn't. Think 3 people sat around a delightfully toasty fire after 30 seconds of effort watching 12 people run around, jumping off logs and rolling in mud trying to find kindling. it was a fun few days. bit like Bear grylls or Ray Mears, I know who I'd rather trust in a survival situation and it isn't the skinny one who sleeps in a moose.

 

[marcros]

Whilst I'm partial to a nice blade and rather fond of the one's I have, I have absolutely 0 interest in something that does not serve a purpose. so a "rambo" knife just doesn't do anything for me. give me a delightfully cheap opinel or a decent size bowie and I'm happy as larry, but when you can't use it for fear of damaging yourself, nar your alright, you keep it.

It was once said that the only things you needed to survive in the wilderness was a good knife and a piece of string to make a bow. unfortunately, no one specified what a good knife was, so you get grotesque and pointless pieces of tat like that shown above (the rambo knife, not Bobs folly), often wielded by the sort of person who believes war paint is high fashion for a walk in the local woods.
I once wound up on a survival course with a bunch of them. It was most fun to watch especially once the instructor figured out the difference in skill set between the few who could and the majority who shouldn't. Think 3 people sat around a delightfully toasty fire after 30 seconds of effort watching 12 people run around, jumping off logs and rolling in mud trying to find kindling. it was a fun few days. bit like Bear grylls or Ray Mears, I know who I'd rather trust in a survival situation and it isn't the skinny one who sleeps in a moose.

a moose inside the local Holiday Inn.

 

[novocaine]

a moose inside the local Holiday Inn.

I see you've stayed in warrington before.

Sorry, couldnt resist. Yes, him of, explore the wilderness, but only the bit within driving range of a pool view and a minibar, fame.

 

[AJB Temple]

Interesting. When you see skilled hunters and so on using knives to skin deer etc, the blades are usually short and wide. The only time I have ever seen really large knives used professionally is in Japan, where the guys in the Tokyo fish market use knives a yard long expertly to slice tuna. Very impressive.

 

[sunnybob]

I like "Bobs folly"
As said, it was always a pointless exercise, mainly because I knew that being the first I had made from scratch it would have many flaws.
Thats why its going to be a wall hanger. Stupidly large knives are not for real life, thats why they use them in the movies.
I have some heat treated rippled sycamore left from one of custards care packages. That will be the new handle for the folly.
I'll hang it next to my wooden katana set.

Wish I hadnt given away my bubinga bowie now.

 

[AJB Temple]

Not sure about wooden knives. Almost as useless as a butter knife. I mean, honestly, how can you use a knife made of butter?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yeah ....... even softer than a cheese knife.

 

[AJB Temple]

Have you not heard of Rock fort?

 

[sunnybob]

Strange you should say that, I made a butter knife as well. I copied one from some swedish youtuber who made lots of them and sent them to his subscribers.
I have a lot of spare time.
I also made this bokken to order. Its 3/4" x 1 1/4" beech, and apparently a martial artist will practice a 1000 swipes a day with it.