A knife for a friend

[Von Gruff]

I have been internet friends with a guy in Australia for a number of years and during that time we have helped each other out on a number of projects. Lately I was given some nice wood for knife handles and picked up some copper bar last time in the city so decided to make him a knife as a bit of a catch-up in the to and fro we have.
A good sized file to start with
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/Photo3168_zpsi53hzkt1.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/Photo3168_zpsi53hzkt1.jpg.html)
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/Photo3178_zpsv02rhi5d.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/Photo3178_zpsv02rhi5d.jpg.html)
Have it to the stage that I can now do the final edge and make a sheath befor I send it off to him. This was the first time I had done copper bolsters but it goes so very well with the red gum burl handles that are fixed on with the copper pins.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/DSCN0037_zps68bk9xms.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/DSCN0037_zps68bk9xms.jpg.html)
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/DSCN0036_zpscvt3uv3s.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/DSCN0036_zpscvt3uv3s.jpg.html)

[gandydancer]

wow! great looking work. do you do builds for others? gd/Tom :shock:

[Von Gruff]

To date I have made about a dozen knives for myself as I have learned what not to do (mostly) so this is a first for someone else. I do have another couple to do for family though.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Yes, that is beautiful work, as usual. With a file it is advisable to make sure that you grind some way deeper than the file teeth - not an issue on the bevelled blade of this one - as the cutting of the teeth can start cracks. But the material, usually 1095 plain carbon steel or similar, stands up well to comparison with the alloy steels the market seems to demand nowadays. They still make straight razors out of it, because they don't experience frictional heat in use either.

[CastingFool]

That is a beautiful knife! I'm jealous, wish I had time to do stuff like that. I like the way you set up your pics, showing how you progressed from one step to another.

[MrWolf]

Wow, looks great. Nice job!

[victorfox]

lovely wood. what is it?

[DerekP Houston]

dang that looks awesome! I keep meaning to make my self a bush craft knife out of my old files, but haven't gotten around to it. Thanks for the reminder and inspiration.

[Drm50]

Beautiful work of art. I have made dozens of knives out of files, saw blades and even a few out
of tool steel. I learned early on that making a knife from file requires more than shaping a blade
and making a handle. Putting the temper back into blade is the tricky part. If you don't know
what you are doing,you can end up with a fancy handle on a blade that is to brittle or soft. The
last one I made was out a blade for some kind of chipper- planer? I did all the work on it cold, so
I didn't disturb the temper. Blade was pretty rusty and I didn't bother to polish it clear out. Made
handle slabs out of black walnut. Inset 30/30 brass, that had primer pockets D/T to 10-32. Used
the brass screws from a fuse box, with heads turned down to fit primer pocket. My knives are
more on the order of folk art, OPs knife is art.

[Walter Laich]

novice here:

how are the bolsters attached to the blade/handle. See the copper pins for the scales so figured that one out

[DerekP Houston]

novice here:

how are the bolsters attached to the blade/handle. See the copper pins for the scales so figured that one out

The ones i've watched are riveted in with a brass/copper pin. I have a trip to my local bladesmith for some handle work and sharpening I will ask him for recommendations for a novice. For heat treating I planned on using my oven and motor oil. Just one of my "eventual" projects once i get done with house repairs and other more important things. Always good to have a hobby working in the back of my head, keeps me out of trouble.

[floydboy]

Do you do your grinding with a wheel or belt?

[Blackwater]

Great knife, VG! Love the contours and shape. All user-friendly rounded surfaces, I know it feels good and secure in the hand. Good straight section and enough belly for skinning. That's as close to an all around, do-everything knife as one could come up with, and very pretty to boot. When you have a nice knife or gun, and you're sitting waiting on game to appear, or waiting until the time you know they're likely to start sppearing, it's nice to have something like that to just sit and appreciate. When I make something nice, I tend to just sit and marvel at what the Good Lord has allowed me to do. It's very humbling.

You really know your way around a shop, and have the heart of an artist to guide you, and the good common sense to know exactly what you need! Great work!

[Hardcast416taylor]

I, like drm50, have made knives from a variety of different metals from car/truck leaf springs to files and tool steels. I made about 75 knives of different shapes for my clients. I had to stop as this `hobby` had gotten out of hand and was approaching being a business. If I do make a knife now it is for myself or my family. Very nice work on this project.Robert

[EMC45]

Good job again VG. Your projects turn out nice.

