This knife started out several months ago and finally made it to the finish line. I may be the slowest maker around. After not being able to get a drawing that looked "right" that was modeled after one of Karl's that he was kind enough to let me do, I shelved it until I could get it looking better. Lin was equally as kind and this knife emulates one of his full tang hunters. It's stock removal 80CRV2, heat treated using my salt pot. Blade length is about 3 5/8", overall is about 8 1/4". My son looked through my handle material and picked a block of stabilized California buckeye burl. It has 3 stainless pins and black liners. There are a fair number of issues with the knife-the front pin placement ended up being higher than I wanted, the finish is not the best I've ever done, and some more little odds and ends. But, it looks like it should do the job it was made for and my son sure likes it a lot. Hopefully it lasts him many years and it was a fun project to do with him. Any thoughts, good, bad, or otherwise are appreciated.
Out of the quench:
Cleaned up:
Finish ground and hand sanded:
Block split:
Epoxied:
Handle shaping:
Finished:
Jeremy
Jeremy Lindley, Apprentice Smith
Nice work Jer! You're getting good at this knife stuff! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />
Ed Caffrey, ABS MS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.CaffreyKnives.net
That is a very handsome knife and you should be proud of it. Good work Jeremy.
I have a suggestion about avoiding that pin placement issue. I always use a template to shape the profiles of my blades and full tang knives are no exception. My templates are made of 1/8" flat mild steel and they have all the pin holes (for scales and bolsters) as well as any holes for lightening the weight. When I am ready to shape the profile of the blade, I color one side of it with either layout dye or a black Sharpie pen. Then I clamp the template to the blade stock and drill the pin holes one by one, inserting pins in as I go. Then I scribe the profile out with the pins in place and the clamps on. The pins are always in the right place, because they are laid out on the template in exactly the spot they need to be.
So, if you still have that drawing you used, make a photocopy of it and locate all of the hole centers on the copy with an "X'
1. Cut out the blade shape from the copy. Not even close to the line, you will cut and grind down to it later.
2. Using Super-Glue, glue the cut out to the 1/8" flat bar. Use plenty of glue and scrape off the excess with a razor blade.
3. Rough cut out the blade shape on a band saw or other hack saw, whatever you can. Stay somewhat close to the line.
4. Grind the profile down to the line.
5. Using a center punch, set the centers of your pin holes and drill them with the appropriate size bit. do the same for any other holes.
You will now have a reusable template so you can reproduce that knife over and over again.
Joshua States
www.dosgatosforge.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg
https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71
Also on Instagram and Facebook as J.States Bladesmith
“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.â€
Thank you both for your kind comments. And Ed, you're at least partially to blame... <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />. Joshua, thanks for the advice on templates and pin placement. I did actually have one that I marked everything out on, but I think somewhere in the process, I "fixed" the profile a bit which then shifted where that front pin was....live and learn, huh.....? It's not as bad as one of the pics shows, the camera was at a bit of an angle, just not exactly where I'd have liked it. Thanks again to both of you and hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get some "in use" shots <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />.
Jeremy
Jeremy Lindley, Apprentice Smith
