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Author Topic: St Jude Collaboration Knife  (Read 4322 times)

Offline Doug Campbell

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St Jude Collaboration Knife
« on: April 20, 2013, 09:47:00 AM »
In case some of you hadn't heard the dates are set for this year's St Jude Auction here on Trad Gang. You can check it out and/or add items you want to donate by clicking here    St Jude Auction  

OK on with the knife, some of you might remember a couple years ago when Lin, Karl, Robin and myself built a collaboration knife/sheath for the Auction. We decided back then to try and do the same thing every couple years. This year I get to forge out the blade then send it on to Karl for the next step. I decided to   forge some of the meteorite I've been playing with into the Damascus billet. Sorry I didn't take more pics but here is the blade nearly forged and then rough ground with a light etch just to show the pattern. I've sent it on to Karl in the still frozen North so he can work his magic.  
     
     

Thanks in advance to all who help out with the Auction!!
Life is wonderful in Montana!!
"BEING CHALLENGED IN LIFE IS INEVITABLE. BEING DEFEATED IS OPTIONAL."
ABS Journeyman Knifesmith

Offline tomsm44

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2013, 10:14:00 AM »
Looks great so far.  I unfortunately wasn't on here yet to see the first knife.  I'd guess that with input from you three, this thing will have mucho mojo.  I'll have to check the dates out.  Do you have to be a sponsor to donate something you make yourself?  Haven't been involved with this yet, so I don't know all the rules.

Matt Toms
Matt Toms

Flatwoods Custom R/D:  64", 47@28
'66 Kodiak: 60", 55@28
Redwing Hunter:  58", 53@28
Ben Pearson 709 Hunter:  58", 47@28
Ben Pearson 709 Hunter:  58", 42@28
Hoots Recurve:  56", 42@28

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2013, 11:29:00 AM »
Woo hoo!! I can't wait 'til....... wait I minute.
I already got it.
In fact, I milled in the guard shoulders yesterday and as I type this, my forge is coming up to heat for me to harden and then temper the blade.
I've also begun milling and surface grinding the guard material.
Haven't chosen the handle material - yet.
I'll get a few photos up this weekend.
Stay tuned, everybody!
Gonna be a sweet li'l hunter.
Thanks, Doug.
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline amar911

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2013, 01:25:00 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by tomsm44:
Looks great so far.  I unfortunately wasn't on here yet to see the first knife.  I'd guess that with input from you three, this thing will have mucho mojo.  I'll have to check the dates out.  Do you have to be a sponsor to donate something you make yourself?  Haven't been involved with this yet, so I don't know all the rules.

Matt Toms
Fortunately, I was around for the first collaboration knife, and now it is here with me as a permanent resident in my home. It is one of the finest knives I have ever seen, and one of my most favorite. I own other knives (and sheath) made by each of the 4 collaborators, but that knife is incredibly special to me. Doug is off to a great start on this one! Just a warning -- I will be bidding. I have several St. Jude knives, including Doug's from last year. It is a great cause, and the knife makers are among the best contributors. Thanks guys!

Allan
TGMM Family of the Bow

Offline Shinken

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2013, 04:57:00 PM »
DANG!

That damascus has already got some great personality.

   :jumper:    :jumper:    :jumper:    

This is gonna be SWEET!

FOR THE KIDS!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   :archer2:
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage."

TRUTH is TRUTH
even if no one believes it

A LIE is a LIE
even if everyone believes it

Offline Lin Rhea

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2013, 06:49:00 PM »
I've been looking forward to this! Good job Doug!

Karl, I cant wait to see your pictures.    :wavey:

This knife will be different this year because it being a smaller hunting knife. I look forward to seeing Robin's sheath with those beautiful scrolls. Whatever it is will be nice, I'm sure.
"We dont rent pigs." Augustus McCrae
ABS Master Bladesmith
TGMM Family of the Bow
Dwyer Dauntless longbow 50 @ 28
Ben Pearson recurve 50 @ 28
Tall Tines Recurve 47@28
McCullough Griffin longbow 43@28

Offline rbcorbitt

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2013, 07:04:00 PM »
Thanks so much guys!  I'm just waiting for the bid start date!!

