Should I scrap it?

[aafanatic]

I am about 2/3s through my first knife. It is a balisong 5" D2 spear point blade. It is better than I thought it would be but I am running into some trouble. The handles are sandwich type with 1/16" 410 SS frame and TexTuf scales. I was planning to have the blade and frame heat treated by TKS but I don't think they heat treat 410. The 3/16 pivots I'm using vary in thickness from .186"-.1885". I haven't come up with a fun idea on taking those down a little . Wait. Just as I said that I thought of putting the pivot in the drill chuck and spinning it on some fine grit. My first thought was Scotch Bright, but then I saw it getting snagged and dragged into the drill..bad ending.
I ordered some 1/16 Titanium for future frames. I'm not ready to do my own heat treating. Here's my quandary, if I make new handles for this knife out of Titanium it seems like knife 1.5 rather than my first knife. In the Terry Gunn tutorial that read, he finished the knife he made a mistake on to remember not to make that mistake again. I really want my first knife to be my first knife, but I don't always get what I want no matter how well I plan. Maybe I can get the 410 heat treated some where else or just leave the frame annealed and glare at it with disdain for all eternity. Finally the smilie of the dog chasing it's tail makes sense :bud: I don't need to figure it all out tonight.

 

[McClellan Made Blades]

There is a lot to be said about "finishing". There are things that you have to do when you finish one that you want ever get to do, which makes getting proficient at that particular skill, difficult. I say finish it. I have several that I knew weren't quite right in a place or 2 and didn't finish them, then when I went on to my next, I found another spot, Ok should I stop and trash it or finish it? At the rate I was going would have never finished one, if perfection is your goal, I'd say reevaluate your goals, we are human, we make mistakes, access your skill level and get close enough to perfect for you, as your skills improve raise your expectations. Setting your goals too high can lead to frustration, and possibly to quitting. Knife making is one of the hardest things I've ever attempted to do. It has been the most rewarding skill I have ever done, and it is never boring! Just try to recognize when you bite off more than you can chew, I wish someone would have told me that! I wasted probably 3 months trying to make an original design work, when I finally firgured out what the problem was, I felt kinda foolish. My skill level just wasn't far enough along to be able to do what needed to be done, there is nothing wrong with saying that, humility is one of the greatest traits a knifemaker can have. Recognizing that is better than giving up! Aside from that you look like your doing a jam up job! Finish this one and keep it close, you will want to see it in a year. BTW I would have never thought or even considerd to try any kind of folder for my first knife, I go back and look at number 1 from time to time and compare it to the current one I'm working on, it's really freaky, to think the same person made both of them, and then realize that my work looks so different form a year earlier. Remember the best makers out there had no talent, more of a hard head than skill when they started, one of the books I've read, I think it was Goddards (one of them) said there is no talent to be a knife maker, there is only the lack of sense to not quit. ( I kinda added my 2 cents to his quote)

Your doing great, keep studying and working at it, your improvements will be judged by each knife you complete, the ones you mess up so bad they can't be fixed will not be judged, as they will end up either thrown away or made into some sort of shop tool. Keep working at it, there is a sharp learning curve, don't expect too much from yourself, especially if you never done any kind of work like this. And never give up. If you start getting too frustrated walk away form it for a day or two. If your anything like me you have a full plate 99% of the time, rest is what usually suffers, you have to recharge your batteries every now and then. Get it finished and do keep it, you'll want to see it in a year, then maybe 5 years if your lucky 10, 20 or 30 years later ole' number 1, will mean more to you than you'll ever know right now, Rex

 

[aafanatic]

Wow,
I really appreciate the encouragement. I know I'm in the right place in this forum now. I thought that I wrote too much and no one is going to want to read all that, but some one did, and responded without sarcasm or contention. Thanks Rex. I will finish this one. I have already learned so much on this one project, who knows what lessons I would miss out on if I scrapped it.
Thank God for my caliper, or else I would have thought that I was going crazy when some of the pivots fit and others didn't.

