I bit off a huge chunk...

ricky_arthur

Well-Known Member
Well, I was looking at the 2012 Bowie contest and just knew I would have to give one a try. I have done mostly smaller knives and this one, although not big by Bowie standards (probably not even medium) is by far the largest I have attempted. I decided to do it with a leaf spring so I wouldn't waste steel if I bit off more than I could handle (no pun intended). Also because it was free. So Here it is ready to be cut out. The tang is longer than necessary and will be cut back when I decide what to do for a handle. It is just over 1/4 inch thick and just over 12 inches long. With the Blade a little under 7 inches.

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Cut out and cleaned up.
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and rough grind nearly complete. I had to remove the rest from my sander and do it all freehand because of the step I put on the spine.

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I will swedge the front half and file the rest of the spine tomorrow.

Any criticism or suggestions are welcome.
 
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When I first designed this knife it was a full tang knife. Then I realized that I don't know how to make or put on a tang for a full tang knife like this. I thought about it for a while and decided I would put the full tang on hold while I did some research and just make it a hidden tang knife. Of which I have made a couple. That is a long way around to say that I am going to forge something from the same steel for the guard. (which will be new to me as well, but at least I "think"I can do it :) ) I have an idea in my head but I wouldn't be able to describe it very well.


Here is a Morning update. I started the swedge, It is very near done. And also Started filework. I was all wrapped up in it when I realized I was late for work. So here it is so far.

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I plan on trying a Hammon line on this one (My first attempt at that too :) )
 
I tried a hammon on a different knife today to see how it went. It is in the oven Tempering right now. :)

I need some input here. I made this guard from the same spring. I left the pits in it and wanted some input on if anyone has an opinion on it. Go? Or NO Go?

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That looks pretty nice! I am working on something similar to that right now as well... Keep up the good work.
 
Well when I drilled and put the tang on, it was way too big. :( I cut it down and bent it a little more, But I haven't decided if I will use it yet.

On another note, I tried a hammon on a knife that I heat treated today. It was 1095, which I hear is more difficult to get a good hammon, but until I get something else that is what I had available to use. The only things I have available for acid is Vinegar and Lemons. So I'm sitting here at my desk at work, squeezing lemon juice on the blade that I quickly polished to 1500 grit on one side just to see if I got any results.

Here it is after about 10 minutes.

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I think it will work, But is there something I can buy at the local (small town) hardware store that will work better for bringing out the hammon?
 
Well when I drilled and put the tang on, it was way too big. :( I cut it down and bent it a little more, But I haven't decided if I will use it yet.

On another note, I tried a hammon on a knife that I heat treated today. It was 1095, which I hear is more difficult to get a good hammon, but until I get something else that is what I had available to use. The only things I have available for acid is Vinegar and Lemons. So I'm sitting here at my desk at work, squeezing lemon juice on the blade that I quickly polished to 1500 grit on one side just to see if I got any results.

Here it is after about 10 minutes.

A5389678-FD8C-437E-B41A-24747EF9DF31-115-0000002EB17E5C64.jpg


I think it will work, But is there something I can buy at the local (small town) hardware store that will work better for bringing out the hammon?

Hamons are pretty tricky. What was your HTing process? I would try vinegar over lemons. And I would just let the blade sit in it for a while and then check it ( I use a PVC pipe that is attached to a wooden stand by a big hose clamp). I have used vinegar and used like a dobber and rubbed the vinegar in and that worked pretty well as well. Needs to be warm vinegar though.

As far as showing off my similar work, let me finish the pre-ht grind and I will take a picture of it. I only got one side half done tonight before I went home for dinner and decided to not go back and finish it.
 
There is a good video on YouTube, 4 parts I think, on producing a hamon as well as the Polish and etching. Also Nick Wheeler posted how he brings the hamon out. Do a google search for Nick Wheeler's hamon.
 
YOu asked...

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Holy cow, that is almost the same knife. Nice work, we have the same taste. Yours is cleaner than mine I better hide it. Ha

I heat treated mine and started sanding before It got too late and I had to quit. My wife thinks me sanding in my reloading room sounds like a freight train in our bedroom. :)
 
Hamons are pretty tricky. What was your HTing process? I would try vinegar over lemons. And I would just let the blade sit in it for a while and then check it ( I use a PVC pipe that is attached to a wooden stand by a big hose clamp). I have used vinegar and used like a dobber and rubbed the vinegar in and that worked pretty well as well. Needs to be warm vinegar though.

As far as showing off my similar work, let me finish the pre-ht grind and I will take a picture of it. I only got one side half done tonight before I went home for dinner and decided to not go back and finish it.

Suspend the blade in the juice/Vinegar for a day and then take a look at it!
For Damascus I let it sit in for 1-3 days depending how cold it is? Don't be so impatient! :biggrin:

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Ok weatherman, I want to see yours now. Is it finished?

