Built something new

[gnoahhh]

I used 02 steel for the last knife blade I made. I'm curious how you heat treated your blade. I carefully heated the edge of the blade cherry red with a torch leaving the back of the blade untouched, then quenched in motor oil. Instead of drawing the temper after quenching I left it hard as sin, while the back of the blade remains soft. The goal was to have an edge holding cutting surface while having the balance of the blade be soft to keep it from snapping/breaking. It seems to work, as it holds an edge like nobody's business. I'm wondering if I didn't commit a knifemaking no-no!

[nekshot]

very nice indeed. I messed with enough of knife making to know and appreciate what it takes to get it that nice!

[waksupi]

I used 02 steel for the last knife blade I made. I'm curious how you heat treated your blade. I carefully heated the edge of the blade cherry red with a torch leaving the back of the blade untouched, then quenched in motor oil. Instead of drawing the temper after quenching I left it hard as sin, while the back of the blade remains soft. The goal was to have an edge holding cutting surface while having the balance of the blade be soft to keep it from snapping/breaking. It seems to work, as it holds an edge like nobody's business. I'm wondering if I didn't commit a knifemaking no-no!

Pretty much backwards from what I do. I heat from the back, bringing the temperature from red to orange, then quench in ATF. Polish so I can see colors, and slowly heat from the back until just past straw on the edge, then quench again. This gives what you are trying to do, rather than ending up with an easily broken edge as you now have.

[btroj]

I just have to ask, roughly how long did that take start to finish?

Way beyond my abilities, that is for sure

[waksupi]

I just have to ask, roughly how long did that take start to finish?

Way beyond my abilities, that is for sure

I imagine between 8 and 10 hours, considering I had to remake the spring a time or two!

[btroj]

I figured about that.

Makes a guy understand why a custom knife isn't cheap. 8 hours at even 20 and hour is 160 in labor alone. Add 20 to 40 in materials and you hit 250 in a hurry. Retail needs to be 300 plus to really make any money.

Nicely done but we wouldn't expect any less

[btroj]

Yep. Been there, done that. Made a bunch of nice leather shooting bags when I was doing the muzzle loading thing. Sold many for 60 to 75 dollars but lots of guys figured they could buy a hunk of cheap leather and whip one up.

Skill takes time to develop, time costs money.

Want good work, then pay for it. Some of us appreciate that experience has value. Sadly, many do not.

[waksupi]

Yep. Been there, done that. Made a bunch of nice leather shooting bags when I was doing the muzzle loading thing. Sold many for 60 to 75 dollars but lots of guys figured they could buy a hunk of cheap leather and whip one up.

Skill takes time to develop, time costs money.

Want good work, then pay for it. Some of us appreciate that experience has value. Sadly, many do not.

I had many over the years think I was too high on prices, and said they would do it their self. Many of them became customers, and repeat customers, after they figured out there is a learning curve, and that curve costs time and money. I've been around that curve in many arts and disciplines.

I deleted my previous post, didn't want to sound like a whiner!

[dikman]

gnoahhh, it's not so much a knifemaking no-no, rather something that wouldn't normally be done. Yes, you will have a very hard cutting edge, but it will be very brittle and prone to chipping easily. It will also be harder to sharpen.

Nice blade, Waksupi.

[gnoahhh]

Thanks for the advice re: hardening. (So far after 8 years of regular use, the edge hasn't chipped, and sharpening really isn't too bad- but then again sharpening tools is an everyday occurrence for me to the extent where I maintain a dedicated sharpening station consisting of diamond technology, water stones, and hard Arkansas.)

Good thoughts on the philosophy of arts/craftsmanship. I don't personally know Waksupi, but I admire his skills and thank him for his willingness to share his knowledge. Being someone who makes his living in a similar manner, I can appreciate that. (I build exact repros of early scientific instruments/apparatus for use in our college program.)

I had a student (college Junior) come to me a couple weeks ago who wanted to make a folding knife as her first craftsman project. I talked her out of it and will help her make a small sheath knife this summer instead. That way she'll learn a bit of metal working, wood working, and leather working all in one project. (I'll give her either some tool steel for the blade or some of my dwindling stash of wonderful old power hacksaw blade material.)

[Sweetpea]

Ric, once again, you are a true craftsman...

[MBTcustom]

Yeah, it's not perfect, but it's a dam sight better than my first attempt! I still remember that too. I was trying to make myself a Spyderco Endura. Didn't work out so well. Ended up just buying the dam knife and went back to making fixed blade knives.
Good fun there Ric!

[1bilmr59]

Nice I wish I had that talent

[Hardcast416taylor]

Nice looking knife project. Hope you don`t do the same thing I seemed to do with every knife I made - I would always find a way to cut myself before I was finished!Robert

[waksupi]

Nice looking knife project. Hope you don`t do the same thing I seemed to do with every knife I made - I would always find a way to cut myself before I was finished!Robert

I knew I forgot something. I don't consider a project finished if I haven't bled on it!

[gnoahhh]

I was fortunate in knowing Bill Moran 25+ years ago when I lived a stone's throw from his forge. I stopped by one day and he showed me a beautiful sheath knife he had just finished, Damascus blade of course. He said he nicknamed it "Thirsty" because of all the times he cut himself while making it.

[Artful]

He said he nicknamed it "Thirsty" because of all the times he cut himself while making it.

I have a wonderful Gerber folding skinning knife - nicknamed "Nick" - guess why

I have a broken powerhack saw blade and a set of large planner blades I'm holding back to try my hand at a knife making session one day.

[waksupi]

I have a bunch of old planer blades I got at the scrap yard years ago. I don't know what type of steel they are, but I could not work them, aside from grinding. I tried forging them, and made no impression at all. I heated them FAR beyond usual forging heat. Couldn't drill them, either. I did find out they made dandy hide scrapers, though!