LlamaHerder Knife Build Thread

LlamaHerder

LlamaHerder

Well-Known Member
Hi all - starting a thread to post pictures of my knives as they're made. Am currently working on my second, which is progressing much more quickly and cleanly than my first. That's exciting!

Also exciting to me - did a little testing today on my first knife. Should have done this before I permanently attached my handle material, but I was in a rush to finish a knife, I suppose. Mentally prepared to have a non-user first knife, I went to the garage...

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Chopped through a 2x4, and it's still shaving sharp! Really surprised me, in a good way. I don't think any of the store bought knives I have would do this. They barely make it through field dressing one deer (granted, they're pretty cheap). Looking forward to cutting up other things to see how far I can push the edge on this knife. I'm a proud owner today. =) And I can trust my heat treating set up.

My second knife is going to a buddy, will post pics when it's finished, hopefully in a few days.
 
Great start! Your 50th one will make you feel like you been doing it all your life. The 200th one will have thinking how can I improve on this.

Remember the more you make the better you get. Your goal is to make next one better than the last one. Do not be afraid to ask someone to review your work and use their comments to improve the next one.
 
Second knife is clamped up, epoxy curing. It's just a ripoff of Boss's Bushcraft blank - I'm trying to salvage the handle material I messed up my first go around. =) But I could drill holes wherever needed when putting this together, as opposed to filing out the holes in that hardened stainless...so starting fresh was much easier. Will have a pic of that before long.

I bought some 1" x 1/8" 1084 from Aldo. A friend wanted a bird and trout type knife. Drew up a couple, he likes the bottom sketch.

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Cut his choice out of manila folder and it feels decent in the hand. Like a paring knife, but with the blade of a steak knife. It seems to work so far. Any glaring issues before I start cutting it out? Looks like handle would be 4 1/4", blade 3 1/2", OAL approx. 8". Have some orange and black G10 for his handle. He plans on dropping it in the leaves a few times, he said. :lol:

Thanks for any input! Hope to get this started this weekend, after I finish up #2.
 
A couple outdoor shots of my second effort. Again, just a copy of a Bushcraft blank on usaknifemaker.com, but I was able to use the scales I messed up on another knife.

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Taking it outside really made some epoxy spots pop - will work on those a bit. Am concerned about the top of my plunge lines. I'm ending up with scratches running higher toward the spine than I would like. I'm guessing my options are to 1. Pay Attention! 2. Construct a jig to watch my angles for me, or 3. Buy a surface grinder to erase my mistakes (not really an option at this time :lol:) Options 1 or 2 will have to suffice unless someone has a tip for me.

Also on my growing to-do list is put together a light box so I can take some decent pictures.

Thanks for looking! Tips/tricks/constructive advice is appreciated.

Oh yeah, bought some actual tooling leather, will make a more standard sheath (compared to my first) for this knife today. Why not right now? :3:
 
Is this your second knife? Flat grinding will get easier. I have flat ground about 14 blades now. Not many I know, but I am starting to get the hang of it. A couple of more free hand flat grinds and it will really start to get where you can match the grinds on both sides without having to keep fixing the other side. It's like a haircut in the beginning. A little more on this side, now I have to even up the other side, now a little more over here, pretty quickly you end up bald. Looks good, I like the green liners.
 
Hey twss, this is my second knife. I'm using files and sandpaper right now.

I have a 1x42 and I'm not sure I can grind bevels with it. Have been thinking of trying a glass platen liner and see if I can pull off a flat grind, until I can justify buying a more conventional belt grinder. Right now I have a lot of slop on the platen, its wider than the belt and the belt tends to slide around a bit. I could be chicken, too. Lol

I liked the bright green liners as well. =) Thanks for the advice!
 
Finished #3 - well, still need to put an edge on it and make a sheath, but close enough for pics. Designed based on a buddy's request, not sure why he wants a huge sharpening notch.

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Plunges are still goofy looking. I did use the 1x42 to remove some stock, but ended up switching to files to get closer to a flat grind. Grinder saved some time, though. I salvaged enough G10 off the butt end to make a little handle for a ferro rod.

I think the handle looks good, blade is ok, plunge needs help. Better than the last two, so moving in the right direction.

Advice, criticisms, tips, all welcomed! And thanks for looking.
 
Like this sheath, happy with the package as a whole. Going to a buddy. Will offer to add a retention cord to the ferro rod for him when I make my next supply order.


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Thanks for looking...
 
