Couple of knives finished

[ALW]

Finally got a couple of knives finished up and the sheaths finished.  Both of the blades are from O1 steel (stock removal).  The smaller one was made from what I had left after I cut the larger one out.  I don't like to waste!

I heat treated both in my makeshift forge and they seem to have come out alright.  Heat treated and tempered back to 58-59 Rockwell hardness.  The photos aren't very good, sorry.  The drop point has stained maple handles (I think tiger stripe) and the smaller blade has wild cherry scales.  The larger one is full tang construction.  The tang on the smaller one goes from the blade to the back of the handle, but does not extend the full depth of the handle.  There wasn't enough steel for a full tang so I sandwiched it between the scales and filled the gap in on the lower side with a piece of walnut the same thickness as the blade.

Anyway, thanks to all on here.  I learned a lot from everyone here while working on these and as time permits I hope to get a few more under my belt and make the quality better.  I did get to use the smaller one on a deer this year and it worked great for gutting and kept it's edge well.  Didn't work so well for skinning (due to the blade design) but I wanted to give it a workout to test it.  Used it to butcher the deer as well and it keep an edge nicely.  Thanks again to all you guys.

IMG]http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj82/woodscraper/Resize1.jpg[/IMG]
 

Aaron

[ALW]

By the way, the top knife is 7 1/2" OAL with just a shade over a 3" blade.  The bottom one is 7 1/4" OAL with a blade right at 3".  

Aaron

[4runr]

Way to go Aaron! Lookin good.

[drewsbow]

nice  

[Sheepshooter]

Very nice. I too am very interested in this craft but knew nothing about it until I found this forum. I have learned a lot. I have yet to attempt a knife but have been collecting some materials. What did you use for a "makeshift forge"?

[ALW]

I just used an old washtub with a pipe inserted in the bottom as an air supply.  I believe I saw one similiar to this on here somewhere.  Though mine is much less refined than the ones on here.  I use an old hairdryer for the air source and use either coal or hardwood chuncks for fuel.

I'm planning on building a better one from an old grill at some time but haven't had the time to put it together yet.  Check through the old threads here on forges and you can get some really good ideas of very simple and cheap small forges that will work for knives.  One brick forges, washtub forges, tire rim forges, etc....  I still have a looooooong way to go but I enjoy making knives, when I'm not working on bows!  LOL.....

Aaron

[Steve Nuckels]

Aaron,nice work they look great and the sheaths too!

Steve
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Potomac Forge
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IN GOD WE TRUST

[prarieboy]

Very nice!

[Over&Under]

Looks like you have found a good balance of form and function.  Nicely done.

[ALW]

Thanks guys.  Over&under, I drew out a drop point pattern I liked and used that for the main knife.  I kind of looked at a lot of the ones posted here and then drew it up.  Noting elaborate, just plane, simple, and functional.  Like I said, the smaller knife was the left over steel from the cut out, so the size of the scrap dictated the shape.  I just kind of worked out a little utility type blade.  I actually did a little file work on the back of the little one, just for practice.  Nothing fancy.  But since this was known steel that I bought, I figured I get the most for my money!

I have another blade cut out from the same steel and have the bevel roughed in.  It still needs some sanding and fine tuning before I heat treat it.  I'll post a photo of it when it's done.  At my pace, probably sometime next fall!  LOL......

Aaron