[Von Gruff]

To answer some of the questions.
I anneal the blade first and grind back to remove all evidence of the teeth so that influence is no longer a factor then grind the bevel in on a flat platen with a couple of wings on my little handyman grinder
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Knives/Photo0495_zps46a1a4e9.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Knives/Photo0495_zps46a1a4e9.jpg.html)
I heat treat in my kitchen fire and take it to non magnetic before a plunge into warm vegetable oil
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Knives/Photo0638_zps9ebb0865.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Knives/Photo0638_zps9ebb0865.jpg.html)
The tempering is done in the oven at 400* for an hour
The bolsters are pinned on with copper pins and being the same material as the bolster dont show when all is polished. With some bolsters and even some handle material I will use hidden pins and as mentioned the handles are red gun burl.
I made my first knife over 35 years ago after loosing a bought knife and the style has changed only slightly over the years as I have used and gradually changed to what I now find the most usefull for all round hunting use from gutting and skinning to breaking down the animal. I believe a knife should be just as comfortable in the hand with the blade up (for when opening up the down the legs and belly etc) as it is with the blade down for most chores. The forward finger space is the right shape for the thumb and the rear finger curve is the right shape to curve back round the palm for a comfortable but secure grip. I see no earthly use for a knife with all the finger notches that some put in them as they make the knife a single grip style which is never a good option for all round use on an animal. Another "feature" often seen is the long finger guard which just gets in the way on some chores so is an unnessary incumberance in my opinion. The short curve is more than enough to secure the knife in hand, and has never caused a slippage in all the years of knifework I have done.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Knives/Photo2291_zpsckbteurp.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Knives/Photo2291_zpsckbteurp.jpg.html)

[buckwheatpaul]

Holy Cow is that a great lookin' knife.....thanks for sharing!

[Preacher Jim]

Art work great job.

[SSGOldfart]

Awesome Job
How does one get on your list for one of these art works?

[Von Gruff]

Awesome Job
How does one get on your list for one of these art works?

That is one to work out all right!!

[rking22]

Beautiful workmanship! And just as important a most useful and thought-out design. I love the shape of the blade and grip ,,,, nothing like burl scales either !!!!

[Plate plinker]

very nice knife

[eljefeoz]

That looks like it will do ALL that is asked of it.
Awesome, VG!

[Von Gruff]

That looks like it will do ALL that is asked of it.
Awesome, VG!
It should be heading your way in about a week when I get the sheath done and an edge on it. You should be able to use it when you blood one of the new toys you have been playing with.

[eljefeoz]

I better hide it from the kids.Already lost a Bark river to the daughter... ;)

[Ballistics in Scotland]

]In terms of value for money and value for working hours, this sort of work isn't strictly justifiable. The animal will get hit and things will get cut with the basic item the reputable rifle and knife companies supply. But somebody has to do it!

I think plain brass or copper rods would be fastening enough for scales which are also epoxied. But here is a supplier well worth checking out, even if it is just for ideas you can implement without them. In particular the Corby rivets are worth a look. They are actually screws which look like rivets, with a blind nut on both ends, to be filed flat after assembly. Also if you check out eBay for "spacer screws" or "standoff screws" you will find among computer parts brass screws of about 3mm. diameter with a hexagonal "head" about 15mm. long. These can be turned, even with files in a drill, to be screwed in and finished off flush, as a plain brass dot.

I'd be in two minds about using any sort of old tool for a knife into which so much work will go. How many hours of your time is a piece of tool steel worth? But there is no doubt that some of the best steel went into tools, as long as you know what you are getting. The air hardening steels do offer hardness without a liquid quench, which can produce distortion. I've found that with O1 tool steel it is normal for the blade to curve slightly towards the edge, and Japanese swords, which were usually hardened with a clay covering, thick at the rear and very thin at the edge, acquired part of their curvature in the opposite direction.

Here is one of mine, 19in. or 50 of those foreign things in length, given to a friend 33 years ago. I get to visit it occasionally, and it will still shave slivers along the length of a tight-stretched human hair. The etching was done with model aircraft enamel and Letraset transfer print, with about 15% nitric acid. A double edged blade is a tricky proposition, as if you don't have the same angle at the spine on both sides, it will warp sideways in quenching.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]174081[/ATTACH

[nekshot]

Geeez! My toys are not even good enough to use in the garden after seeing what can be done! Awesome!

[TCLouis]

Good looking knife.
Pretty wood (what is it). NEVER MIND reread your description and saw red gum.
The knife looks like it would feel good in ones hand, and that is almost as important as the edge holding ability.

Most knife handles are much too square to be comfortable in my hand and may also have a bolster or handle shape to prevent the hand from slipping forward when it is wet.

NICE work as with everything you work on.

