Knife Making

[Oldbloke]

very nice work Gwion

Yep, they sure look good.

[Gwion]

Thanks guys.

OB, i'll post it out to you if you PM me your postal details.

It will be marked TEST01 on the riccasso and polished up as it has some workshop sullying on it in that dodgy photo.

I was tempted to keep it myself and just use it as a junker knife and really torture it but i'm going to end up with quite a few knives as it it is without keeping ones that aren't up to sale standards.

[Oldbloke]

Thanks heaps. Can't wait to see it and give it a work out. Sounds like a good excuse to go hunting.

[juststarting]

Gwion, think it's time you post a price list

[darwindingo]

So, here is a test knife going out for free to someone who is going to use and abuse it and report back on edge holding, toughness, etc.

I really like the blade shape and I'm pretty sure the heat treatment is good but there are issues with fit and finish such as scales misaligned and not positioned far enough up the riccasso as well as an ever so slight warp to the blade (to the left, looking down the spine).

I was thinking of refitting a new handle but due to the very very slight warp I don't think it is worth it so I am putting it out there as a testing blade.

Hands up anyone who wants it. Tell me what you will use it for and what sort of testing you'll put it too. It was intended as a GP hunting knife. I'll be making more of this blade shape because I think it is a winner.

image.jpeg

Nice design G Thumb grip is a nice touch

BTW.. I went out the other day in search of deer (with the hope of breaking in the Skinner) Seen nothing but a crap load of sign from deer and dirt bikes..
Given the amount of fresh deer sign ( I should have been tripping over them ) It would appear that the deer had not been big fans of dirt bikes previously screaming around the area..

Hopefully my next trip will produce a more satisfactory result...



Jeff

[juststarting]

Uh, the old deer on a dirty bike trick, they do that sometimes.

[Oldbloke]

"dirty bike trick, " I know it well. It's a bummer. Waste all that time and fuel to find out they have all scattered for miles.
Since Gwion is being especially nice and sending me the other test knife, I guess I will have to make another trip pretty soon.

[darwindingo]

Uh, the old deer on a dirty bike trick, they do that sometimes.

Crusty Demons of Deer

JS

[Stix]

Hi Gwion,
I cant help but say good on you...!
(Btw im not fishing for a free knife--i cant use all the knives ive got...!)
Ive been watching this thread since joining very recently & cant help saying something.
I admire your passion for handcrafting your own knifes.

Reminds me of an old family friend (now deceased)--he was a fitter by trade, & in his retirement he made everything for kicks, even made his own engines for remote controlled model aircraft.
Other things he made were a... well lets call it a 'muzzle break' that he polised & blued to a brilliant gloss-best piece of steel ive ever seen !...& he made a few knives from old leaf springs...i still remember him showing me out in his shed...
Anyway, good stuff...!

[Oldbloke]

Hi Gwion,
I cant help but say good on you...!
(Btw im not fishing for a free knife--i cant use all the knives ive got...!)
Ive been watching this thread since joining very recently & cant help saying something.
I admire your passion for handcrafting your own knifes.

Reminds me of an old family friend (now deceased)--he was a fitter by trade, & in his retirement he made everything for kicks, even made his own engines for remote controlled model aircraft.
Other things he made were a... well lets call it a 'muzzle break' that he polised & blued to a brilliant gloss-best piece of steel ive ever seen !...& he made a few knives from old leaf springs...i still remember him showing me out in his shed...
Anyway, good stuff...!

+1

[Gwion]

Cheers

I forged, rough ground and annealed the final two test knives on Saturday due to a rainy crappy day. They'll be half tang knives and I'm not going to put a lot of time into fit and finish as I intend them to be a test of metallurgy, edge retention, etc., not a test of how pretty I can make a blade; also, I giving them free to testers.

There is a crap load to do around here at the moment so I'm not getting to do much blade smithing. I have four blades near ready for fit and finish plus two that need an edge and sheath plus 4 orders I haven't even started yet (although one of the blades i have ready could possibly fill one of these orders).

I'll keep ticking away on wet days when I can't get other jobs done.

Juststarting, I've been selling the knive for between $160 & $250. Apprentice rates at this stage. I'm planning to make a standard bird and trout knife for around $160 once I come up with a design that I can knock out.

[TBJ]

looks good mate they all look the goods, I've always wanted to give knife making a go, if only there was time and money for another hobby,

[Oldbloke]

Well Juz sent his knife and it arrived today. All I can say is I'm impressed. Any faults it might have must be very minor. Pressure is on now for me to go hunting and shoot something to test it on.

Gwion Knife.jpg (141.81 KiB) Viewed 1939 times

[darwindingo]

Well Juz sent his knife and it arrived today. All I can say is I'm impressed. Any faults it might have must be very minor. Pressure is on now for me to go hunting and shoot something to test it on.

Gwion Knife.jpg

Its a bloody nice knife OB the design looks like a winner, the thumb grip is a nice feature. The spalted maple he uses on them is the ducks nuts, it sure would make for a beautiful stock (Something I'd like to attempt eventually).. In the meantime I'm bloody chomping at the bit to break in the skinner he so generously gave me.. I'm hoping to get back out for a stalk soon......



Jeff

[Oldbloke]

Well Juz sent his knife and it arrived today. All I can say is I'm impressed. Any faults it might have must be very minor. Pressure is on now for me to go hunting and shoot something to test it on.

Gwion Knife.jpg

Its a bloody nice knife OB the design looks like a winner, the thumb grip is a nice feature. The spalted maple he uses on them is the ducks nuts, it sure would make for a beautiful stock (Something I'd like to attempt eventually).. In the meantime I'm bloody chomping at the bit to break in the skinner he so generously gave me.. I'm hoping to get back out for a stalk soon......



Jeff

Yep, very similar to a kershaw I bought years ago. But it didn't get much use because it was very heavy. Had a lot of brass in it. This one is only about half the weight but blade shape and size very close.

[Gwion]

Glad it got there safe. Sorry it took so long, i have been very very tied up around the property and still another 3 solid weeks of work to go.
I take it the knife is sharp enough!?

Look closely, there are 4 or 5 faults with it, most of them in fit & finish of the handle but there is aa very slight set looking down the spine from right to left. If it didn't have that set i would have fit a new handle but given the blade fault it would just ha ve been a waste of a very pretty piece of stabilised maple.

[Oldbloke]

Yeah, I can see the very slight "bend" but it not worth worrying about. Noticed a fault in the handle too but again very minor. I hope to get out for a whistle at the weekend. Here's hoping. Pm sent.