Now that's a knife!

I'm back again after a long period of silence, mostly taken up with work travels, job change and domestic chores.  However, the current social isolation imposed to manage the Covid-19 pandemic has provided some additional time at home that I have used to finish my latest knife.

I took the inspiration for the design from the "Razorback" made by "Down Under Knives" in Australia.  It is the biggest one I have made to date and is slightly smaller than the one made famous by Crocodile [Mick] Dundee in the movie by the same name.  The blade is 304 Stainless steel, polished to a mirror finish.  The handle is walnut with the guard and pummel made from brass.  I chose the walnut because I wanted the greater colour contrast between the dark wood and the lighter brass and steel, however in the photos it appears lighter than in reality.  I still have to do the final sharpening of the blade but did not want to wait any longer before publishing this post.

Dimensions are as follows (all taken at the widest point):
The blade is 185mm long (7.3") x 50mm wide (1.2") x 5mm thick (0.2").
The handle is 118mm long (4.6") x 37mm (1.5") wide x 26mm (1") thick.
The guard is 65mm (2.6") tall x 25mm (1") wide x 16mm (0.6") from blade to wood.
The pummel is 35mm (1.4") tall x 24mm (0.9") wide x 16mm (0.6") from wood to end.
Overall length is 303mm (11.9").

The hidden tang runs through the full length of the wood to provide maximum strength, but unfortunately these large chunks of metal do make the finished product fairly heavy at 570 grams (1.26 pounds).  Not a problem for me as I do not plan to carry it around.

Enjoy the photos!

I'm sure that even Crocodile Dundee would be proud of this one!

And finally, just for comparison, here are 3 together to show the size difference.

Knife number 5

Looking for a more advanced knife to make next, I am taking inspiration from a style known as the "Razorback", found online and supplied by "Down Under" in Australia.

Photo 1 below slows the rough shape cut and cleaned up.

Photo 2 shows the surface smoothed off and the two bevels ground in.

That's as far as I've got for now.  More to follow ...

Knife number 4

Back in the workshop I picked up a blade that I had started working on some time ago but then put aside because I was not happy with the way it was going.  I decided to finish it, but deliberately use it as a learning experience to try some new things.

Here is the finished knife.  It is from 304 stainless steel. The blade is 115mm long x 35mm wide x 3mm thick.  Handle is 110mm long including the guard x 20mm thick.  The guard is brass and the handle is Cedar wood, once again polished with beeswax to bring out the natural sheen and the beauty of the wood.  The Cedar is a lighter weight than other woods I have used before so overall the knife feels "blade-heavy", even more so since it does not have a pummel at the back to provide any counter-balance.

The knife is made with a hidden tang but this time I was able to drill the slot into the wood with my new extra-length drill bits.  They are 200mm long and range from 2mm to 7mm in diameter.  Just what I needed for this application but I can see I must be very careful to avoid bending them in use.

So this one is more of a working knife that I plan to use, rather than a trophy for display, but it's been fun to make nevertheless.  Enjoy the photos!

Craig's knife

Not every knife I make will be a gift for someone, but I am proud to have made this for my good friend and 'adopted brother', Craig.

Also made completely from new materials, this one features a full tang design with ornately shaped blade.  The scales are made from Bloodwood with aluminium bolsters and brass pins.

The blade is 120mm long (4.72") and the handle is 110mm long (4.33"), giving an overall length of 230mm (9.05").

Enjoy the photos!

Pa Jerry's knife

My blog has been quiet for the past few months.  The reason ... I have been working on two more knives, which were both made as gifts for people who have access to this blog and I did not want them to see the results before I had the chance to hand over the knives to them in person.

This is the story of the knife I made for Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, from whom I got much of the wood that I am using for the handles.

The knife is made completely from new raw materials (no recycled files etc.)  The blade is 304 Stainless steel, polished to a mirror finish.  The handle is, from blade to pummel:

• brass
• black Perspex*
• thin brass plate
• red Perspex*
• thin brass plate
• maple
• walnut
• brass

[* Perspex is a trade name for poly(methyl methacrylate), also known as acrylic]

The blade is 140mm long (5.5") x 40mm wide (1,57") and 4.5mm thick (0.18").  The handle is 125mm long (4.9").

