Show off and talk about your Flat/convex grinds here!

Yes Traditional steel most likely would as you say, bend and hold like Aqua Net, but who could really afford to buy and destruction test 1 of those?:confused:

I was referring to some various modern Diff. HT 'd (Hard back soft spine) W Hammon (Some were forged 9260) Katana's testing.

Today a smart user's Katana is all about
Cuts great, no bending 2thumbs if you stuff up a cut angle, or the proper follow through while the blade is in the cut, which would normally lead to edge chipping or Blade bending.:(

Even Masters have bent a few of the Traditional Tamahagane style blades, during Tamashigiri, so . . I prefer the new cutting edge metallurgy combined W the old Japaneses blade patterns, but W a spring like steel you don't even need a very thick blade any more which of course means you can have a slimmer cross section and that really helps to reduce the blades friction in the cut, and that means all else being equal a much better Gozo cutter! yea!

just a little info, I've seen just about every model of paul chens swords either bend or torque and require some straightening. The new "raptor" line is the most forgiving I've seen- made from 5160 and differentially heat treated. I picked one up at SHOT and although it's a bit heavy it's a very nice blade. Forgiving but not fool proof-- it's pretty common for quite a few blades to been a "tweak" after a long session of tamashigiri.

Any japanese sword differentially heat treated is going to bend and set easier than a blade thats a 56hrc all the way through..it's the nature of the beast with a soft spine taking up a mojority of the blades mass.

I notice you're near Detroit, do you study Iaido at a dojo there ?
 
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2thumbs

Thanks that's awesome, that it came out so easy (subjective word) for you this time but I think I would get pretty aggravated W it if I couldn't just have a set way to bring it out, and just work on perfecting that 1 method, instead of a hit or miss type of scenario.
Either way though this 1 really worked for you!
I know it's a drop point, but how would you classify this knife; as a skinner or?...

Thanks N.D.,

I find that if I leave a thick border of cement along the edge of where you want the line, you get a more defined boundry between hard and soft. That is what sets you up for the polish. Park 50 helps a lot too.

I think the knife I posted would be more of a utility knife that would also work as a fighter. You could certainly skin with it, but my feeling is a wrapped handle would be pretty tough to clean after being inside an animal. So, it could be used for anything that dosen't involve the handle getting caked in fat.

-Nick
 
Here's a few flat ground japanese style kitchen knives I've done in the past

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Here is a typical convex grind I do. It is done solely on a KMG rotary platen. The knife is designed by Kismet, and the handle is stabalized spalted Maple, and the steel is 01.

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These two were done for a customer. Both convexes. The little Bushboot is hand rubbed. The other sports a convex sabergrind. Both were done on the same KMG rotary platen. The steel is 01 again, and the handle is Mesquite burl over Texas Ebony.

bs106_2057-vi.jpg
 
just a little info, I've seen just about every model of paul chens swords either bend or torque and require some straightening. The new "raptor" line is the most forgiving I've seen- made from 5160 and differentially heat treated. I picked one up at SHOT and although it's a bit heavy it's a very nice blade. Forgiving but not fool proof-- it's pretty common for quite a few blades to been a "tweak" after a long session of tamashigiri.

Any japanese sword differentially heat treated is going to bend and set easier than a blade thats a 56hrc all the way through..it's the nature of the beast with a soft spine taking up a mojority of the blades mass.

I notice you're near Detroit, do you study Iaido at a dojo there ?

No I don't practice the Blade any more but . . Back in the day . . 2 of the styles that I studied were Japanese styles and they both taught a bit of the blade, but I got into a bit of informal Tamashigiri on my own, and I agree W you on the through hardened blade being more resistant to set than a diff. blade, back in the day I reworked the geometry on a cheap commercial 440C blade and never had any problems W set, but I have seen some Mono steel blades (some spring steel and some not) that had a Hamon destruction tested and I was pretty impressed W how much very grotesque abuse they took before they actually took a set, usually it was right around the time the blades were used to repeatedly cut into a steel fence or sign post and at bad angles at that, of course edge chipping also usually reared it's ugly head right about then as well.
as you know Katana Blades (or any others for that matter) are not designed to cut those type of things, I always cringe and shudder when I see that type of blade abuse.:eek:

BTW Mr. Shepard Have I not heard your name mentioned in the Martial world . . ? ;)cool 1
 
Here are some fairly recent flat grinds. The first is the raffle knife down in my forum. It's made from Ealy's damascus and is .190 x 1 3/8 x 8. It's flat ground from the spine to a pretty thin edge.

The second one is a sub hilt made with Burt Foster's laminated steel. It's 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 10, and like most of my flat grinds runs from the spine to the edge.

This last pic shows my first attempt at a hamon. It's W2, and measures .210 x 1 3/8 x 8 with a thin edge.

