Show us your fixed blades

[sak60]

 
z      &     z

[zoidberg]

 

[Zed]

z      &     z

 

[gene stoner]

My new Parang. Made by a friend on another board.

[styx]

nice looking parang

[ThePeacent]

My new Parang. Made by a friend on another board.

Wow! Classy looking and looks like there's been quite a bit of elbow grease behind it! I also have a new one, bought a long ago byut still unused, the Parangatang from KaBar. That blade shape makes them fierce choppers and very balanced tools, I'm hoping to give mine a workout soon.
Maybe we should create a Parang owners club? 

[styx]

how many of those nice toys do you have?

[zoidberg]

My new Parang. Made by a friend on another board.

    

[Gerhard Gerber]

Gifts for two good friend...kindred spirits

Blades forged from leftover file tangs, handles leftover micarta, brown/black.white

[Gerhard Gerber]

Forged from a bearing casing, brass/copper/brass guard/bolster, orange synthetic and brown linen micarta handle, brass butt cap....and a story 

[ThePeacent]

Medium and small

[dks]

some new and 1 old diving knives - the newer ones are a lot more discreet

[sak60]

Medium and small

(Image removed from quote.)

the old double edged one

[sak60]

some new and 1 old diving knives - the newer ones are a lot more discreet

large dive knives had a lot of appeal to me when I was younger.(but not as dive knives).

[pomsbz]

Forged from a bearing casing, brass/copper/brass guard/bolster, orange synthetic and brown linen micarta handle, brass butt cap....and a story 

Don't leave us hanging, what's the story?

[Gerhard Gerber]

Don't leave us hanging, what's the story?

Apologies, I was a bit under the weather and forgot 

I wanted to ask some opinions on this knife, or at least it's future.....

I'm still very much a nooooob, so while forging I hit once too many on the bevel right at the back of the blade.

I know now how I could've fixed it, but in the heat of the moment I decided to go for a Brut de Forge look, so I added dings (<- very technical blacksmith's term) up and down the blade 

While doing the post heat treat grinding so much of the dings came out that only the ones showing my inexperience remained 

I didn't know what to do, I was in that very exciting part when the knife is nearing completion and nothing else matters........

Turns out this is one of the best cutters I've ever made, not surprising because it's FFG with a convex micro bevel.

Much as I like it, I have too many knives already, and this one was supposed to go towards the hobby paying for itself.

It's a very good knife, but how do I sell it with the imperfections?......and every time I cut with it I want to keep it 

There's still more than enough meat left in that blade to grind out the imperfections, but I would need to remove and rebuild the handle, most likely anneal and re-heat treat as well
Lot's of material & time down the drain......

The only idea I've had so far is doing some destructive testing, see exactly how strong the stick tang setup is, and if it let's go I can go ahead and rebuild.

If it doesn't 

[styx]

look, that knife is unique because of the small imperfections and that just enhances it. we can see your progression and journey as a maker written out on that blade. regrettably i'm still unemployed or you'd already have a PM with an offer for that knife

don't forget that people are willing to pay substantial sums for poorly made Yakutian knife like objects (won't insult the Yakut people by saying some of those designs are perfect)

[Gerhard Gerber]

look, that knife is unique because of the small imperfections and that just enhances it. we can see your progression and journey as a maker written out on that blade. regrettably i'm still unemployed or you'd already have a PM with an offer for that knife

don't forget that people are willing to pay substantial sums for poorly made Yakutian knife like objects (won't insult the Yakut people by saying some of those designs are perfect)

Thanks for the compliment.......and I trust and hope you find work soon.  Over here we are in very tough times economically and many people have lost their jobs.   

But......

You're knife people
.......me's knife people.......
................not everybody's knife people! 

On another knife I also left some forge marks, it was very nice and symmetrical, well finished and I think very pretty, and still a more knowledgeable friend asked me "are you going to fix that?" 

