Table knives skinners and a bowie

Von Gruff

Von Gruff

KNIFE MAKER
Have got a couple of knives finished apart from the sharpening and quite a few more blades ground and heat treated.
First up is a set of table knives with 1.5mm red G10 liners under the 3.2mm black paper micarta handles on the 107mm x 2.5mm 12C27 stainles blades


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This set of skinners with the mini with 3 1/4 in blade and the thumbrest with 4 1/4 in bllade both have buffalo horn bolsters and Blackwood handles. 1084 carbon steel on both.

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I had a little time to try something different so this 7 1/4 in blade of 1075 carbon steel has copper curve backed bolster and African Tambotie handle wood for 12 3/4 in over all length. The copper takes quite a bit more to shape and fit than simple bar bolster and there were a few times when hot fingers (still holding the copper) were plunged into the water bucket to ease the burn but in the end it came out okay I thought.

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just put them on my FB page and got an order for a bowie and the pair of skinners with another order coming in from the magazine article. Have over 20 blades on the bench as it is at the moment so going to be a pleasantly busy start to the year
 
Garry, they are all beautiful, BUT, those table knives really stand out. I especially like the subtle contouring on the handles... super classy!
 
Mr. Gruff how long have you been making knives? The reason I ask is because you have a style that indicates “Gruff made this”. To the point that I believe I could pick your work out (without your Trinty makers mark) among other blades. That is something I feel my work is missing. Any advice along these lines?
 
Chris Railey said:
Mr. Gruff how long have you been making knives? The reason I ask is because you have a style that indicates “Gruff made this”. To the point that I believe I could pick your work out (without your Trinty makers mark) among other blades. That is something I feel my work is missing. Any advice along these lines?
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It is not so much how long I have been making knives Chris, but how long I have been using them and critiqueing design. This is a paragraph from my website


I started using knives seriously in mid 1967 when I started work on a high country station (large farm) here in New Zealand and found the generally available farm knife ill suited to the killing and butchering of farm animals I was using them for and that began my interest in proper design for this and of course the associated hunting needs.

I made my first knives after losing a storebought knife that I had had to reshape to better suit its intended useage and from then on I made all my own knives gradually perfecting the designs over the years till I started to make them for sale a year or two ago.

There is a very important correlation between good knife design and comfortable and safe use and after many trial knives over the years I believe these designs will make using them comfortable in hand which in turn allows for safe, accurate knife work.

So I started with farm killing and dressing animals and hunting bought another aspect to my design criteria. In short it has been a lifetimes use and "feel" that has driven my design and making efforts in the quest to make the most user friendly knife I can rather than concentrate on flash with less that effective design.
 
I
Von Gruff said:
Have got a couple of knives finished apart from the sharpening and quite a few more blades ground and heat treated.
First up is a set of table knives with 1.5mm red G10 liners under the 3.2mm black paper micarta handles on the 107mm x 2.5mm 12C27 stainles blades


IMGO7wUl.jpg

QYpslCMl.jpg


This set of skinners with the mini with 3 1/4 in blade and the thumbrest with 4 1/4 in bllade both have buffalo horn bolsters and Blackwood handles. 1084 carbon steel on both.

msv1g8Kl.jpg


I had a little time to try something different so this 7 1/4 in blade of 1075 carbon steel has copper curve backed bolster and African Tambotie handle wood for 12 3/4 in over all length. The copper takes quite a bit more to shape and fit than simple bar bolster and there were a few times when hot fingers (still holding the copper) were plunged into the water bucket to ease the burn but in the end it came out okay I thought.

5mzbJUhl.jpg

4SRdnbpl.jpg
Click to expand...
I love the copper bolsters. The overall design of the scales/handle on that knife is aestetically very pleasing.
 
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