What a collaboration of knife making talent    :bigsmyl:   !!
"I would rather be amongst forest animals and the sounds of nature, then amongst city traffic and the noise of man" - A.D. Williams

Offline Danny Rowan

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2013, 10:20:00 AM »
Oh great, now I have to spend some serious bucks if I want this one. Looking forward to the final pics.  :knothead:    :thumbsup:
"When shooting instinctivly,it matters not which eye is dominant"

Jay Kidwell and Glenn St. Charles

TGMM Family Of The Bow
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Retired CPO US Navy 1972-1993
Retired USCBP Supervisory Officer 1999-2017

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2013, 09:10:00 AM »
Well, I've had some time to work on the knife, but it really came at "crunch time" this time.
Regardless, I'll get 'er done.
She's gonna make a sweet li'l hunter at the end.
During last year's St. Jude's knife, the same thing happened I was the middle man. Meaning I had to harden the blade, which meant I needed Doug's stamp so I could get his and my signatures on the knife before the blade gets hard.
Then the blade goes to Lin, which will be alright, as he will etch the name in and it doesn't matter about the blade being hard.
Anyway, get 'er stamped:

 


 


 


Then I clean up the stamp areas:

 

Locate guard shoulders:

 


Mill in shoulders and harden and temper:

 


Now a round bar of 416 stainless to forge into some guard material:

 
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2013, 09:10:00 AM »
Clean up the guard material:

 


 


Locate the slot needed for the tang:

 


And then mill the slot:

 
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2013, 09:11:00 AM »
Guard fitted:

 
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline Roughcountry

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2013, 09:16:00 AM »
Great pictures Karl, and cool progress.

Offline Doug Campbell

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2013, 11:12:00 PM »
Looking good buddy!
Life is wonderful in Montana!!
"BEING CHALLENGED IN LIFE IS INEVITABLE. BEING DEFEATED IS OPTIONAL."
ABS Journeyman Knifesmith

Offline amar911

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2013, 11:27:00 PM »
That looks great so far. What are the dimensions of that beauty, anyway?

Allan
TGMM Family of the Bow

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2013, 09:24:00 AM »
Mr. Devore, the blade is about 4 1/8 I think and overall it's 8 7/8".

 
Quote
Originally posted by amar911:
That looks great so far. What are the dimensions of that beauty, anyway?

Allan
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2013, 09:31:00 AM »
I always mill my handle blocks perfectly square so they stand up in my press vise when I drill my tang holes. Just makes things easy.

Here you can even see the spectacular curl on this black dyed curly maple right off the mill!

 

Our three components.
Sorry about the lighting here - I just had a bench light go out.

 

I also always draw my knives, and then even save the handle profiles for use on later knife drawings. Nice to have a template to begin with.
Here I determine where to cut off my tang for threading.

 


Then I cut out the handle profile from the drawing and trace it on my material.

 


Then grind and thread the tang.

 


 


 


Then I will mill the face of the handle material for a decent fit against the back of the guard.

 
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline Shinken

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #16 on: April 30, 2013, 11:07:00 AM »
KARL!

This is a most-impressive build-along!

Thank you for taking the time to take excellent photos and provide a description at each step of the process!

   :notworthy:    :notworthy:    :notworthy:    

Most-excellent!

And best of all it's

FOR THE KIDS!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   :archer2:
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage."

TRUTH is TRUTH
even if no one believes it

A LIE is a LIE
even if everyone believes it

Offline kbaknife

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #17 on: April 30, 2013, 10:00:00 PM »
So, this wood is so black I had to cover it with masking tape to see my marker lines.
This will give you an idea of where the tang lies:

 


After some drilling, filing and pinning, we end up here:

 


Here I use a machined clamping block that I use about a dozen different ways.
In this application I can indicate a center line all the way around the knife to check on accuracy and reference when shaping the knife handle and guard.

 

Here she is all screwed together and pinned, with the finial intact.
On her way to Lin in the morning.

 
When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
Chief Joseph

Offline awbowman

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2013, 11:16:00 AM »
OMGosh and WOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!
62" Super D, 47#s @ 25-1/2"
58" TS Mag, 53#s @ 26"
56" Bighorn, 46#s @ 26.5"

Offline daniel boon

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Re: St Jude Collaboration Knife
« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2013, 12:08:00 PM »
Awesome thread, great to see the step by step of the build.
 Dan

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