I have to add, the knife is not nearly finished to the standard where I would send it out, held back on that till I decided what to do.......few cosmetic issues on the guard and an even finish on the blade.

I've sold a grand total of 5 knives, everybody has assured me I'm way too cheap, but they all went to friends and family.

If I was on the outside looking in, I would want this knife and not only because how it performs, but I guess most people don't see it that way.......

I suspect this knife might be in a no man's land, not perfect, and not imperfect enough..... 

[ducttapetech]

Maybe, but that blade looks good to me.

[styx]

Have you considered testing your knives on Youtube? Could help you out with the customer base

[Gerhard Gerber]

Have you considered testing your knives on Youtube? Could help you out with the customer base

I did start a facebook page and there are some testing videos up.  The page itself has been more trouble than it's worth if I can be honest 

Youtube is going badly downhill, looks like many of the gun & knife channels will be dead or moved elsewhere in the not too distant future.

My problem is not marketing  .......it's production 

Dream as I might, it's very unlikely knife making will ever support me 

I've confirmed my order of a proper belt grinder this morning, I was hoping to pay for it with money saved from knife sales, but that's not going to happen.

This will be paid for from the bonus we'll hopefully get, and I hope it will allow me to get more done with a lot less effort

I'm using toys now, fixing with files and sand paper.......this is a machine! 

[ducttapetech]

Nice new toy!

[styx]

nice machine

[Gerhard Gerber]

Nice new toy!

 

So much more than a toy.....big blue piece of hope 

And it's 8 weeks and then 2000km and a border crossing away still 

[Sparky415]

Dude!

 

Want! 


Don't think I need to add anything else

[Gerhard Gerber]

Thanks Tony 

I know this might sound silly, but at age 42 and with everything going on locally and in my life, this was one of those big life decisions.......

[Sparky415]

I have wanted one of those for a few years now but something always comes up
I've probably got enough bits to make one now.....  maybe over Christmas 

Or I travel to SA and play with yours 

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Or I travel to SA and play with yours 

 

Firstly, more than welcome, but you need to stop sooner on the way down and land in Namibia.......highly recommended, even by South Africans 

I checked out so many DIY videos and probably found a source for a contact wheel, but I think sanity has prevailed 

I'm very fortunate I guess that I could basically choose between 3 excellent South African manufacturers, logistics made the choice for me to some extent....

The bit of time I had to work on Saturday just served to convince me......
I'm busy with 3 knives and one Kukri, on Saturday I spent an hour on the baby belt grinder, 2 hours draw filing.  Let's say 1 hour on the profile, 2 hours with the angle grinder roughing in the bevels, 2 hours on the belt grinder.
So conservatively 8 hours in on this Kukri, and I'm looking at about 20 hours sanding.....

I know from ONE experience that with a real belt grinder I could've turned that piece of steel into dust in less than one hour.....

I'm definitely doing this for love and not money, but I have to get to the point where the hobby at least pays for itself, the other option is no option at all 

I'm

[Sparky415]

   
Firstly, more than welcome, but you need to stop sooner on the way down and land in Namibia.......highly recommended, even by South Africans 

I checked out so many DIY videos and probably found a source for a contact wheel, but I think sanity has prevailed 
   

 
Probably need to buy a world map next     

I've been 'saving up'
Motor and pulleys from a lathe
parts from an old 'cross trainer'
assorted pieces of useful crap
and a few skateboard wheels

What could possibly go wrong?   

[ducttapetech]

   
Firstly, more than welcome, but you need to stop sooner on the way down and land in Namibia.......highly recommended, even by South Africans 

I checked out so many DIY videos and probably found a source for a contact wheel, but I think sanity has prevailed 
   

 
Probably need to buy a world map next     

I've been 'saving up'
Motor and pulleys from a lathe
parts from an old 'cross trainer'
assorted pieces of useful crap
and a few skateboard wheels

What could possibly go wrong?   

Sounds like some of my engineering.