Big knives

[Gerhard Gerber]

I wish it was 1", maybe 2" longer 



....she said 

[David]

That's quite a knife G!     Thanks for the extra pic as I dont do facebook either. Are you going to make one with a longer blade?          

[Gerhard Gerber]

Thanks David!

Next I'm making a parang for the friend who gave me the leaf springs, as well as a Persion dagger zobie slayer for my friend whose workshop I use every so often........that should take a while 
We're going to either mill or surface grind the next blanks to 6/7mm

Doubt I'll make another one, but TBH, if I do it'll be thinner and pointier.......closer to the knife that inspired it 

[Sparky415]

This is a survival knife, I'm objectively happy with the results.  I love this knife already, I can give it hell and it'll take it, and I also know I will make better knives in the future.
I'm big and heavy enough that all 8mm of it feels good in my hand and on my belt.


(Image removed from quote.)
 

Got to love it when a plan comes together! 
I can hear you smiling 

 

[SAK Guy]

Awesome job GG!!! That's a monster of a survival knife!!!!!!   

[Gerhard Gerber]

[eamo]

(Image removed from quote.)

looking VERY interesting

[toolguy]

Balance and the shape of the handle holds that knife in your hand.

You did a great job on the handle,as well the rest of the knife Gerhard.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Thanks David 

For sure Micarta, but I've got 2 difficult choices to make - this knife and the course knife (will still post pics) needs Micarta.

I've got a few options in mind, hope to make 2 batches tomorrow as a start: a combo of 2 different shade blue jeans, and zombie green synthetic and emerald green wool cloth combo.
Also still want to make a piece of solid black (cotton) so I can try out an Impala horn effect and see how that works.

  Suggestions welcome!

Hi Everybody

I need some help and suggestions for D6 knife's handles.

My chosen hardware is 6.1mm brass pipes.  The are mosaic pins also in 6.1mm as an option, but I'm not a fan.

My teachers only uses natural materials, wood, bone and horn with various metal bolsters, but even he suggested I use my own micarta this knife.......won't have his mark on 

I'm extremely torn, I can't help but feel this knife deserves something more subdued, definitely functional, but it should also pop visually.

I've made the green micarta mentioned above, and it does look good.....but not for this knife.

I spent a good part of last night with heaps of material looking for inspiration but nada.......  Good 10-year old Potstill brandy didn't even help....

I don't want to repeat what I've already used which unfortunately eliminates some good options....

Figured I'd list my materials and maybe somebody more artistic has a suggestion for a kick-smurf combination 

Burlap - big weave and fine weave.

Cotton twill (colours):
yellow
mustard
terracotta
red
maroon
burgandy
purple
blue
black
 
Emerald green wool cloth

Denim:
2 shades of blue (old pants)
2 shades black/grey (old pants)
Red bull (brick red/terracota)
White/cream

Synthetic (extremely strong micarta)
Neon orange
Neon green


I want to try include some tint in the resin and make a burlap slab this afternoon.

The emerald/neon green combo in another arrangement is also still an option.

[SteveC]

Burlap would look cool or Black/Grey denim

[Gerhard Gerber]

The burlap works better with a layer of something else in between:




I considered using the orange&co colours with the burlap as well:

[Gerhard Gerber]

Made these using all the colours cotton twill I had:

[Gerhard Gerber]

[SteveC]

The burlap/green looks awesome !

I vote for that one 

[Gerhard Gerber]

The burlap/green looks awesome !

I vote for that one 

Thanks, but I used it already  http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,60808.msg1123148.html#msg1123148

[Gerhard Gerber]

I've been thinking about the 2 greens and burlap, or 3 blues and white, or burlap instead of white.....

I had a thought, I would love to do burlap and carbon fiber to celebrate the D6, but like they say, if we had sausages we could make sausage rolls, but unfortunately we don't have rolls 

[Sparky415]

Looks like you've been busy Gerhard 

 

[zimchaz]

Burlap and denim...that's what I'm gonna do when I get round to making a knife

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Gerhard Gerber]

Burlap and denim...that's what I'm gonna do when I get round to making a knife

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I was shamelessly trawling for ideas, when I came across this  http://www.jayfisher.com/Handles_Knife_Manmade_Materials.htm#Micarta_Phenolic under Homemade "Micarta" (epoxy)

But to form a handle from five minute epoxy and someone's old pants is not what you would expect to find on fine custom knives

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Not enough sleep and a slight hangover stirred my creative juices....

