View Full Version : making a saami knife info
hi guys
shinken is giving me a blade, some reindeer antler and maybe some wood with which i am going to make a saami knife out of
he said that i should maybe start a thread asking for info on how to make a saami knife
what tools do i need to make it ?
what pieces do i need to make it ?
leon
come on guys i need your help
leon
Some one should be along soon Leon!
You will need some Sandpaper, a file, some drill bits, a drill, some glue, a vice and anything that i forget to mention :rolleyes:
Someone will put me right. There is no hurry in making this Leon take your time to learn how to do it. When you feel confident in knowing all that you need to know to make it then have a go.
Like walking in the woods patients is a must (i need to learn this more than anyone)
Ogri the trog
23-11-2006, 20:46
Leon,
Have you seen (or do you have access to) the Ray Mears DVD Bushcraft, the Sweden Episode - he has someone make a blade which he puts a handle on. Its rudimentary stuff, but in essence its all there - get the bits together, glue them on and then shape it to fit your hand.
Good Luck
Ogri the trog
i have seen that episode of ray mears
i have a vice, a drill, drill bits, files and sandpaper i just need to get some epoxy from b & Q
leon
so i
1. cut slices of the antler and wood
2. drill holes in the antler and wood
3. slot them on the knife in the order i want then glue them with epoxy
4. hammer the rivet on
5. shape with files and sandpaper
how do i finish the knife ?
where can i get a rivet to rivet the end from ? what type do i need ?
leon
Oh i should add a ball pein hammer. (a hammer with a round end)
You drill a countersink and hammer the end of the tang into this. will try and find pic of this for you
yes i have a ball pin hammer
so i dont need a rivet i just counter sink the last slice and hit the end of the tang with a ball point hammer
leon
Right i think there is a diagram on coutersinking and riviting the tang in this thread Leon http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=16586
It is for full tang handles but it is what you do to the end of a Saami knife
sorry but i dont understand lol
leon
Go to this website http://www.brisa.fi/start3.html
And scroll down untill you get to the red section on the left scroll bar which is marked "work instructions" and clik on saami knife.
Well i cannot see the pics at work on that link (work blokes them) so i was working from memory. And i have a bad memory :D
Ogri the trog
23-11-2006, 21:17
Leon,
Having a bucket full of tools is great but you can get by with much less, so don't get caught thinking that you simply "have to have" a certain gadget in order to make your knife.
Drills will be handy, as will be files and sandpaper as you've said. Take your time and if it all goes pear-shaped, you can start again.
I think Ray used PVA glue as its a little more flexible than epoxy once set.
The rivet is formed from the very end of the tang - fit on as many disks of the material you have and then stab the knife into the end grain of a piece of hard wood - then gently rivet over the end of the tang to hold the disks in place.
Once all the glue is set, you file away everything that isn't handle shaped - only you can tell if it fits your hand - if it doesn't you can take more material off, or start over again.
Get the finish as smoothe as you can and then rub a little wood finishing oil as a protective layer, it can be Tung oil, Danish oil, Linseed oil, or probably many others.
ATB
Ogri the trog
PS Damn you two are fast!
Here
http://www.brisa.fi/bark10a.jpg
ogri what were you on about stabbing it into a piece of hardwood
leon
When you hammer the rivit the blade needs some where to be. If your vice is on a sturdy table you can protect the blade with wood and pin it in the vice, and then peen it. Or you can use Ogri's method dont matter which!
i have a vice which is secured to a strong table so i will put it in the vice and do it
i think i have a rough idea of what to do, have any of you got some pictures of saami knives so i can choose which sort of handle i like
what wood do you reccomend i use
leon
Traditionally i think it is Masur Birch or sallow root! But if you would like it darker walnut would be nice i think
i have a big piece of walnut so i will cout some slices of that
leon
shall i use epoxy or wood glue ?
i was thinking of doing antler then a thick piece of walnut then antler then a thick piece of walnut then antler
do you think this would look nice
leon
chrisanson
23-11-2006, 21:49
Hello ,
don’t forget to anneal the tang before you rivet it! It will make your life much easier.
Chris
how do i anneal the tang ?
leon
It's up to you what you use Leon. Epoxy is stronger and like Ogri says wood glue is more flexible. I would prefere Epoxy myself as flexibility isnt a concern i dont think. Yes natural materials do expand and contract, but not enough i dont think
Ogri the trog
23-11-2006, 22:32
Wow, this has moved on....