[CLAYPOOL]

Knives are like "Mud Holes and Puddles", I haven't found one I don't like. Some way better than others. Most are NOT long enough for my hands. I have had some PMR 30's back ordered from 2012. Finally got one 2 weeks ago. There handles are long enough for my hands. Some of the larger K - Bars are nice too.

[Von Gruff]

Got the leather gear out after lunch and marked out the sheath
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/DSCN0040_zps4ugazzwy.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/DSCN0040_zps4ugazzwy.jpg.html)
After cutting it out and marking out the stitching holes I punch the through with my arbor press actuated awl
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/DSCN0041_zpsxht4opvy.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/DSCN0041_zpsxht4opvy.jpg.html)
and run a line of stitching round to hold it all together.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/vongruff1/knives/DSCN0042_zpswco3th4g.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/vongruff1/media/knives/DSCN0042_zpswco3th4g.jpg.html)

[eljefeoz]

I better go out and shoot something... But before that, I got to get some top punches and sizers machined out for the LAM. :)

[Ballistics in Scotland]

That is a very useful-looking arbor press - far better for this kind of work than a big one that you leave in an outside workshop. A drill press will do it too, and if you switch it on, with a smooth, tapered awl, it will lift cleanly out of the leather without sticking.

A rotary star wheel with little flats between each point, to indent the leather both before and on top of the stitching, will make it look good and protect the stitching from wear. But most you find are thin, flat stars, good for nothing but marking the place to pierce the holes.

Do you plan to mould the leather to shape? Hot water (but never boiling and not allowed to soak deep into the leather) should enable you to do that.

[UKShootist]

A knife for a friend.

There is a British tradition, not all but forgotten I suspect, that you never give a knife to a friend because it will 'cut' the friendship. Instead, you sell it to them, usually for a penny. I think it's a rather nice tradition.

[Multigunner]

I made a very nice double edged dagger from a section of old chainsaw bar.
The bar appears to be one piece with the chain channel milled rather than the cheaper three layer welded bars found on some more modern chainsaws.
A friend gave me two of these bars, both had chunks broken or worn out of the tip end channel wall.
These were very rusty on the surface so I had to thin the blade a bit but its still around 3/16" at spine and tang.

I haven't reheat treated the blade but it takes a razor edge well enough. Don't know how well it would hold the edge in use but as hard as it was to file and grind it to shape it appears to be as hard as most carbon steel pocket knife blades.

Next blade I make I'll try differential heat treatment to obtain a harder edge without compromising the springiness of the core steel.

I have enough steel left for two or three short swords or a half dozen long knives.

A replica of the NASA astronauts survival kit chopping tool is one of those on my list. A sort of cross between machete and bowie knife.

I have a black walnut board that's been seasoning for thirty years and is hard as a rock with one end burled. It should make for some beautiful scales. I used stacked leather with Duraluminum guard and pommel for the dagger grip.

[w5pv]

My son/nephews have did away with the knives that I made out if power hack saw blades.Grind the teeth and teeth set ridges off then shape I attached the bolsters with a dab of silver solder on the back side enough would flow through to fill the seams and polish out nicely.The handles I would make using wood,leather,teflon,rubber a combination of all.I would use a small welding tip to melt the holes through the handle for rivets or other material to hold the grips and use a small amount of silver solder to hold it all together.Use the low temp silver solder every where.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

My son/nephews have did away with the knives that I made out if power hack saw blades.Grind the teeth and teeth set ridges off then shape I attached the bolsters with a dab of silver solder on the back side enough would flow through to fill the seams and polish out nicely.The handles I would make using wood,leather,teflon,rubber a combination of all.I would use a small welding tip to melt the holes through the handle for rivets or other material to hold the grips and use a small amount of silver solder to hold it all together.Use the low temp silver solder every where.

If they are high speed steel, that should be extremely good metal, with the great advantage that soldering or grinding won't remove its hardness. I think you most likely mean the plumbers' solder which is about 95% tin and 5% silver. But it should also be the case with the solders that require low red hardness, such as Brownells 355. A tungsten carbide drill will drill it. I have used them to fit a pilot in HSS reamers.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

A knife for a friend.

There is a British tradition, not all but forgotten I suspect, that you never give a knife to a friend because it will 'cut' the friendship. Instead, you sell it to them, usually for a penny. I think it's a rather nice tradition.

Pure wrought iron, which preceded steel, was little if any superior in its characteristics to well worked bronze. We may suppose that like flintworkers or the armour-makers of the Middle Ages, people became very good at what they did. But it seems to be a race-memory from the days of flint and bronze, that Cold Iron is uncanny stuff. Maybe it is just because unease set in when its cheapness made it available, like duelling, to what used to be known as the lower classes.