My first thought was "four seasons".......which quickly changed to four elements: Fire, Water, Air and Earth.

Divide the handle in four parts, orange/red/yellow for fire, blue&white heavy on blue for water, blue and white heavy on white for air, black & burlap for earth.....

or something like that 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Side by side with the BK2.........."mine is slightly thicker" she said...

The Bowie is noticeably lighter. Distal taper or 5160? 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Interesting development, both good and bad.....

Took my dad to go look at the old family farms this weekend, stayed at the camp where I did the knife making course, got my course knife after the tempering but no handle yet.....new thread. 

Anyway, had the Bowie tested for hardness, watched the equipment being calibrated.....and it's 56 Rockwell (C), not 50! 
That explains a lot of what I found while testing it, struggled to believe it was only 50...
Bad news, the only tester I have easy access to is not accurate 

Carried the Bowie for the weekend, happy with how it carries and not too heavy.

[David]

Interesting development, both good and bad.....

Took my dad to go look at the old family farms this weekend, stayed at the camp where I did the knife making course, got my course knife after the tempering but no handle yet.....new thread. 

Anyway, had the Bowie tested for hardness, watched the equipment being calibrated.....and it's 56 Rockwell (C), not 50! 
That explains a lot of what I found while testing it, struggled to believe it was only 50...
Bad news, the only tester I have easy access to is not accurate 

Carried the Bowie for the weekend, happy with how it carries and not too heavy.

Glad its carries good for you!      

[Gerhard Gerber]

I had a few blade blanks and flattened pieces of leaf spring under the loving care of a surface grinder...........worth the smurfload it cost me 



The narrowest piece at the end is a very old Ford spring, the rest Land Cruiser

[Sparky415]

Looks like you've been busy Gerhard 

 

x10 

[zoidberg]

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Not much progress, the J-O-B kills motivation to do worthwhile things at times.....

The parang:

[Sparky415]

That grind looks great from where I’m sitting Gerhard 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Thanks Tony 

The mistakes you can see are cosmetic, I very surprised with the performance of my little belt grinder, takes patience even with the 5160, but it works, belts are cheap....win-win 

[Gerhard Gerber]

I'm horribly behind on updating this thread 

I was a bit shocked when I realised I'm busy finishing my 4th, 5th and 6th knife, and it feels like it's taken forever.

Working on these together has been an experience,  I've seen how this new thing in my life is affected by my special kind of crazy.
I hate unfinished projects, the cause me severe and gnawing  stress.
Daylight Saving Time and the lack of a proper lighted working area means I have max about an hour after work to use.
Some (too many) days after work I can't get myself to do anything, body can still go but the spirit is broken.......

There has been some victories, the 2nd little belt grinder I bought is actually doing the trick, by hook or by crook.

The forge I built with help from the recipient of one of these knives is a huge success.

For every one thing that works, there's another that needs improvement, and I'm just constantly learning.

Last weekend I did the heat treat on the 3 blades, and I ended up with 1 success and 2 failures that I had to heat treat again.
I had a visitor (fortunately an understanding cousin) when I realized something was off, completely obsessive (and rude) I lit the forge there and then.
My first assumption was my oil was too hot, that proved not to be the case, and I finally figure out the magnet I was using to test if the blade was past critical temperature had lost it's magnetism..........apparently due to the heat of the forge.....?

The inconsistent heat treat, the lack of a Rockwell tester and my new drill press with the critical parts missing are some of the big failures.

I also severely struggle with the fact that making knives feels like a worthwhile use of my time compared to the day job, the latter interferes with the former, but knives will almost definitely never pay the bills.....

I shaped handle slabs yesterday and the day before, tonight I'm glueing, then final finish can start.