Well, I finished mine, polished it and sharpened it. Then made a Kydex sheath and Delivered it to it's new owner. (I need to learn how to work with leather)

I was worried about whether he would like it or think it was worth the money he paid. Which was a pretty good sum for a newbie knife maker to ask. The first thing he said when I handed it to him was...

"I owe you more Money!"

I told him no.

But, It made me feel good. :) Then about half hour later he called and asked if he could order another for his dad. I felt even better cause I knew he had meant what he said.

Here it is...It was a little hard to let go of.

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You really brought the beauty out in that wood. great looking knife, it looks like you've been doing this for years.
 
I think it will work, But is there something I can buy at the local (small town) hardware store that will work better for bringing out the hammon?


Ricky_Arthur,
The Etchant I've been using since I started chasing Hamons, is PCB Etchant from Radio Shack, it's Ferric Chloride and a couple other acids in a diluted solution, that I take and dilute even more, roughly 2:1 water to acid, with tap water. The way I do it is by mixing it up in a water bottle, and then dipping my paper towel in the acid mixture, I then wipe the acid on the blade. It is such a weak acid at this point it only colors my fingers, turns them a cute Jaundice Yellow. BUT! It will DESTROY clothing! Eats it just like battery acid! It is still a potent acid. I think a bottle of it runs around 10 bucks or so, and with cutting, it will last a long time, especially using the method I do.

If you need any help with Hamon's just let me know, I'm happy to help anyway I can. Just know that all steel is NOT created equal, just like some steels are better at edge holding or rust resistance, others are better at showing a Hamon. Some you can get a great Hamon on almost accidently. While others take a lot of work to make it happen, either way do understand that they are freakin' addictive! I've been making knives for about 4 1/2 years, albeit sporadically due to health reasons, with the few knives I have made, all of them either have a hamon on them or could have. I am in no way any kind of expert, I am a student of the blade as most of us here are. I've gotten pretty good at getting a Hamon, I feel fairly confident that I can get a Hamon most of the time. I say it like that because, like I said before, not all steels are created equal. One 1084 isn't the same as another 1084, unless it is the same exact smelt as the previous 1084, there is a huge possibility there could be some differences. The reason this happens is because while the steel is in liquid form it can and does absorb metals and gases from the previous smelt, some can even be absorbed from the air. For the best (MY OPINION), and most chemically the same smelt to smelt, I buy all of my steel from The New Jersey Steel Baron, Aldo Bruno. Not only does he have the best steel, he provides exceptional service, great prices and he's a pretty good guy, too...for a Yankee! (I'm kidding I have a lot of friends that are Yankee's). Also, in his 1084 he has some Vanadium added, which gives it a finer grain, most folks call his 1084, 1084 fg, fg= Fine Grain. The Vanadium does a couple more things with wear resistance and toughness, I know it makes great knife blades and edge retention is very good, I like it for my big choppers because when HT'd correctly it stands up to some pretty good abuse, as choppers do have to be able to withstand some harsh conditions, to date I've not had any problems with any of the choppers I've made with it. It's the steel that I turn every newby to, as well as the steel that I turn to for the majority of the knives I make, if it were not for the fact that I bought some 1095 and some W2, I'd be using it for most everything I make. It was just time to learn other types of steel when I bought them, I've used up almost all of the 1084 i had, I kept some just in case I had an order come in that called for it, I will use up the W2 and 1095 that I have, before I buy anymore.

Speaking of other steels, I recommend that newbs, (like myself), choose one High Carbon steel and learn it inside out, backwards, forwards, basically everything about the HT, as well as learning how to HT it in a forge using a magnet. Once you are good with that, pick another type of steel and learn it, preferably a stainless steel. That way, you'll be able to make kitchen cutlery when you have a customer that requests a kitchen knife, it will happen and when it does it will be that great and wonderful customer that keeps coming back that will make the request, you want to be able to say, "YES! I can do that for you!" This not only makes good business sense, it opens up doors for more different types of knives you can make.

As you can see, I get long winded, it happens all the time. So if you ask a question, do know there will be plenty to read!
Hope I didn't sound to preachy, I was given a lot of good advice when I started, I feel obligated to pass that info on to those that want it. So feel free to ask anything, if I know the answer, I will help as much as I can, if I don't, I'll just be quiet, if it's from actual experience, I will say so, if it is from my own reading, I will also say that. Not being physically able to work as much as I want to, I do spend a great deal of time reading, I have learned a lot that way. Rex
 
Nice job!! With work like that,you won't be able to use that "Newbe" title very much longer..Keep it up

God bless
 
Thanks everyone, and thanks Rex for the advice. I would love any advice you care to give on creating a good hamon. I currently have about 12 linear feet of aldo's 1084 as well as some 5160 and 1095. so I hope to play with a larger knife and a hammon this week.
 
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