daggers!! what to be taken into account?

SHOKR

Well-Known Member
what factors to take into account when making a dagger?
its above my skill level i know (but that didn't stop me before :D) and i want to make it for fun, even if its not sell-able.
will be working with 3cm wide and 6mm thick sverker 21 (that roughly translates to 1.25" wide, 0.25" thick D2)

thanks in advance!
 
Shokr,
There are no rules here on Daggers my friend. They can be a diamond four sided flat or hollow grind or many variations of that and whatever you can come up with.

There may be one rule in that it is a double sided blade? it might be a great debate if that holds true?

Look around at some and then do your own thing!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Thanks Laurence
I already started with almost no looking around even
My concern is measurements, like width and finger groove, so on. But i already made 18 variations with ACAD :D so will print and see if my measuremnts make sense!

Thanks :)
 
There are no rules... Your trying to make a knife !

Seriously though, I'd start with an extra half inch of blade length just in case you lose a little chasing tip symmetry. A slightly generous ricasso area could come in handy also ;)

-Josh
 
Josh Dabney:246177 said:
There are no rules... Your trying to make a knife !

Seriously though, I'd start with an extra half inch of blade length just in case you lose a little chasing tip symmetry. A slightly generous ricasso area could come in handy also ;)

-Josh

Lol
Those are actually good tips! Thanks!
 
When I grind a dagger I go VERY slow, I hold my grind short of the center and chace it up after heat treat. By grinding after heat treat you can go slower with the grind just because the steel is harder and doesn't grind off as fast, more control
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Thanks Jim!
I normally grind before and after but thought i do it all after on the dagger just in case, dont want any warpage and since you said slow is good, its a bonus :)
 
Shokr,
I also do all of by bevel grinding after HTment on all of my Stainless Steels.
Crisp grinds and no warped blades. Damascus is the only steel that I grind the bevels before HTment.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
emm why grind damascus before HT?
i mean why specially do the damascus before it
 
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I rough grind mine mine just shy of the spine, which I have center scribed, then work in closer the center by hand filing. Then when very close, use a flat table sander, then hand sand. My tip is that the thicker the blade, depending on width also, the easier to get a crisp center line, but of course you can get too thick to have a good edge. If desired.

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emm why grind damascus before HT?
i mean why specially do the damascus before it

That is a really good question?
I make few Damascus blades and I usually differential heat treat them. I got into the habit of doing it this way because I think it gives better chance's of having a nice Hamon come out when I quench and then etch the blade.

LRB, Very nice Dagger's!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Thanks for the tips! I really like your work, specially the third one

I an working with THICK stock! But its all i have of the quality i want now. But i am doing this because i want to try it and hopefully will be fun and i'll learn few things too!
 
I have learned to leave them a bit wider near the tip than the design calls for, for some reason when I get warpage with dagger blades it's usually in the plane of the edges and the only way to fix it is to grind it out. A little extra width at the tang before HT also helps get things re-aligned if this does occur.

LRB, is that third dagger based on any particular piece? I always enjoy seeing your work, but that one is particularly fine, couldn't help but ask. Beautifully done as always.
 
I concur with Justin on leaving more steel at the tip when grinding a dagger. I do this on all of my blades since I can come back during finishing and get the tip where I want it. This is even more important when dagger grinding.

You can always take a little more off the tip. It's very difficult to put steel back on a tip of any knife.:biggrin:

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
lol

thanks guys
unfortunately i know you are right on money first hand :) i often leave the tip slightly thicker because SOMEHOW it gets thinner by itself, i think my belts are broken ;)

and i settled on grinding the dagger after HT, so hopefully no warping what so ever!
 
I have learned to leave them a bit wider near the tip than the design calls for, for some reason when I get warpage with dagger blades it's usually in the plane of the edges and the only way to fix it is to grind it out. A little extra width at the tang before HT also helps get things re-aligned if this does occur.

LRB, is that third dagger based on any particular piece? I always enjoy seeing your work, but that one is particularly fine, couldn't help but ask. Beautifully done as always.

Thank Justin. The first one was inspired by an original, but the other two just evolved as I went along.
 
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