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Knife Pics

25K views 144 replies 6 participants last post by  lonehunter 
#1 ·
Just thought I would post a few pics of knives now and then. Here are a few "kit" knives meaning that I bought the blades and just finished them. I thought that they would make good boning knives. Buying the blades makes it inexpensive and fast to put together. These are made from AUS-8A stainless steel and the six inch blade is very flexible. The handle materials are canvas micarta, wood, and black paper micarta.




 
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#2 ·
More Kit Knives

These kit knives are actually sold as steak knives. The blades are five inches long and 1/16" thick. It is fairly stout and should work well for removing meat from the leg bones. I am guessing that the steel is either 440A or AUS-6A. Handle materials are black paper micarta and canvas micarta. It is really inexpensive to get knives this way. I probably only have $15 into each one. Granted, they won't hold an edge as long as if I had ground them myself out of ATS-34 or CPM S-30V, but at this price it is a quick and easy way to play with different sizes, shapes and handle materials.


 
#4 ·
Finished another fillet/boning kit knife today. This is the last one of them for a while. It has a Diamondwood handle.



I started three more hunting knives. Here they are rough ground from 1/8 inch thick D2. I don't have a drop point for myself anymore so I am keeping one of them. The other drop point is going to my brother-in-law who just started hunting this last season. The bottom skinner is for a friend at work. I thought that it would be fun to take pictures of them as they progress through the process.

 
#14 ·
Let me know what you decide. I don't mind either way. but I need to let the church know if it will be in the listing or not.

As far as number of hours goes, it all depends. The steel work is anywhere from less than an hour to three or four hours depending on they type and thickness of the steel and the complexity of the shape/grind. The handle is generally two to four hours for the same reasons. Any type of brass or stainless guard will add an hour or two. None of this is counting the heat treat time which can take from one to four weeks, or the epoxy cure time which is 24 hours. If I purchase a sheath that is pre-made but unfinished, it takes me about an hour to finish it not counting drying time. If I make a leather sheath from scratch, it takes me about four hours to build it not counting drying time. I can make a nice leather sheath, but I am not very fast at it. Therefore I like to buy them if I can.

So to answer your question, it takes anywhere from 3 to 14 hours of my time to build a knife from scratch. That is why the simple kit knives are so easy. There is no steel work and the handles are basic. I can have one done in a couple of hours and only invest about $30.
 
#17 ·
I actually designed it from the Schrade Sharp Finger. It is a little different so I could grind it from 1" wide steel. The original Sharp finger needed wider steel. My Grandfather had one and he liked the shape, but he didn't think that it held a very good edge. This was my solution. I generally make them out of D2 (like this one is) or CPM S-30V, and they hold a very good edge that way.
 
#20 ·
The top left knife is my primary boning knife. The third knife down on the left is a handle from my Hawken rifle project and is maple. I wanted a simple looking knife to tag along with the flintlock rifle. Favorite knife is the fourth knife down on the left a Wilderness knife works model with a nice walnut handle, good balance and hefty steel. These are made in Rapid River in the UP of Michigan. One of the owners I believe worked for Marbles Knife Co and started his own shop. These are nice quality knives, but very affordable for hunters, running about $100.00 when I purchased it.
 
#23 ·
I will keep you in mind for an addition in the future as you are making some very nice looking knives. I just placed an order for two knife blades to see if I can do something with the nice walnut my brother-in-law gave me. This is old stacked stuff that should be good to go. I hope they are servicable grade knives when finished. What do you reccomend for sealing the wood? Thanks for any tips that you might send along.

Nothing expensive in the fish knives as they are used every summer.
 
#24 ·
I use boiled linseed oil to seal the wood. Give it one coat and let it dry over night. Then wipe it down and give a second coat and let it dry completely. If you want you can post links to the blades that you bought and I can give some pointers on how to put them together.
 
#27 ·
Before and After

Unfortunately some of these will leave my possession before I can finish the last knife that is the top one in the picture. So this is the best picture I can get of a "Before and After" finishing.

BEFORE


AFTER
 
#32 ·
Great, full tangs with the guards already attached. At least it looks like the guards are already attached, I can't tell for sure. That should be a good way to start. It looks like you have the pin material as well.

The first step is to protect the blades and your hands. Wrap the blades in masking tape. Don't use duct tape and don't wrap the handle. Stop at the guard.

