Search results

DON'T do the scotchbrite! All you'll get is a scratched look, and tumbling will not remove it....only make it more prominent. You'll sorta get that look with just tumbling and the HF triangular ceramic media.... but it will take at least a full day of tumbling, and possibly more. Blasting...

I typically recommend the following: If you live east of the Mississippi, go with Pops. If you live west of the Mississippi, go with Tru-Grit Only because of shipping/speed. I used Pops exclusively when I lived in Blytheville, AR., and when I first moved to Montana....it was 7-10 days on...

You folks need to take a look at Tru-Grit for you abrasives. I've had the outfits mentioned in this thread try to get my business, not only asking in person at shows, but also by sending me "samples".... and frankly, even though they might claim "Made in the USA"..... after using and comparing...

Whether it's your first order, or your 1,000th order, YOU are now the expert. That means it is up to you to direct the client as to the differences between what they want, and what they need. That person is coming to you, because in their mind, you are the expert in knives... regardless if...

Hi Dana! Welcome back!!

In addition to what John said..... that is clear evidence that you are applying far too much pressure when slack belt sharpening. Even with a nicked up edge, no more pressure than the weight of the knife.... even if it does take several passes. Slow down, and ease up. I have shop knives...

"Spalted" is basically another word for rotted....really. It's just used when the "rot" looks cool. :) Stabilizing of anything "spalted" is mandatory IMO. Without good stabilizing, and even sometime with, "spalted" woods will grind away super fast, and are usually soft and "punky"... and...

I typically try to use woods with large straight grain for hatchet/axe handles..... Hickory, Ash, some Maples. In the exotic realm I've used Bocote, African Blackwood, and straight grained Desert Ironwood. I can't speak to how the Teak would do for the handle of a hatchet/axe..... never...

^^^^^^^ DITTO^^^^^ Nailed it! The only thing I can add, is that I personally don't use it for knife handles....for the "con" reasons that John stated. The one thing that I have discovered in over 3 decades of knifemaking..... if a customer can destroy it through neglect or misuse...

Absolutely a golden nugget of info there! The more you chamfer the edges of the "holes", the less issues you will have. IF you forget, or don't know to do that, you are pretty much guaranteed that the majority of the hole edges will "fold" over when forging the billet flat..... and...

IF you have high quality/high temp mortar, I would say use it, BUT... with the following caveat...... Use no more then a VERT THIN coat/layer..... as if you were buttering bread. In a HT oven application, you have an item that is likely not going to be moved around much, so you don't need the...

Just another example of why I always preach that Knifemakers should use their NAME on any knife made! IMO, those who choose to use initials or some obscure logo such as on this piece, simply don't have a clue. They are either too ashamed of what they do to put their real name on it, OR they...

I think you're too far along in the layer count for "W"s, but not enough for random, twist, ladder, etc. At this point, I'd say clean, cut into 4 equal pieces, then stack and reweld to achieve 336 layers..... then you'd be in the layer count for all the more common patterns.... random, twist...

I can't find anything on the GIB2. I've built a bunch of the GIBs. They need a few mods to make then work correctly (IMO), but otherwise, they are solid usable machines... Personally, I've never been able to justify buying a strictly horizontal grinder.... especially since I own a KMG...

For 1/16" ball, I drill through the liner and into the blade with a #54 Hi-Roc bit, then ream the liner with a #53, and press the ball into place with an arbor press. For lighter action knives (gents and such), I leaved .015" of the ball exposed, and for heavier actions such as framelocks...

Two things that I have always thought were/are overlooked on most grinders..... The "knobs" used on the tracking adjustment, and the "shield" for sparks/swarf that is located at/on the idler wheel. I modify all my grinders as soon as they come into the door with the tracking adjust change...

That is the name of the folder game! I tried the same thing you are doing... the 2mm ball, but went back to SAE (1/16") because I couldn't get satisfactory results (because of the sizes versus the hole size). Another tip.... don't discount "working in" a folder's action. Put dabs...

I agree with Tracy! NEVER discount how much impact the ladies have on your business! I've sold more high end knives to ladies then men. They are exactly what made my Damascus pens successful. When I first started building damascus pens, the intent was to given them away to client who...

When flattening a detent, it is a very difficult thing to get "right"..... you have a RAZOR THIN margin of error between it working and not... if you get the angle of the flat out of 90 to the blade, it causes more issues then it solves. Flattening a detent will also create a significant...

GOOD ONE! I made an assumption that he'd already checked NJSB.... my bad! Also, to whomever is looking for/buying steel.... when dealing with NJSB steel.... if you need the EXACT thickness listed, check first. In my experience, their steel is ALWAYS oversized beyond stated.... meaning...