VEEERRRY NICE! I know your friend will really like it! Not being too sharp on Marine uniforms and equipment,,,, I noticed the sheath. Is it Marine military issue??

I really like the handle, would you explain the process you used to make the handle material and shape it. Thanks!

Hi Paul. Thanks for the kind words.

The sheath is not military issue, it is the Combat Master made by a company called Spec-Ops. It is Molle compatible so carry options are many. Here's a link to their site.

http://www.specopsbrand.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=27

The process to make the handle is really pretty simple...

First, cut up some fabric, in this case I used a set of Desert Camo Marine BDU's. The first time I made some I cut the fabric into 2" X 5" rectangles, this time I cut it into 5 1/2" wide strips as long as I could get them.

Second, acquire some fiberglass resin and mix it with the supplied hardener according to the instructions on the can.

Third, I spread the resin on the fabric sections one piece at a time and roll it as tightly as possible. As soon as one roll is done I spread more resin on another section of fabric and add it to the roll keeping it as tight and straight as possible. Keep repeating until you have a roll that is about 2" or more in diameter. You have to work fast to get it all rolled before the hardener starts to do it's work.

As soon as your roll is completed, it's time to press it. I use two pieces of 1/4" X 2" X 6" O-1 that I had laying around. I first wrap the roll with some waxed paper and then I place the roll between the two pieces of steel and press them in my vice. A lot of resin will squeeze out so I use scrap cardboard or wax paper underneath the roll to catch the excess that squeezes out.

I usually let it cure overnight in the vice before I do anything with it. Here's a picture of this handle after I sawed the basic handle shape but before I did any contour sanding.

The handle material works much like a piece of wood. I actually think it's a little easier to work than a lot of typical handle materials. So far, it's been very durable and it cleans up with dish soap or laundry detergent. The nap of the fabric feels very nice in your hand and is very tacky when wet. If the nap starts to mat or wear off it can be renewed easily with some 180 or 220 grit sandpaper. I've taken a scrap piece of material and hammered on it with a 3 lb. hammer on my anvil with out any deformation or delamination. I hit it as hard as I would a piece of hot steel, so I think it's going to hold up for handle material pretty nicely.

I forgot to mention why I rolled the material as opposed to layering the rectangles...

I think that layering works great for a set of scales on a full tang knife but I rolled it for a hidden tang knife so that I would have layers above and below the tang as well as on both sides for added strength in the event that the knife is used as a lever or for chopping. In other words, I didn't want the tang to act like a wedge and potentially split the layers of fabric. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks Rick! Yes, It makes sense! Thanks for sharing the process! It is something I will want to try down the road when I can get my other projects finished up! And again, Its a great looking knife!

Thanks again Paul!

The BDU's that he sent me were a worn out set that he had worn during his first tour in Afghanistan. It's a great way to personalize a knife for someone.

Don't hesitate to contact me when you want to try it and I'll help you with any questions you might have.

Rick

ANY comments or suggestions are welcome... I'd really like to know how people feel about this knife. I'm looking for honesty, if you think it's ugly or useless, that's fine, say so. The apprentices can't advance beyond our own devices without good honest input. If I wanted a bunch of folks blowing sunshine I would have posted this thread on one of the other forums.

Thanks,

Rick

Thank you Paul for your input and honesty! I don't want you to think that I wasn't appreciative of your input... quite the contrary actually. I just can't believe that there have been 79 views of this thread and nobody (besides you) has anything to say.

Rick:

I saw your last comment and moved your Topic to ABS Master Smith and Journeyman Smith Testing which is the appropriate place to seek advice and obtain critiques of your work. I am sure that you have found that fellow ABS members are both helpful and giving with their advice as well as polite. You have to ask for a "Critique" of your work if you want a critical and honest assessment by one of our Master Smiths or Journeyman Smiths.

I am sure that some of our Master Smiths and Journeyman Smiths as well as Judges on the Master Smith and Journeyman Smith panels will critique your work for you as our goal is education.

Perfect.. Thanks Dan! I should have read the descriptions of the different forums more carefully.

Hi Rick!

Overall the knife appears to be a very good usable package. I took the time to look closely at the photos, and while it's very difficult to "critique" a knife based on photos, there are some things that can be recognized in a general format.

Looking at the knife from a "critique" viewpoint, which means that I am looking at it as if it were being presented for JS judging, a few things jump out at me.

First is the guard, which may or may not be this way, but again, I'm looking at photos.....I am assuming that you attempted to install the guard so that it would sit at 90 degrees to the blade? In the photos it appears that the guard is slightly tilted back at the top. This often happens when folks try to install a guard 90 degrees to a blade. But once the handle is installed and finished down, a guard will often appear to "lean" even though in reality, it may be dead straight. When you submit knifes for JS testing purposes, you have to remember that appearance is everything. We don't have any tools to measure thing in the testing room, and rely solely on what our senses reveal to us. Customers/clients are no different...if their eyes perceive something is "off", then in their eyes is is off. My solution is to always install a guard with the top slightly tilted towards the blade point (roughly a 3-5 degree angle, depending on the particular knife).