Assuming that the guards are already attached, the second step is to prep the tang. Personally I sandblast the knife handle area where the wood is going to touch the steel. This cleans it and gives the epoxy something to bite into. If you do not have access to a media blaster, you can also sand it with a course abrasive. If you are careful, you can use your belt sander, or simply do it by hand with some rough sandpaper or emery cloth. Use something that is 100 grit or courser. I would use 36 grit.

Third is to cut the wood. Place the tang of the knife on your wood block and trace the shape. I use a scroll saw to cut the silhouette and leave at least 1/8 of an inch extra material on all sides. Then I turn the block on edge and split it in two. My scroll saw blade has an aggressive tooth count and has no problem doing this. You can also use a band saw or table saw, but the scroll saw does a great job and is safer.

Fourth is to rough shape the two halves of wood. You only need to worry about the two sides of the wood that are touching the knife tang and guard. Simply use your belt or disk sander to flatten them out at 90 degrees of each other. Use a course grit of belt, no finer than 100 grit. You want to give the epoxy something to bite into on the wood as well.

Fifth is to drill the holes in the wood. Use a pair of vise grips and clamp one wood slab to the tang. Drill through the holes in the tang and into the wood, being sure to pass clear through the wood. A drill press works well for this, but it can also be done with a simple hand drill and a bench vise. Just be sure to keep it at a right angle. Now remove the first piece of wood and clamp the second piece on the opposite (don't ask why I highlighted this) side of the tang. Repeat the drilling process.

Sixth is to sand the pins and tubes. This does three things. The first two are the same as above, give a biting surface for the epoxy and to clean it. The third goal is to SLIGHTLY decrease the diameter of the pin. You want the pins and tubes to easily slide through the tang and wood. If it's a tight fit then there is not room for the epoxy and you can actually end up splitting the wood when putting it all together. Use your belt sander and course belt. Gently touch the side of the pin material to the belt and spin it in your fingers so that it is sanded evenly.

Seventh is to cut the pins and tubes. You can use a small miter saw, a hack saw or in some cases you can even use a pair of side cutters. Be sure to bevel the ends of the pins with your belt sander to make for easy insertion into the wood.

Eighth is to test fit it all. Make sure it all lines up well with very little gaps between the wood and guard or tang. A small gap will not matter as it will get filled with epoxy.

Ninth is to tack it back apart and clean all the parts. I wipe all the parts down with alcohol and lay them out on a clean paper towel. Let dry thoroughly.

Tenth is to epoxy it all together. I typically use one of three different epoxies depending on the knife/application. For knives that are 1/8 inch thick or thicker, I use JB Weld. It is water proof, resistant to very (relative for epoxy) high temperatures and it is easily available. For thinner blades, or for lighter color handle materials, I use Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. It is clear and more flexible than JB Weld. I will also use Devcon 5 minute epoxy, but only for specific reasons. It is not as strong as the other epoxies, but when you need something to cure quickly it fits the bill. The dangerous thing with the five minute epoxy is that it can cure before you have the handle fully assembled. This is especially true if you are new to putting them together. I have had good luck with some other brands of epoxies as well, but I have also had some pretty bad experiences with some. I try to stick with these three simply because I know they work and I can always find them. Use a piece of cardboard that is about one square foot for a work surface and for mixing the epoxy. After mixing the epoxy, use something stiff like a popsicle stick to spread it onto the mating surfaces of both wood halves. Be sure to use a toothpick to get epoxy into all the holes and set them aside (epoxy side up). Spread the epoxy onto the mating metal surfaces. Then lay the tang onto one wood half. Coat the pins and tubes with epoxy and insert them through the tang and into the wood. Then place the second wood piece onto the knife tang. Use vice grips, C-clamps or spring clamps to hold it all together. Don't clamp it too tight. you want to keep some epoxy in there, but there should be epoxy oozing out of all sides. Let cure overnight.

Eleventh is to shape the handle. Use your belt sander and files. I sand the profile first and then shape the sides for a good feel. Start with a course grit and stop around 100 grit.

Twelfth is to final sand the handle. I do this by hand once I am done with 100 grit on the belt sander. You can go as fine as you want. Personally I like to take it to about 300 grit and then use a cotton buffing wheel with rouge. This gives a nice high polish quickly.

Thirteenth is to seal the wood. I like boiled Linseed oil. Give it a good coat and let dry over night. Wipe it off and give it a second coat. Let dry completely.

Fourteenth is to remove the masking tape and sharpen the blade.

Enjoy!
 
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