 

[Ironwolf]

There have been times I was flying by the seat of my pants,trying new things,
and sometimes I just got lucky,and it worked.
Other times,I was banging my head against a wall...
I'd throw the offending item in a drawer.
Weeks,months or a year would go by,I'd go digging for something and find one of my Reasons For Needing Advil:a lightbulb would finally flicker,and then,LIGHT!
As we grow,sometimes our arms & legs ain't long enough to get you to that next branch in the Tree of Knowledge,but give it time,and when you're ready you'll be able to get 'er.
That bali shows a lot of promise,
and I'm impressed.
Never quit reaching for that next branch!2thumbs

 

[pocomoonskyeyes]

I say finish it too. My first knife has NO plunge lines. Just a kind of beveled down area where most plunge lines would be. I know it's not good, forget about great. But my handles look good!! I made a mistake on my first set of handles that I learned from. I stopped making for a while and went back to studying. Some fine folks here posted some tutorials here that make my #3 knife look a LOT better(well actually #4, #3 was scrapped because I messed up the grind trying something I wasn't ready for)

As for heat treat, Try Peters' Heat Treat. They did my Heat treat and did an EXCELLENT job!! They could probably heat treat mud and it would work!! LOL Seriously though, I'm sure they could do D2. Pretty sure they can and do. Just get in touch with Brad.

Oh, and don't give up, if you do quitting gets easier, making a knife is something you will be Proud of no matter how "Bad" a job you do. I know my knife is "Lousy", but I'm proud I made one!!

 

[Ironwolf]

I know my knife is "Lousy", but I'm proud I made one!!

If it cuts,and serves you well,there ain't no such thing as a lousy knife.
There are knives that aren't all they could be,and knives that aren't beautiful,but if it cuts and functions well,it ain't a "lousy" knife...
(just my perspective)

 

[pocomoonskyeyes]

If it cuts,and serves you well,there ain't no such thing as a lousy knife.
There are knives that aren't all they could be,and knives that aren't beautiful,but if it cuts and functions well,it ain't a "lousy" knife...
(just my perspective)

LOL True. It just "Looks" lousy!! It's a 10 1/4" x 3/16" "Bowie" that is a pretty good Chopper. My favorite thing about it is the handles!! Beautiful Ironwood. Just makes me want to hold it! LOL I'm pretty sure I could stab a car door and it would be pretty much unscathed. I've used it prying rocks out of my pasture, with no problems,except dulling from the dirt and rock. (I know, I know, A knife is NOT a pry Bar. But it worked for that just fine!) I still like it, it has a "Rustic look".

 

[Ironwolf]

Brother,a knife that serves you faithfully,beckons to be held and loved is like an "ugly" dog:
it's only ugly to someone who hasn't held it,or been lucky enough to love it!

 

[McClellan Made Blades]

Update on the Bali?????

Wow,
I really appreciate the encouragement. I know I'm in the right place in this forum now. I thought that I wrote too much and no one is going to want to read all that, but some one did, and responded without sarcasm or contention. Thanks Rex. I will finish this one. I have already learned so much on this one project, who knows what lessons I would miss out on if I scrapped it.
Thank God for my caliper, or else I would have thought that I was going crazy when some of the pivots fit and others didn't.

Hey,
I just wanted to see if there were any new developments in the finishing of this knife, hope your hanging in there, I've got sheath woe's to go tend to, keep on hanging in there, Rex

 

[aafanatic]

Thanks Rex,
I am getting ready to send the blade for heat treating. I tried heat treating the handle frames with a torch. I believe that heat treating is an art unto itself. I am going to stick to stock removal for now. Here's a shot of the charred frame:

I bought some Titanium .060" and built frames for my second knife but they feel very flexible even with 1/8" G10 scales. Do I need to heat treat the Titanium as well, or should I use thicker stock? .125"?

 

[McClellan Made Blades]

Thanks Rex,
I am getting ready to send the blade for heat treating. I tried heat treating the handle frames with a torch. I believe that heat treating is an art unto itself. I am going to stick to stock removal for now. Here's a shot of the charred frame:

I bought some Titanium .060" and built frames for my second knife but they feel very flexible even with 1/8" G10 scales. Do I need to heat treat the Titanium as well, or should I use thicker stock? .125"?

To my knowledge Ti doesn't need Hting, I will also say that my knowledge on Ti is limited, so I would ask some folks that know more than I do, PM Chuck Gerdratis, he does some awesome work, Frank Niro is a phenom too, I don't know if Chuck uses a lot of Ti, but I do know Frank does, he makes some awesome folders and a very nice fella to boot!
BTW, if your blade is carbon steel, 1084, 1095, basic high carbon, if you send it to me, I'll Ht it for you. If it is any of the stainless, or some of the other HC like 52100 or 5160, I have no experience Hting them, so I wouldn't feel comfortable offering. That's if you want to trust your baby to a stranger! Thanks, Rex