Herder you can use a 1x42 to do the whole knife I did it for 6 years because I did not know better :( just make sure the platen is at a 90 I even surface ground my platen.
I still use it some times to do work around the plunge lines. Your last one looks nice maybe use a round chainsaw file to start the plunge lines then go to a flat file then go to the 1x42 to do grunt work away from the plunge that's how I used to do it, it might work for you but you might like a different approach? keep grinding each one looks better :) here is a knife that was completed solely with a 1x42 just takes a while longer
 

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Hey franklin, thanks for the advice (and love that knife, btw). Looked at my platen/tool rest and it was off square by 10% or so. Fixed that, cut out a blank, and got to work! Plunges done with a chainsaw file and Bruce Bump's file guide as usual, then to the grinder to work on the bevels. I think this one is the nicest yet in regards to plunge and bevels, but still room for improvement.

So here's Number Four... This knife is going to another buddy. Have been gifting knives as I learn and those have garnered a few interested buyers - just extended family and friends, but exciting and panic inducing. :lol:

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Thanks for looking and all the advice and comments so far! As always, I'm open to advice/critique/tips/etc.
 
Back at the Bench

Wasn't able to make for a few weeks, got busy at work and caught a bug for a bit. But back at it with the 1x42, think it's getting better. And while sanding this one, saw a little line in the steel. Had to stop at Radio Shack on the way home today for some ferric chloride... Found my first quench line! Kinda like it. :5:

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Crazy with the Ferric Chloride

Oops - but I think it's out of my system now.

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Aldo's 1084 and some g10 from Boss. This one went to the gentleman who lets me hunt his property. He seems to have all the hunting knives anyone could want, so I went with a Kephart for something different. I only grabbed a couple of pics before I hit the road and gave it away. Stopped using the chainsaw file altogether and no longer have the mess toward the spine. (Well, I do on one I have here waiting to be finished. Found myself with 4-6 knives going at the same time.)

Got some stamping tools, too! And mah mark. =) Reads better if you can turn it in the light, but so it goes.

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And an update on this one, from a few months back:

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The guy I gave this to field dressed 3 deer and a squirrel, then butchered 1.5 deer before he used a kitchen steel rod on it so he could finish up. His wife decided to run it through the dishwasher so it came back for a few minutes to knock the rust off, but we were both impressed with the edge up to that point! I have zero complaints with 1084.

Working on a few more for family and friends, hope to get them all out before Christmas. Thanks for looking - comments/critiques/observations are very welcome!
 
Finishing up a few for Christmas. Some of these pics are awful, grabbed them quick before my wife took them to work.

First is a blade I started a while back and decided to finish. Has "plunge" lines filed to the stop of the spine. This is the last I used a chainsaw file on. Walnut handle.

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Same blade shape, used only the grinder for plunge lines, bubinga handle.

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Bevels go all the way to the spine because I couldn't get them even. *laughs* Turned out ok. Worst pic of the lot:

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The blade on this one is 2.5" inches. I like this crazy little thing! Zebrawood handle.

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I'm working on one for my dad. Have two more days to finish it up, and it's my favorite knife so far. At least I know where it will be going! Will post a decent pic of it when it's ready. Comments and suggestions are welcomed!
 
Number Ten

Merry Christmas, 'dogs! Have some pics of my number 10, going to my dad later this week. :shush: Tried to get some better pics, still missing the real cameras I have in storage.

I'm calling it a bird and trout knife. Blade 3 1/2", OAL 8", snakewood handle hand sanded to 2000 grit and no finish. Flats sanded to 400, bevels ground to 800, edge to 1200 and stropped with white compound. Not my best sheath, but no time to make another.


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Thanks for looking, please let me know what you think! I'll get to work on some more after the new year.
 
Llama,
Sometimes I have 20 knives going. I think its ADD but I go back to most of them when the urge comes and finish them up! You are doing great! Keep them coming.
 
My first try at a matching pair - a friend wanted one for herself and her Pop. Not exactly identical twins...maybe fraternal is more appropriate. *laughs* She was pleased with her purchase, and this is her pic. And her sweet cutting board, I'm assuming.

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I bought the $60 box of G10 and Micarta end cuts from Boss. Great value for the money! Lots of colors and thicknesses. Heavy on black, but also had a bit of Kirinite and that Thunderstorm Kevlar stuff. I certainly recommend to anyone into synthetic scales, and who has and wears a respirator.

After finishing the above two, decided to match up a short end of steel I had on the bench with some newly acquired cut end Micarta. Came up with this baby Kephart; had a blast making it and I think it's pretty nifty. This one is about 6 inches long, blade is 2.5 inches or so and about .75 inches tall. Might make a big brother for it and try to come up with a detachable piggyback sheath of some type for them. Really like the shape of this handle.

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Thanks for looking everyone!
 
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