small utility

[Wampus]

Made this for a bud that rides a carbon fiber racing bicycle.  The blade is a core of CruForge V surrounded by bike chain, scales are carbon fiber.  The carbon pattern looks a lot more 3D in person than the photo shows, pretty stuff that doesn't photograph well.  Overall design heavily influenced by Ed Caffrey's EBK series of knives.

 

[Scott Roush]

nice clean work...  love your laminate combo... the chain pattern looks great.  was your chain forged down before you welded it to the Cruforge??  i just welded up my first tri-laminate billet... excited to see how it comes out...

do you get a nice, tight fit in those kydex sheaths???

[kuch]

i have one of caffrey's EBK's....  i like yours better!!

[skullworks]

That one is just sick!

[Bobby Urban]

Awesome

[Wampus]

I used some thin walled 1" steel tube to hold the core and the chain in an air-free environment to weld it all up.  Here's a good tutorial with pics from a bladesmith in Argentina:   http://www.aescustomknives.com/docs/knifemaking19.htm

The kydex is nice and snug if you press it between two pieces of foam camping mat or similar.  There are some good video tutorials on youtube.  You can also heat it back up to tweak it.  It doesn't seem to hurt the kydex to reheat and reshape it several times as long as you don't get it too hot.  I keep my little toaster oven on about 325 for that.  Instead of a proper clamp for the foam, I use two pieces of 2x10 and just sit on them until it's cool enough.

 

[prarieboy]

Vry cool knife and thanks for the links.

[skullworks]

Originally posted by Wampus:
I used some thin walled 1" steel tube to hold the core and the chain in an air-free environment to weld it all up.  Here's a good tutorial with pics from a bladesmith in Argentina:    http://www.aescustomknives.com/docs/knifemaking19.htm  

The kydex is nice and snug if you press it between two pieces of foam camping mat or similar.  There are some good video tutorials on youtube.  You can also heat it back up to tweak it.  It doesn't seem to hurt the kydex to reheat and reshape it several times as long as you don't get it too hot.  I keep my little toaster oven on about 325 for that.  Instead of a proper clamp for the foam, I use two pieces of 2x10 and just sit on them until it's cool enough.

   

I know Ariel from another forum...he does amazing work and his website is full of all kinds of information!  

[Scott Roush]

thanks... why does the weld need to be air free?  isn't it all high carbon steel???

[Wampus]

You don't need to use any flux and it's just easier/cleaner IMO.  Since the only thing exposed to the inside of the forge is the mild steel square tube casing, you can let it soak a good long time at welding heat without worrying about burning it up.  Plus adding the powdered steel to fill the spaces in the chain saves a lot of hammering or pressing it down to get rid of all the voids.  I've made chain damascus just using flux and hammering and I usually get voids or inclusions but this method makes a nice clean solid billet without a power hammer.  
Ariel makes lots of stainless damascus this way, but it works well for carbon steel too.

[Scott Roush]

really cool.... thanks for sharing.  another thing to get: a press.

[Wampus]

I built a small press with a $70 Harbor Freight air/hyd jack in a homemade frame.  It's not nearly as strong or fast as a pro-built one but it's a heap better than nothing.  Runs off my shop compressor.  Design based on this guy's:   http://www.knivesplus.com/minihydraulicpress.html

It's great for starting tangs and also used it to make the billet for this bike knife.

[Scott Roush]

that's great info once again....

post these things more often!

[Steve Nuckels]

Great looking knife!

Steve
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Potomac Forge
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IN GOD WE TRUST