It is a well-known fact that the fairies can't touch Cold Iron, just as they, witches and other ghoulies can't cross running water, although I wouldn't want to count on a canal. If you don't believe me, I could show you this bridge today:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tam+o'shanter&rlz=1T4GUEA_enGB704GB704&tbm=isch&imgil=wATBGwV40hvXfM%253A%253Bft3EZolsR-N1NM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.cobbler.plus .com%25252Fwbc%25252Fnewsletter%25252F0201%25252Fh ow_i_met_tam_oshanter.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=wATBGwV40hvXfM%253A%252Cft3EZolsR-N1NM%252C_&usg=__OVyhkoeOgJ_MwOSqDIy_lnGLVGo%3D&biw=1138&bih=451&ved=0ahUKEwifwO6747nOAhXExxQKHeCICv8QyjcIRg&ei=BKesV5-uG8SPU-CRqvgP#imgdii=wATBGwV40hvXfM%3A%3BwATBGwV40hvXfM%3 A%3By-6CWfqdoboTkM%3A&imgrc=wATBGwV40hvXfM%3A

The druids had to use a golden knife to cut the sacred mistletoe, and one was found in England recently. If you should happen to be led astray by the little people who live under the hill, to their seductive hospitality, you must drive your dirk into the ground so that they can't close the door behind you.

[nekshot]

I have used saw saw blades also. I never found any that were laminated maybe because I buy the name brand blades usually

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Hand hacksaw blades are very frequently laminated in the sense of a high speed edge welded to a lower carbon 2/3 or so of the blade's width. That resists twisting or binding which is common in hand hacksawing, but rare in machine hacksaws. The speed is better controlled too. I knew a small-scale dealer in miscellaneous metals who had been using the same blade in his for six or eight years, with no loss of performance. In that situation they might as well be all high speed steel.

[The Governor]

Wow, V. G. That is sweet.

[Von Gruff]

That is a very useful-looking arbor press - far better for this kind of work than a big one that you leave in an outside workshop. A drill press will do it too, and if you switch it on, with a smooth, tapered awl, it will lift cleanly out of the leather without sticking.

A rotary star wheel with little flats between each point, to indent the leather both before and on top of the stitching, will make it look good and protect the stitching from wear. But most you find are thin, flat stars, good for nothing but marking the place to pierce the holes.

Do you plan to mould the leather to shape? Hot water (but never boiling and not allowed to soak deep into the leather) should enable you to do that.

I have a full range of leather working gear so have the spacing wheels and the groovers along with a few other bits and pieces. I have done quite a bit of leather work which has required moulding so am very familiar with the warm water method which I did use and then when finished with hot oil and wax so it takes the permanent shape which give the knife a little more security than a straight pouch would do and will hold the even against shaking it hard when upside down but still gives it an easy withdrawl. It ends up with an almost kydex type of capability that way.
The little arbour press is the Sinclclair press for my straight line loading dies and I simply made the wooden nose with an thinned down concrete nail epoxied into it. A couple of nails go through from side to side above the ram head so it stays in place. The base is located over the press base so the awl goes into the one hole every time it is set up. I dont have a problem with the awl sticking into the leather unless it is wet from the initial bending to get the start point for the top holes befre the rest are marked out from that point, but if I leave it for an hour or two till it dries again there is no problem and i can do it inside rather than having to go up to the shed to the drill press.

[Von Gruff]

My son/nephews have did away with the knives that I made out if power hack saw blades.Grind the teeth and teeth set ridges off then shape I attached the bolsters with a dab of silver solder on the back side enough would flow through to fill the seams and polish out nicely.The handles I would make using wood,leather,teflon,rubber a combination of all.I would use a small welding tip to melt the holes through the handle for rivets or other material to hold the grips and use a small amount of silver solder to hold it all together.Use the low temp silver solder every where.

I do have a couple of unused Sweedish (Hakansson) HSS commercial hacksaw blades that are 650x50x2.5x6t that will I will make something from when the need arrises and I do have carbide drills that do all my drilling with on these projects. I did have the bolster silver soldered on the first knife I made but dont do that any more as I prefer the pinned (either vsible or hidden) bolsters simply because of the diverse materials I make them from.

[crowbuster]

Just another reason I love this place. What a great bunch of guys. Thanks for sharing

[Lucky Joe]

Good looking knife. Thanks for sharing, it will only get better.

[richhodg66]

You are an amazing craftsman. That is a beautiful piece of work as are all your stocks you're made. I wish I had anywhere close to that kind of talent.