Pic 01 - Cutting the rough blade shape from flat bar

Pic 02 - Smoothing the blade surface to remove roughness, ready for the bevel

Pic 03 - Grinding the bevel using the jig, which allows adjustment to set the required angle

Pic 04 - Blade set in the adjustable jig, showing the bevel partly ground

Pic 05 - Polishing the blade to a mirror finish using the spinning mop cloth

Pic 06 - Parts of the handle cut and ready for assembly

Pic 07 - Handle assembled and glued with epoxy.  Initial sanding done to prepare a smooth surface for shaping.

Pic 08 - Shaping the handle using a portable belt sander mounted upside down in the vice

Pic 09 - Final shaping of the handle done by hand

Pic 10 - Shaping and polishing complete

Pic 11 - Wood polished with beeswax to bring out the natural lustre

Pic 12 - Final step - new owner's name etched into the steel using acid

My first bottle opener

Back in the workshop I decided to try something a little different, so set to work making a bottle opener.  As this required a number of the same skills that I would use to make a knife, I used the opportunity to try out some techniques I have not done before, such as a 'full tang' design and applying 'bolsters' on the sides instead of a 'guard'.

The central silver part is 304 stainless steel.  The 'bolsters' are brass and the wooden 'scales' are walnut.  After cutting, shaping, glueing and polishing to get the mirror finish, I treated the wood with beeswax to give it a natural, rich shine.

Overall dimensions:
Length 100mm (4")
Width 28mm (1.1")
Thickness 16mm (0.63")

Overall I am very happy with the result.  Hope you like the photos!

My first knife

Over the past several weeks I have been making my first knife, which I finished today.

I started off with an old, rusty file that looked like it had been rotting in a ditch for a few years.  Needless to say, it required a lot of grinding to get it to the right size and shape, not helped by the fact that it was already hardened.  My grinder performed well as I breathed new life into the steel.

Shout of thanks to Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, for the selection of wood offcuts that I brought home after my last visit to the ranch.  For this knife I decided to keep it simple and just used a single block of cherry wood for the hidden tang design.  The guard and pummel are brass with a black perspex insert for visual effect.

After cutting, drilling, epoxy, assembly, shaping and sanding, I finished it off by polishing the cherry wood handle with beeswax to give it a rich sheen as well as protection for the wood.

The blade is 150mm long (6") x 32mm wide (1.25") and 5mm thick (0.4").  The handle is 110mm long (4.3").

Overall, for my first knife, I am very happy with the result.

Enjoy the photos!

Belt grinder

For some time I have been keen to make knives, just for the fun of it.  I had most of the tools and equipment needed, with the exception of a suitable grinding machine.  From my research on line, it seems the most popular type among knife makers uses a grinding belt that is 2" wide and 72" long, but the grinding machines that take this size belt were all too big to fit in my workshop and too expensive.  Then I found a smaller machine that takes a 2" x 48" belt. It appeared solid, compact and the right size to fit my workshop.  Ann convinced me to get one and it arrived a couple of months ago.

I have spent some time practicing how to get good results with it.

The photos below are of the grinding machine.

Introduction

Some readers here will be frequent visitors to my other blog, "The Peanuts News", which contains general updates on family news and holidays.  I have decided to create this new one specially for news about my knife-making hobby.

All the relevant posts from my other blog have been copied across to this one, and this is where I will continue to post future updates as I progress with this hobby.

It is unfortunate that in today's society knife crime is prevalent, which has caused many people to associate all knives with anti-social behaviour and criminal intent.  I wish to emphasise to my readers that for me the craft of making knives is a hobby that allows me to express my creativity by using the skill in my hands as I work with steel, wood and other materials to create knives that are both beautiful and functional.  With that said, most of my creations will end up being "trophy knives" for display.

It is my hope that readers who visit this blog will recognise and appreciate the skill that it takes to make these knives and the enjoyment that this hobby brings to me.