Ah final polishing. I'll admit I got a little excited and didnt' take as many pics here as I should have. First off stuff the opening with toilet paper or something. Helps keep grit from getting down in the knife.
Next after final polishing of the pearl I taped off the pearl and used a 600 grit foam emery nail board to even out my bolsters. I got this tip from Jerald Nichols. This part wasn't AS crucial as it normally is because they will be engraved, but I still want em nice before hand.
DONE (at least on my end)
These took way longer than expected or than I wanted to, way longer. I"ve learned quiet a bit though. I've made very few slip joints and these maybe some of the last for a while.
Things I learned
1. When you have an extremely crazy job, don't quote times
2. Slip joints will cause you to lose hair
3. Don't make a slip joint at least one hammered together out of nearly solid pearl. It will crack. It will tick you off.
4. See above.
5. My pivot pins are showing, but I do think the picture is exaggerating it. I'm admiting this? yup I wasn't claiming these knives would come out perfect. And to be honest I practiced on several different scraps trying to hide my pivot pins. Several makers have looked it over and they all offer advice, but I think it's something in my technique and the bushings. These are not the first to have this problem.
6. Bronze bushings suck. No i'm not bashing anyone who uses them. I think thats one of those things in knifemaking that everyone has a different way of doing. I don't like them for several reasons one is that the next one is NEVER close to the same size as the previous. They are way too out of round. I spent way too much time on the bushings and to be honest I think they are part of my showing pin problem. I've never had them show until I tried bushings. So its either coincidence or I got lucky on the first couple. I think a #41 pivot pin hole in the blade is the way to go for me. I've seen the results and I like em.
7. Pearl will tick you off.
8. Slip joints will cause you to pull your hair out.
9. I have some very small scratches that showed up on the tang tonight. I will try to get those out tomorrow.
10. I need to get a buffer and refine my mirror polish technique. I'm not happy with it.
11. Are there flaws in these knives? Yes. Why do I admit it? Makes me feel better. I had a conversation one time with a maker about not letting flaws out, he said no way. To be honest every knife before the next has a flaw. I strive to make each one better. 12. Pearl will piss you off. When I get perfect at making knives I'm quitting. I'll strive for it, but I hope I never hit perfect.
13. One of these is stiffer and slower opening than the other. Good? Bad? I looked at several different known and unknown makers slippies over the last year. THey were all so varied it was insane. Some makers you could flick open with a wrist because they sold more that way. Ok maybe that was an exaggeration, but my point is they were light.
Some needed vice grips to open. But I talked to collectors and got opinions both ways. So I figure I'm making two I'll try it both ways, but even my light one isn't as light as some I felt.
14. Don't fit pearl curves by hand, get a pantograph (mine came into play a little late lol)
15. Mirror polish will scratch if you blink, saw it with my own two eyeballs or maybe it was just one.
16. Dunno what else to say, I've been frustrated with these and excited with these.