Been busy trying to keep my mind on things that matter the past couple of weeks...made another knife.

I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out. Started with a piece of 1075 carbon steel, marked out a pattern and cut it out with the angle grinder...that was the last of the machine assisted work, everything else was done by hand.

I shaped the blade by draw filing...took a fair bit of time, but it did a pretty reasonable job. Hand cut the notches in the back of the blade with a tiny round file. Cleaned up the metal with wet and dry paper (220, 320, 400, 800 and 1200 grits), again all hand rubbed.

I heated and 'normalised' the blade twice then heated and oil quenched to harden the blade. After I had hand rubbed the blade with wet and dry again I decided to try something I read about online...I heat treated the blade by putting it in the oven at 220 degrees C for three hours. It seem to have worked OK.

I cut, shaped glued and pinned some sequoria hardwood handle scales then hand rubbed them with a turpentine polish mix a mate made.

I made a scabbard for the knife, again hand sewing it all together, and stained it with Saddle Tan.

Following this I sharpened the blade...it takes a very nice sharp edge, and yeah, it was accidently 'blooded' on my hand.

The blade is 75mm (2.95 inches) long and the overall length is 170mm (6.7 inches).

Suffice to say I'm happy with the outcome...so much so I have an idea for another knife in the back of my mind.

Vince, that is a sweet looking knife! Nice work. How did you tie that ball knot?

Looks like a miniature "monkey Fist"

Should be a good skinner

Tremblay wrote:

Should be a good skinner

Oi!

I was going to say that, so I will.

slimjim wrote:

Vince, that is a sweet looking knife! Nice work. How did you tie that ball knot?

Thanks Slim. The knot is one of the easiest I have tied...

Diamond knot and loop closure

very tidy Mate.....Im sure it will serve you well.

Very nice work!

I don't really get into home made knives, but this one I like. Well done Vince! Really like the scabbard too.

Deer Sniper wrote:

I don't really get into home made knives, but this one I like. Well done Vince! Really like the scabbard too.

Thanks DS. My level of expertise doesn’t even come close to approaching yours where handmade things are concerned. But, when you consider that I use only very basic tools, I think the end result isn’t too poorly mate.

Sweet

SWEEEETT !!
Love the jimping on the spine

Sitting on the lounge last night watchiing a movie and fiddling with my knife and I thought...the handle on this thing is rather plain and boring. I figured it would also be very slippery when it had blood etc on it...so I decided to do something.

I got my checkering tools out, drew a couple of ideas on the handle with a pencil, decided on one and went at it. Its not the best checkering job I've ever done...this piece of timber is terrible to checker because it has 'inclusions 'in the grain and I had a lot of difficulty doing a straight line because of the grain...doesn't look too bad in my mind and it will be functional as well.

Nice job

Double thumbs up!!