Leuku WIP (work in progress)

[Shinken]

Here it is so far, normalised. I am building a new forge so it will be a while before i finish it.

[Shinken]

Another one started





on a Jowl post

[Xunil]

That's looking very nice indeed - I'm liking the rounded shoulders and junction of the tang.

Smarty pants

Have you considered a modified hidden tang with a nut on threaded bar or a long bolt instead ?

Looks roughly like this (apologies for the crude, thrown-together image):



The slot for the head of the bolt can be done easily by drilling a couple of holes and squaring them off with a file, and the main slot can be cut in with a cutting disk on an andle grinder. Chamfer off the edges of the slots to take a good weld, weld the whole lot up and grind everything back flush. I usually grind the sides off the head of the bolt before welding to prevent excess heat build-up when cleaning up. Obviously you can make the same arrangement with a nut welded to threaded bar, but either way this is the strongest method I know of for jointed hidden tangs. I prefer silver solder to welding but either will produce an incredibly strong and durable joint - I came up with this method when destruction testing hidden tang knives. When I finally managed to introduce failure (think sledge hammer-level abuse ) it was the joint that caused problems more often than not. This seemed a logical and simple progression to me, and I use it whenever I do a jointed hidden tang that has to be threaded on the pommel end.

Shhhhh...

Our little secret...

Looking forward to seeing how this one progresses

[Shinken]

The threaded bar in the pick has been silver brazed to the tang for the reasons you stated (does not enlarge the grain like welding would) i then braze a long nutto the pommel material (the kind you use to join threaded bar together)

Then i tighten the whole thing up

[Hedgehog]

That looks like it's going to be a beauty, and a sturdy one at that.

Are you going for a trad flared handle?

[Wilderbeast]

Looking good buddy!

[Xunil]

Out of curiosity, will you be fully or differentially hardening it ?

It just occurred to me that I've never made a differentially heat treated Leuku before and wondered whether you had or whether this will be.

[brancho]

Thats looking good

[Everything Mac]

Out of curiosity, will you be fully or differentially hardening it ?

It just occurred to me that I've never made a differentially heat treated Leuku before and wondered whether you had or whether this will be.

Differential hardening or differential heat treatment?

[British Red]

Shinken,

Can I suggest a certain order of work here?

1) Make Leuku

2) Decide its not quite perfect

3) Make two more Leukus with design refinements

4) Flog me the original "failure" cheap because you don't value your own work properly

In order to expedite this process, could you make it with some nice stabalised wood to match a certain puukko?

Okay...so I can't get lucky twice

Looks great chap

[Xunil]

Differential hardening or differential heat treatment?

That's kind of what I was asking.

I was generalising, hoping to use terms most folks would find familiar, and hoping to prompt a reply from Shinken, without wanting to open up the whole differential/selective/zone hardening/tempering/heat treating discussion.

That'll teach me.

How about - "are there any plans afoot to selectively heat treat the blade in some fashion, either during hardening or tempering ?"



I meant to ask earlier as well, what handle materials will be used to complete the project ?

[Everything Mac]

lol my bad Xunil.

[Shinken]

nd hoping to prompt a reply from Shinken

Sorry mate i have been where the internet dont shine overnight.

I have hardened the bottom third of the blade, but being 01 it probably hardened up to half, not as strong as it could be, but lots of people use one that has been fully hardened without breakage, and id bet you could bend it 45 degree's without breaking. Which is enough for me!

So yeah during hardening, i spose i could draw some temper from the spine as well. might do that before the final oven temper.

Shinken,

Can I suggest a certain order of work here?

1) Make Leuku

2) Decide its not quite perfect

3) Make two more Leukus with design refinements

4) Flog me the original "failure" cheap because you don't value your own work properly

In order to expedite this process, could you make it with some nice stabalised wood to match a certain puukko?

Okay...so I can't get lucky twice

Looks great chap

Did not think you liked the leuku design Red

I have made two so i guess i could put a stabilized elm burr handle on one

[Shinken]

When I finally managed to introduce failure (think sledge hammer-level abuse ) it was the joint that caused problems more often than not

I have gone for the old V joint, you van bend the tang 90 and the joint wont break (and that will never happen inside handle) so i thought more than adequete.

But i know what you mean it is nice to challenge yourself to make the "unbreakable"

[British Red]

Did not think you liked the leuku design Red

I have made two so i guess i could put a stabilized elm burr handle on one

The casstrom one I had was...very poor.

But then again the puukko you made is night and day different to a cheap puukko. Its become one of my favourite knives...and my "utility carry" around the homestead.

Its just possible you could convert me to the dark side

[Shinken]

Why was it poor Red?

[Shinken]

That looks like it's going to be a beauty, and a sturdy one at that.

Are you going for a trad flared handle?

Yeah i think flared but mate!

[British Red]

Why was it poor Red?

A number of reasons - the handle primarily. Too short to get a full grip on for chopping. So wide that it couldn't be properly grasped. It was as though someone has seen a large knife but never actually used one

[Shinken]

The too short a handle will be fixed quite easilly, but it is more difficult to make the handle smaller while still looking in proportion due to the width at the riccasso.

[mr dazzler]

did you cut the jowl and the tying joint?

[British Red]

The too short a handle will be fixed quite easilly, but it is more difficult to make the handle smaller while still looking in proportion due to the width at the riccasso.

Mmm. I have a womns hands my lord. Bloody great handles I cant grip properly are useless to me....

[Shinken]

did you cut the jowl and the tying joint?

Me or one of my colleagues did... They all look the same lol It is only 225mm square with the jowl end being 400mm

[Shinken]

Mmm. I have a womns hands my lord. Bloody great handles I cant grip properly are useless to me....

Well ill see what i can do

[British Red]

Don't worry about me much Ash....I am skint anyway I just love that puukko - best "bang for buck" knfe ever made (and I have a few belters)!

[Shinken]

I'd like to look into making the handle smaller anyhow mate!

[British Red]

Fair play - I'll continue to dream

[Shinken]

Blade nor ready for handle,