Made myself a small neck knife

[andyn]

Over the last month or so, inbetween my already hetic diary, I've been making myself a neck knife, with some guidance from a friend - which without I don't think it would have come out anywhere near as good!

This is the first time I've made a blade from start to finish and it has been a massive learning curve and a enjoyable experiance.

Template:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2340360734_214cc2d1df_m.jpg

Transferred onto Steel:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/2340360624_a0e23d4958_m.jpg

Roughly ground to shape:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2340360776_f7a1c7dfcf_m.jpg

Filed to a clean edge:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2102/2339527399_fd597dc9ec_m.jpg

Bevel roughly ground and then filed to a clean edge:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2340360844_2553634186_m.jpg

Finished and ready for heat treatment:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2340360712_4522c4d32d_m.jpg

I didnt do the heat treatment myself as I just don't have the space, tools or frankly the time to do it, so it was done professionally to 58/59

When it came back I started polishing the blade down and shaped the front edge of the scales

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2393860114_36fd3d3525.jpg

Which I then glued on once the blade was polished down to a nice mirror finish with varying grades of sandpaper and wet and dry

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2436737527_abfc83434a.jpg

I shaped the handle down and then finished it with sandpaper until I got a nice even shape to what felt good in my hand....

...This was the final result, with which i'm not too displeased at all.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2114/2455424394_ac668cfbd6.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2080/2454596977_1facf56ec4.jpg


The blade is 01 tool steel, fitted with white fibre liners, mosaic pins (thanks to Bushwacker_bob for those), and Stabalised Box Elder Root scales.


Welcome your comments and thoughts. :)

[KNC]

Great knife. I really like the design, and the scales look amazing.

[Toddy]

Now that's a good looking tool, isn't it ?
For a first one too, very well done :D I don't know that timber at all but it is beautiful and the mosaic pins add to the finish.

What are you going to do for a sheath ?

cheers,
Toddy

[AndyW]

That looks really good.

I must make some progress with my own one soon :rolleyes:

Andy

[bushwacker bob]

Very pretty Andy. Problem is all those other knives you have, will now just sit in a drawer. Once you've made one like that, there is no going back.

[Mungo]

That's beautiful. Is that resin-treated wood you're using as the handle scales? Nice job!

Mungo

[forginhill]

That came out very well. I like what you did with the handle. Excellent work.

Todd

[Matt Weir]

Lovely job Andy, well done mate.

[andyn]

Cheers all, I'm really pleased with it, which is unusal as I will normally critisise my own work to no end...although I do have a few parts on it i'm not 100% happy with LOL


That's beautiful. Is that resin-treated wood you're using as the handle scales? Nice job!

Mungo

Yeah, The box elder root has been stabilised so to my understanding that means it has been placed in a vacum to remove any moisture and air from the wood - then submerged into an acrylic resin and then returned to normal pressure so the resin gets sucked into all the pores, gaps, cracks etc But I might be wrong about the process behind it.



What are you going to do for a sheath ?

cheers,
Toddy

I made a very quick sheath the other night, I think its pretty rubbish tbh so haven't posted a piccy :o , but will spend a bit of time making something else more fitting for it soon.

[lostplanet]

Excellent work, all these great projects, have got my mouth watering for time to try and make my own. Can't wait :)

AAMOI how thick is the blade? and where did you get the heat treatment done?

thanks

[andyn]

Excellent work, all these great projects, have got my mouth watering for time to try and make my own. Can't wait :)

AAMOI how thick is the blade? and where did you get the heat treatment done?

thanks

Hi, the blade is 3mm thick. I was tempted by 2mm but stuck with the 3 in the end.

The heat treatment was sorted out by a friend in the engineering trade.

[Nightwalker]

Superb work andyn, it looks beautiful! May I ask where the template is from? Is it available? Keep up the good work, all the best.

[bingobadgo]

Good work mate, that looks lovely. I have made a few from others blades and i have just started my first one from scratch. How did you grind the blade? I am thinking of using a belt sander as a proper belt grinder is out of my price range.