Buffalo skinner WIP

[Von Gruff]

I thought I would do a work in progress post on the buffao skinner knife to show the various steps involved in the process of getting a knife ready to send off to its new owner.
Like all my blades to date this one starts out as a length of bar stock and with a good cut off disc in the angle grinder get it cut out to within a 1/6 to an 1/8 of the scribed lines (depending on the curves involved).

Next stage is to get the profile done and a 60grit belt on the grinder soon gets that sorted. The blade edge and spine is done to 220grit for later stages of the process with the rest done do 120 grit.

With the small bench anvil plate I can center punch where all the handle pins and the makers mark needs to be

The makers mark is done with 2mm bit, the bolster holes with 3/32 and the main pin holes with a 1/8 in bit.
Next is the grind

 

[Johan Nel]

Always great to see how someone else skins their cat...

 

[opaul]

I thought I would do a work in progress post on the buffao skinner knife to show the various steps involved in the process of getting a knife ready to send off to its new owner.
Like all my blades to date this one starts out as a length of bar stock and with a good cut off disc in the angle grinder get it cut out to within a 1/6 to an 1/8 of the scribed lines (depending on the curves involved).

Next stage is to get the profile done and a 60grit belt on the grinder soon gets that sorted. The blade edge and spine is done to 220grit for later stages of the process with the rest done do 120 grit.

With the small bench anvil plate I can center punch where all the handle pins and the makers mark needs to be

The makers mark is done with 2mm bit, the bolster holes with 3/32 and the main pin holes with a 1/8 in bit.
Next is the grind

Sleek and nothing but business. Looks like it's raring to go!

 

[Dennis Morland]

I like that outline. It is a good hunting knife shape.

 

[BrandantR]

I've always loved a good trailing point. This one is going to be great.

 

[Von Gruff]

I like that outline. It is a good hunting knife shape.

That is what has always intrigued me Dennis. The trailing point style seems to be peculiar to the US hunter design/preference in many instances where the NZ hunter has always prefered a drop point as the rest of my knife patterns are of that style. Mind you with about 120 odd knives shipped off, this is the first traiing point I have done so it seems that there are penty of you that like the drop point as well.

 

[Dennis Morland]

That is what has always intrigued me Dennis. The trailing point style seems to be peculiar to the US hunter design/preference in many instances where the NZ hunter has always prefered a drop point as the rest of my knife patterns are of that style. Mind you with about 120 odd knives shipped off, this is the first traiing point I have done so it seems that there are penty of you that like the drop point as well.

I have always had a connection to trailing points. My father gave me one for my 13th birthday and I have liked that look ever since then. I wish I still had that knife. For the life of me, I do not know where I lost that knife. It just disappeared and has never reappeared. Poof!

 

[Von Gruff]

I have always had a connection to trailing points. My father gave me one for my 13th birthday and I have liked that look ever since then. I wish I still had that knife. For the life of me, I do not know where I lost that knife. It just disappeared and has never reappeared. Poof!

The same thing happened to the first (and only) knife I bought which is why I decided to make my own back in the 70's. Been a great ride ever since.

 

[Von Gruff]

Once the holes are drilled and the edge scribed, I grind the corners off the edge at 45 * with an old belt so the sharp edge does not rip the grip off a new sharp belt when the bevels are being =ground in.

Bruce Bump file guide is tightened in place and the blade is clamped into the grind guide I made and it is set at the correct angle. I have the required measurement (over the outer edge of the main Al guide and the hinged base plate so adjust the bolts till that is met)

The top edge is ground on another guide

and everything is ground to 240 grit on the grinder

 

[Von Gruff]

Hand sand to 360 before heat treat

The forge is fired up and now that I have two of them I can heat the oil tank heater in the small unit while I am getting the big forge up to heat.

After the hardening quench they are tempered for 2 hours.

 

[Von Gruff]

After the heat treating is done and the blades hand sanded through 360, 600 a 1000 and back to 600 grits the handle process can be started and with this one being a special knife for a friend,the curve backed buffalo horn bolsters were mandatory

After looking at the 2 inch drum sander links kindly supplied in the shop talk section I decided to have a 2 inch drum sander and marking ring made up and will pick it up this monday, but for this week I use the expediency of a tape roll to mark the curve as it is right on 2 inches and the same size as the top wheel on the belt grinder that I use to clean up the inside of the curve. After the holes are drilled the curves are marked in using a scriber and then cut on the bandsaw before cleaning up on the grinder.

Then it is a simple matter of dyeing some epoxy and pining them into position, claming them and leaving them overnight after cleaning any epoxy overspill

When I have the bolsters on and tapped down firm with the hammer, I cut and grind off the pin ends so I can clamp them tight.

 

[Von Gruff]

With the clamp removed it is now time to fit the handle scales and as this knife is for a friend (on another forum where this is posted) who wants to be surprised when he opens the package I cant show the actual wood I have chosen for him so have taped it for now and will show you guys in a day or two when it is done. The first side is marked from the same profile as the rear of the bolsters and bandsawn to near shape and sanded into a fit. Because the scales are split from the same block I want the grain pattern to folllow from one side to the other so marke the second side from the first side a fraction proud and sand it in to fit.​

From there the scale can be held in place and the rear hole drilled and with a tempory pin in place the other two holes can be drilled. After the second side is done the same it is time to epoxy and pin them into place and clamp them up for the night.

​

 

[Von Gruff]

Once the handles are on and profiled back to the handle steel

And have the vertical profile cut in on the band saw

and with some shaping and sanding it finishes up like this. Eucalyptus root over buffalo horn on the 1075 blade.

The sheath is done as were a few others today with this one still having the handle hidden for the other forum where the new owner is a member

 

[C Craft]

Von, really like that one! Thumbs up!!!

 

[Johan Nel]

Great work!

 

[MikeL]

Very nice!