Next, it seem that where the handle joins the guard, it is slightly wider (top to bottom) than the blade. Ideally, you want the top and bottom handle alignment with the blade to be a flowing line...in other words if the guard was not there, the blade top/bottom, would line up exactly with the top/bottom of the handle.

Looking at the image of the back of the handle, it appears that the radius of the handle is slightly out of line with the blade...in the photo, it appears that the radius is cocked to the left.

Finally, although the rough texture on the handle might be a good grip, material left like that will quickly absorb oils/gunk from handling, and quickly "matte" down. You solve this by leaving the texture rough, and applying a coat of something like Tru-Oil to the handle, then immediately wipe it dry with a lint free cloth or paper towel, then allow it to dry. This will of course darken the handle, but it will also seal synthetics, allowing them to stay "new" looking without lessening the "grippy" characteristics of the rough finish.

Overall, none of these things will impact the usability of the knife, and they are all "small" things. However, I am assuming that you intend at some point to test for JS, and in that context, these things are major. As the old saying goes... The Devil is in the details. Learning to identify the little things, and understanding how to fix or prevent them is a big part of success or failure when testing for either JS or MS. Some of those things are easy to identify/fix, while others are not really evident until a knife is completed.....the trick is to have built enough knives to be capable of anticipating how those little things happen, and whats require to either prevent or fix them.

You'll find that many of us are hesitant to offer a critique, based on photos, and I am no different. I would much prefer to have the knife in my hands, where I don't have to guess if it's just a camera angle or a shadow showing me something that's not really there. Obviously, when the time comes for you to have your 5 knives judged, your gona want to have as many MS review/critique those knives as possible. I always recommend to those planning to test, to get their knives done as far in advance of testing as possible, then get them to as many MS as possible, leaving yourself plenty of time to fix any issue those folks might find.

Over the past two years, I've had the honor of reviewing several applicant's work for both JS and MS testing. In all cases, those who take the time and effort to get their knives critiqued by a number of MS, and then fix any issues, have passed. Some makers just don't get it, in that taking the steps necessary to have their knives reviewed, and fixing issues, generally equates to passing the test....don't be one of those. Keep getting good, solid feedback on your work, listen to the input as it's intended, and apply what you learn from that feedback. It will serve you well, not only in the testing arena, but throughout your knifemaking career.

Hello Rick. It is hard for a JS or MS to critique a knife from a picture. You really have to hold it and look at it from many different angles. I will say it is a good looking blade. I like the long clip and the shape. Personally I myself am not crazy about the handle material, but I am sure it gives a good grip. I think I would have thinned the handle down some and made it more oval instead of a round profile, this helps in keeping the blade from turning in your hand in use. I also would have dropped the handle down some. this will give you more power in cuts. It also provides a more pleasing profile to the knife. Do you solder your guards on? Just curious. as it looks like there is a solder joint. It may just be a reflection. But solder and copper guard, unless it is cleaned up very, very well can make for an unappealing look. Just some quick observations, I would have to see the knife in person to say more. I am sure your buddy will be pleased with the knife.

Best regards

Brion

Thanks Ed and Brion for your kind words as well as your critiques! I truly appreciate your input as well as how difficult it is to look at pictures in order to give a proper critique. Thank you both again for giving me what you could from the photos. In the future I will post less dramatic angle shots in favor of more direct profile shots and the like.

Ed, I too agree with your suggestion regarding the oil on the grip. While working at a rather infamous manufacturer's shop in Boise we treated similar handle material with "Liquid Gold" furniture polish of all things. I made the suggestion to my buddy but he wanted to see and handle the knife before anything was applied. You are spot on with the handle width being wider than the ricasso. It's actually really close to lining up on the bottom of the handle but the top is a little above the ricasso. In regards to the camera angle in reference to the guard... It actually cants forward ever so slightly.

Brion, Yes, I do sometimes solder my joints, and did with this particular knife, but the joint is covered by the paint. It's just glare from the camera flash... I guess. Good eye! I agree that that would look really tacky if not done properly.

I'm really starting to appreciate just how difficult it is to judge something from a photo.

Thanks again for your critiques! There are things that I have gleaned from your observations and suggestion that will be incorporated in the next knife. Hopefully, the next one won't be leaving the shop so quickly and I can send it out for a proper look-over if you're willing.

Thanks Again!

Rick

Hello Rick. I would be glad to look over one of your knives. Just let me know and we can work it out. Give me an e-mail or phone.

Best regards

Brion