First stock removal knife

Deltashooter

Well-Known Member
Well after about six months and about that many sacrificed blades. I came up with this little knife that will really work.
It started as a 1/8” thick saw blade, that I wasn’t sure what the metal was, so I cut out a blank, ground it, heat treated and full quenched in oil, then broke it to have a little look inside.
Nice small tight uniformed grain structure, Great.
So I make another one the same process then temper it at 300 for an hour twice. To the anvil I went and broke off the point and cutting edge. Then to the vise to break it in half. All was good but I just wasn’t satisfied so I start over an over again changing the process this way and that until I felt good about it.

What I ended up with was to soak a little above critical for 4-5 minutes, edge/full quench, and then temper at 400 for an hour twice.
Next was to make a knife this way to put to work for the real test, will it take and hold an edge.
So here it is.
2 1/8” blade
5 3/8” overall
1/8’ ss pins
Curly cherry handle
Sanded to 320 and etched.
Sharpened at 15 then 20 degrees then stropped on my 10,000 grit impregnated leather block to blend it all together.
Sorry for the bad photos, cell phone.
IMG00239.jpg

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Well it has been three weeks in Hard use now, a ton of double wall cardboard and everything else I can find that needs cut, and it showing signs of needing stropped a little. It will still shave the hair off your arm, but not with the ease it should.

I have impressed myself with the way this little thing will hold an edge.
I wish that I had finished it out better and not just as a test knife.

Have two more, a little larger, heat treated and awaiting hand sanding.

Forging is so much quicker.


Todd
 
Nice looking little skinner knife. I made a couple from a two man saw blade and they made good knifes. Typically today's circular saw blades are a mix of steel and not really high quality when it comes to actual steel of the blade, so the manufactures can save money on production.

Go out and buy you some 1080 now that you have a design you like and that will be thick enough to put in a primary grind/bevel. 1080 is fairly easy to work with and the HT is something most can handle for themselves. :57:

Don't take me wrong I like free steel but like I am sure you you have heard this it is best to work with know steel. The following pic is one I made from an old 10" table saw blade. I made it about 10years ago, and then quit making as life got in the way, back them and didn't start again till a couple of years ago! Now don't get me wrong it does pretty good but the steel won't hold and edge like I would like for it too, and has to be sharpened or dressed out constantly while dressing a deer. I learned when I started making again that know steel is not all that expensive and once you get the process down duplicating the results in not hard. Sometimes its cheaper than free steel as most of it the learning process is shortened greatly!

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Great shape on your skinner and I think you are well on your way to getting hooked to the obsession!
Sounds like you got the fire in the belly when it comes to looking for the right process to further a particular steel. :35:
 
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That's nice! I love the Shape, and I'm about to do my first Cherry Handles today. Now I get an Idea what the Scales will look like.
 
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