Any knife makers out there?

[Infidel]

I've been dabbling in knife building for a little while now and thought I'd show off my latest creation. This one's made from a 14" Mill file and I think it came out pretty well. Handle material is red oak and pins are brass rod, 1/8" for the guard and 1/4" for the handle. I decided to leave both the blade and guard a bit on the rough side for this one I didn't want to go to a high polish because I plan on actually using this knife and I thought the guard looked good a little on the rough side. The guard is made form a piece of 1/4" steel that I had laying around the shop. You can't see it in the picture but if you look real close at the blade you can still see some faint lines where the file teeth were ground down.

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/knife_July_14_zpsdcb9e6d7.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/knife_July_14_zpsdcb9e6d7.jpg.html)

-Infidel

[Just Sayin']

Pretty damn nice job there Infidel!!!

What are the blade and handle lengths?

[Infidel]

Pretty damn nice job there Infidel!!!

What are the blade and handle lengths?

Thanks, the blade length is 8 1/4" and the handle is 5 1/4", total overall length is right about 13 7/8". Funny part is I started this project with the idea that it would be a general purpose camp knife in the 5-6" blade length area. The steel had other ideas so I just went along with what that particular piece of steel wanted to be. Now I just need a way to protect it from corrosion and still have it be useable and all will be good. I will tell you that old file steel takes a razor like edge and holds it pretty well. We left for a big 4 day family camping trip on Thursday and I was a little rushed to get it finished in time but I managed to have it done in time. It performed every task I asked of it, everything from opening plastic bags, to cutting rope and some light chopping chores (I had to try it and see how it did) and a little whittling. I don't generally think a knife should be a chopping or splitting tool but the weight of this one makes it a pretty good chopper if it were all you had. When I got home Sunday I got the knife out and oiled it up and examined the blade and it held the edge pretty well and will still shave hair off my arm with only 1 small nick in the edge which would easily come out with a fine stone.

The down side of all this is I still need to make that general purpose camp knife. Who knows, maybe I'll add that to this thread when it's done.

-Infidel

[Just Sayin']

What about cold bluing it?

[Infidel]

I thought of bluing one but I'd have to hot blue it, cold bluing wouldn't stand up to the abuse I don't think. Based on how fast cold bluing wears off on firearms I doubt seriously it would work on a blade. What I'd really like to try is color case hardening a blade but I'm afraid it might make it too brittle but it would look cool, that's for sure. I may try that for a display piece one day.

-Infidel

[rice paddy daddy]

Very nice work.

[Tachammer73]

Very nice, I hope the one I am working on now turns out that good , I will get some pics taken

[machinejjh]

Nice work, wish I could do that.

[Tachammer73]

This is what I have so far http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/22/unypusy6.jpg

[Infidel]

That should turn out pretty good, the blade profile should make a great general purpose knife. I presume by the profile you're going for a bushcrafting type of blade? What type of steel are you using?

I'd like to do a knife in stainless but then I have to send it out for heat treating. Think I'll stick with the carbon steel for a while longer since I can heat treat that myself.

-Infidel

[Tachammer73]

That's exactly what I had in mind when I started it a all around General purpose knife it's I mild low carbon steel that I am going to case harden with kasenite when I am finished with it, I'm not sure how it will hold up to wear and tear but wanted to try it one time to see

[SquirrelBait]

Here's mine:

577578

[Inor]

Nice looking knife Squirrel!

[Infidel]

I like that knife, looks very handy. Something you could always have with you.

Tachammer,
I've been tempted to try color case hardening a blade but the process is very involved and I'm not sure how tempering would affect the colors. I may try it yet just have to work my way up to it, I have the bone and charcoal on standby for when I work up the courage to actually do it. Maybe the next knife.

-Infidel

[Tachammer73]

I have watched it being done quite a bit in the tooling dept. At work and have a tool and die maker who is very good about giving advice and helping with these sorts of projects

[Arizona Infidel]

Here's mine:

577578
I'm thinking you have figured out who the knife builder is.;)

[Arklatex]

Nice job everyone. Some real craftsmanship here.

[SquirrelBait]

Nice looking knife Squirrel!

Thanks Inor.

[SquirrelBait]

I'm thinking you have figured out who the knife builder is.;)

Thanks AI. *Blush*

[Tachammer73]

Very nice squirrel, I'm jealous :) that's some true craftsmanship there

[shotlady]

oh wow! 2 pretty knives! very nice work!

[Tachammer73]

Here is one that was made for me by my friend at work several years ago http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/27/emyqygu9.jpg
It was forged from a car's coil spring

[SquirrelBait]

Very nice squirrel, I'm jealous :) that's some true craftsmanship there

Thanks Tachammer, I had a good teacher. Mr. Tokheim gets 98% of the credit.

[SquirrelBait]

Here is one that was made for me by my friend at work several years ago http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/27/emyqygu9.jpg
It was forged from a car's coil spring

That is a sweet looking piece. Well done!

[Tachammer73]

Did you attend one of his courses?

[Infidel]

Here is one that was made for me by my friend at work several years ago http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/27/emyqygu9.jpg
It was forged from a car's coil spring

That's a good looking knife right there. I especially like the brass guard and butt cap. The blade profile looks like it would make an excellent skinner. The parts fit in the handle looks excellent, your friend is talented.

-Infidel

[Tachammer73]

Yes he is, he brought it in to work every few weeks for several months while he was working on it showing it to me and explaining the different processes as he was working on them, makes all that much more special to me knowing how much work he put into it and yes it's a great Skinner and I never go hunting without it, every meal that has come home from the woods since I got it in 2002 has been cleaned by it