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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: Pat B on June 05, 2011, 04:22:00 PM

Title: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 05, 2011, 04:22:00 PM
I made this knife this weekend with a lawn edger blade a friend gave me. I got 2 blanks from the one edger blade but only finished this one. It was a test run and I'm proud of how it came out. Oh no! Like I need another hobby(addiction).
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade006.jpg)

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade002.jpg)

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade003.jpg)
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: 2treks on June 05, 2011, 04:54:00 PM
Looks nice Pat. Some view out that window. Purty!
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on June 05, 2011, 05:16:00 PM
Looks good Pat and appears to be stout as heck! That blade should outlast any of us in our lifetime.

Where do you live, in a tree house or on top of a mountain? LOL   :D
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: don s on June 05, 2011, 05:36:00 PM
nice pat, did you do stock removal? don
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: bigcountry on June 05, 2011, 07:58:00 PM
Nice, I too want to look into this craft.  Great knife.  I bet you would carry that with much more pride than a store bought knife.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 05, 2011, 07:59:00 PM
Don, this was made from a lawn edger blade. They are only a couple of bucks and you get 2 blades out of it. It seems like pretty good steel for the money. The cut out at the front of the handle is the center hole of the edger blade. I didn't take pics before I cut then out. The guy that gave me the edger blade had already annealed it(softened) and I cut it out with a cold chisle and worked most of it with a file. I did use my 6"x48" belt sander some. After working the knife to shape I tempered it in the oven at 425deg for 2 hours. I also cooked a pizza for the first 15 minutes. d;^)  I let the blade cool until late last night then I epoxied the black walnut scales on. This morning I added the brass pins(already drilled)and peened them.
  Chuck and Chris, I live in the Southern Appalacian Mountains of Southwest NC. All I can see from my house it trees and mountains...and it been this way for 20 years. Not a bad neighborhood if I say so.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 05, 2011, 09:10:00 PM
These are the tools I used to make this knife. A half round coarse rasp, a flat file, cold chisel, a large hammer and a small peening hammer. I did use a chainsaw file some to to get to hard to reach places.

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade001a.jpg)

...close up of the raw cut out knife...
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade002a.jpg)

The raw knife next to it's finished twin and new sheath...
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade003a.jpg)

..how the knives fit into the edger blade...
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/firstknifefromedgerblade004a.jpg)
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: hova on June 05, 2011, 09:20:00 PM
pat : that is one gorgeous skinner.

i have an uncle that lives on lake gaston , and i think your view might do a little more for me than his front lawn , i mean lake.


a+ knife , now lets see the sheath we all know youre workin on...

-hov
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: 2treks on June 05, 2011, 09:46:00 PM
I have been thru the mountains Pat,They are pretty. Great job on the knife.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on June 05, 2011, 10:01:00 PM
Again, very nice job Pat!
I bet you wouldn't wanna sleep walk out there on top of that mountain....huh? Might be awhile before ya hit bottom......if at all?   :scared:    :help:    :goldtooth:
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: red hill on June 05, 2011, 10:51:00 PM
Great looking blade, Pat.  
 :eek:  Stan
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: don s on June 05, 2011, 11:13:00 PM
thats amazing pat, i know a little about annealing and tempering. i never would have guessed in a million years that you cut that with a cold chisel. very nice work. imo it's the perfect shape for a hunting knife. don
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 05, 2011, 11:33:00 PM
Don, I scored the blade material heavily with the cold chisel, clamped to in a vise and bent it back and forth with the hammer until it broke. With the metal being annealed you can score it pretty good with a sharp chisel.
  Thanks guys.   I have plans for the other blank; a shorter drop point skinner. Just don't know when I'll get around to it.
  These are beautiful mountains and I've been fortunate enough to live here on our 25ac for over 20 years now. Our house sits at 2600' but our county(Transylvania) has elevation from 1800' to over 6000' above the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: KellyG on June 06, 2011, 12:06:00 AM
love them mountains grew up north of you in va Pat in Franklin county. I also have an aunt and uncle in Ashville not far off your way. Nice knife. I made a fillet knife out of a saw mill blade (the ones like a really big band saw) I have another blank from that somewhere. It rust but is very sharp blade, and works really well.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: madness522 on June 06, 2011, 06:37:00 AM
Hey Pat nice use of the existing hole for the finger groove! Looks good!
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: tippit on June 06, 2011, 06:53:00 AM
Well there goes my bow  :)   Pat looks real nice!  Doc
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: gudspelr on June 06, 2011, 12:38:00 PM
Great job and welcome to knife making  :) .


Jeremy
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: L. Harris on June 06, 2011, 01:01:00 PM
Cool knife, and great job!I am almost convinced that I might be able to do something like this! Thanks for posting!
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 06, 2011, 05:52:00 PM
Thanks guys.   No sweat, Jeff. I'm sure I'll still have plenty of time to build you a bow. So far this is just a hobby. Bow building is an addiction! d;^)
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: T Lail on June 06, 2011, 06:24:00 PM
Pat, great job.....is there anything that you can't do ?????????  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: GWV on June 06, 2011, 07:00:00 PM
Good job Pat!  I would like to try it but I don't know if I can afford another hobby.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 06, 2011, 07:23:00 PM
Make money, Tony!
  GWV, so far I have very little invested. I already had the tools, the blade stock(lawn edger blade) was given to me and I'm just winging it to see if I can and if I want to.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 06, 2011, 10:46:00 PM
I took the other half and reshaped it tonight to a smaller skinner. I did a bit more flat file work to remove scratches, pitting and to ease the transition from the blade to the edge. This one hasn't been tempered yet.  
   The handle scales are boxwood I "found" on my landscape job. This boxwood is hard stuff and beautiful with creamy white wood with streaks of butter colored wood.
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade002.jpg)

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade003.jpg)
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Arrowest on June 06, 2011, 11:07:00 PM
Pat, very innovative.  Good looking knives.  Look forward to seeing the small skinner finished.  I'm on the lookout for "lawn edger blades" now.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 07, 2011, 05:00:00 PM
The wife is out of town so I'm having pizza again tonight.d;^)  I will temper the newer blade and try to get it finished in the next few days.
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: Pat B on June 11, 2011, 11:38:00 PM
I finished up this knife today. I love the boxwood handle. That stuff is very hard and looks like bone or polished antler. Here are a few pics...
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade001.jpg)

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade002b.jpg)

...and compared to it's twin...
 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade003b.jpg)

 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Secondknifefromedgerblade004.jpg)
Title: Re: knife makin'
Post by: MTArrowLauncher on June 12, 2011, 07:39:00 PM
That is very nice, good job. Should work great