I suggested using the block of wood when you rivet over the end of the tang for one reason. If you clamp the blade in a vice, it needs to be damned tight to stop any movement and hence marks on the blade. Which you can cure by clamping the blade between bits of wood or leather - but they don't always grip as much as you'd like and the blade can move in the jaws and you get a good rivetted end but a loose handle.
In using the wood, you can ensure that it is upright, and control the handle end with your left hand as you hammer with your right. Protect yourself from the edge by having the blade wrapped in many layers of tape. Don't whack it, as you can easily skew the blade sideways and bend or break the tip off, as well as being dangerous to exposed body parts. Use controlled taps with the hammer and look to see that the rivet is forming correctly (like a mushroom) and not leaning over to one side.
Ogri the trog
ok ogri i will do it that way instead, someone said that i should anneal the tang before doing this what does it mean and how do i do it
do i let the handle dry and then rivet it or do i glue the handle, rivet it and then leave it to dry
leon
Ill anneal it for you Leon
chrisanson
24-11-2006, 11:59
Ill anneal it for you Leon
job done :)
chris
leon,
When I first tried riveting a tang I wasn't sure how it would go and had no one to show me so I took a common nail and put it in the vice to practice on. It's a good thing too because it took a couple tries before I got the right hammer blows to make it mushroom with out bending over. Too soft and it takes forever, too hard it bends. It could even bend down inside the handle.
So, I suggest you do the same as I did when I started out and practice riveting the tip of a nail.
ok i will have a couple of practices with a nail
thanks shinken for annealing it for me, but just out of interest what does annealing mean and how is it done ?
leon
are you only coming on sunday shinken oor are yoou staying for the whole thing
leon
beowolf762
24-11-2006, 17:46
May I suggest a book that may be helpful to you: Antlerknife by Ulf Avander, ISBN 91-631-5123-5. You could check it out at your local library, if they do not have it, they could get it through an inter-library loan for you.
shinken is going to talk me through making one on sunday
leon
And i am going to bring that book for you to look at also
what materials do you think i should use for the handle and in what order do you think i should put them
leon
shinken im off to work in a little while and my nan is taking me strait from work to fenlanders place so i'll see you on sunday
leon
thanks for the stuff shinken i will probebly start cutting the slice tommorow, how do i drill the holes in the antler,wood etc as the tang is a rectangle
leon
the wood is sliced into pieces and i am ready drill the holes, do i do this with a drill? my dad got some epoxy today
leon
Measure the thickness of the tang and use a slightly smaller drill bit. You drill two or three holes close together and file the holes bigger so the tang fits snug!
Hope that makes sense
i am doing that now, i already have nearly half of the handle on, i will post a pic when the handle is completely on
leon
well here it is next to my clipper for size comparison
i just need to let it dry overnight, rivet the end and then shape the handle
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/430/saamiknifens3.jpg
leon
chrisanson
28-11-2006, 21:24
Clamp it up so it is tight !!
Looking good tho :)
chris
yes its in the vice now and its going to stay in there untill i get back from school tommorow, then i will rivet it
when i rivet it do i tap it lightly
leon
thanks mate, its the sanding bit im worried about, i dont know if i will be able to get it simetrical
what handle shape do you guys think i should have on it
leon
Fenlander
28-11-2006, 22:08
thanks mate, its the sanding bit im worried about, i dont know if i will be able to get it simetrical
what handle shape do you guys think i should have on it
leon
Leon my handle is not simetrical.......just work with the shape of the materials you've used. That's part of what makes it special. Think about what you do or don't like about your clipper handle. Incorporate the bits you do like and think how you can change the bits you don't.
Yes tap lightly, it will take longer but be patient.
well i tryed tapping it and it doesnt seem to move at all, any ideas
leon
I had two identical blades and i annealed one. Just tried hammering the end of the one i have and looks like i might have given you the wrong one! :eek:
But it should still hammer, but will take longer. If you still have problems i can always do it for you!
it wont move at all, is there any other way i can do it
if not i will have to let you do it
leon
Nope you cant heat it up now! sorry for the boo-boo
I can do it for you!
ok, how will you do it, are you going to the christmas moot if you are i will give it to you then
leon