David
 

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No I don't practice the Blade any more but . . Back in the day . . 2 of the styles that I studied were Japanese styles and they both taught a bit of the blade, but I got into a bit of informal Tamashigiri on my own, and I agree W you on the through hardened blade being more resistant to set than a diff. blade, back in the day I reworked the geometry on a cheap commercial 440C blade and never had any problems W set, but I have seen some Mono steel blades (some spring steel and some not) that had a Hamon destruction tested and I was pretty impressed W how much very grotesque abuse they took before they actually took a set, usually it was right around the time the blades were used to repeatedly cut into a steel fence or sign post and at bad angles at that, of course edge chipping also usually reared it's ugly head right about then as well.
as you know Katana Blades (or any others for that matter) are not designed to cut those type of things, I always cringe and shudder when I see that type of blade abuse.:eek:

BTW Mr. Shepard Have I not heard your name mentioned in the Martial world . . ? ;)cool 1


:eek::eek: um, I dunno...help me out. I've been involved in the MA for quite a while.

I'm not sure were you live, but I invite you to come to the dojo I train at. I spent 5 years trying to find a dojo that I felt was ledgit.
http://www.japanesemartialartscenter.com/
 
This is a fun thread, Great pics everyone! Theres nothin better then a wicked grind on a well designed custom! :)

God bless,
Randy
 
Here are some fairly recent flat grinds. The first is the raffle knife down in my forum. It's made from Ealy's damascus and is .190 x 1 3/8 x 8. It's flat ground from the spine to a pretty thin edge.

The second one is a sub hilt made with Burt Foster's laminated steel. It's 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 10, and like most of my flat grinds runs from the spine to the edge.

This last pic shows my first attempt at a hamon. It's W2, and measures .210 x 1 3/8 x 8 with a thin edge.

David

Every 1's work is so very impressive, and I'm having trouble finding the appropriate words to express that to every one, but . . YOU Sir. are an "Arteest" and I thank you greatly for posting those, and no matter how ornate they are I can tell that those would sl*ce through Fl**h like butter!! 2thumbs
 
:eek::eek: um, I dunno...help me out. I've been involved in the MA for quite a while.

I'm not sure were you live, but I invite you to come to the dojo I train at. I spent 5 years trying to find a dojo that I felt was ledgit.
http://www.japanesemartialartscenter.com/

:DI thank you for the very gracious offer Sir., but I'm afraid that my circumstances at this time will not allow me to train, hopefully 1 day . . .
BTW: I live very near Detroit.
2thumbs
 
I was inspired by this thread to make a knife that I could picture the grind..
Heres what I came up with! The blade is 1095 and the handle is maple burl! OAL 10 1/4 with a 5 3/4 inch blade.

I know this isn't nearly as well ground as the other posts.. But I tried..
 

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Thank you!:D
Great work, I really like those patterns both the D steel and the Hamon pattern, can you tell us anything about the steel used in these?

The damascus is made from O2 and 15n20.

The small integral is from Don Hanson's W2, water hardened and etched in hot vinegar.:)
 
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Most of you here know I do flat grinds with the jig I patented. I am up around five hundred blades ground using this jig. I was terrible at grinding when I started, I needed help so I invented the help I needed.

I flat grind exclusively; when I figure I have that down I'll try another grind.

Fred
 
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A simple but Beautiful knife, W a blade capable of taking a good honest days work, I think the handle material looks great but not quite as desirable looking as the material used on that handsome, folder that reflects so nicely in the hand rubbed mirror finished Blade!
 
I was inspired by this thread to make a knife that I could picture the grind..
Heres what I came up with! The blade is 1095 and the handle is maple burl! OAL 10 1/4 with a 5 3/4 inch blade.

I know this isn't nearly as well ground as the other posts.. But I tried..

Nothing wrong W that grind!

While I appreciate, and respect the highly refined skills and techniques required to make a museum level work of art out of a knife, and I do really like to look at them too!

BUT!

I believe very strongly in function over form!
Most important questions to me are?:

#1 Is it affordable for me to own as a user?:D
#2 How does it cut, is it super sharp NIB?
#3 How long will it hold that edge?
#4 Is it easy to resharpen, to the super sharp level?
#5 How tough is the knife blade?
#6 Is it ergonomic for my hand?
#7 Is it designed to be used really hard?
#8 Does it have at least a high polish?
#9 How gorgeous is the handle, how tough is it?
#10 Can my hand slip off the handle onto the blade?:eek:
 
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final+grind+feather+pattern+006.jpg


moonstag_jpg+038.jpg


ajk.jpg


Most of you here know I do flat grinds with the jig I patented. I am up around five hundred blades ground using this jig. I was terrible at grinding when I started, I needed help so I invented the help I needed.

I flat grind exclusively; when I figure I have that down I'll try another grind.

Fred

WOW!
I think my favorite pattern is the Feather pattern Damascus, all those look great though!

Thank you for posting!2thumbs
 
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