7" full-tang, w2

kevin - the professor

kevin - the professor

Well-Known Member
Hello Everyone,
I have been working on swords and I had to take a break and make something a little less complex. I find these a lot of fun to make, and they are about my favorite general style for using knives. I encourage comments, critique, etc.

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thanks,

Kevin
 
You nailed it, Kevin. I'd carry one just about like that. Gorgeous hamon and wood with tasty accent color from the copper. My only critique is that it looks like you crept up on the bolster a little with the pins but that's the only thing I can find to pick at.
 
thanks Frank. You are right, after I drilled that front pin hole I really wished I could have a, "do over." But, you can't. The reason is because this time, for the first time ever, I decided to glue everything together, and THEN drill the pin holes. The pins are peened, and it seemed that I could get better hold with the peening by waiting until just before I was done sanding and then putting them in. Also, on the blade before this one, I decided I didn't like the shape of the handle, but I had already placed the pin holes in the scales. Which made me pretty much stuck with the shape unless I wanted to chisel the scales off and start over. It really is the little things that make all of the difference in this craft. I had to set my mill up with a 2degree angle block to get the scales to fit the bolster just right to take account of the taper of the tang, for example. Before I did this, the difference between 88deg and 90deg didn't seem like much. Now, it screams at me (and anyone else who really looks carefully at a knife).

take care,
kc
 
I'm finishing up a knife with a blade very similar. I like that blade style and profile and I've made a good number of them.
 
Tom - looking forward to seeing yours. I love this general handle/bolster configuration. I put a number of different actual blades on it, because it is comfortable and useful. No guard to get stuck inside anything yet there is a bolster that protects just like a guard from slipping your fingers on the blade. These are also a lot of fun to make. I admit that since I got a high-torque mini mill from Little Machine, I have really enjoyed making full-tang knives more (swords aren't full tang, but with knives I enjoy full-tang design more). I can use the mill and parallels or angle blocks to get everything flat and true, and I can have consistent angles to take into account the slope created by tapering the tang. It is efficient and fun to flatten and shape the ends of slabs and bolsters. Good for slotting guards and routing handles on through tangs and swords, too. But these little full-tangs are so much fun to make.

Franklin -- I have been using w2 or low manganese 1075 exclusively for the past year. I have been getting better with hamons because I am able to have enough consistency in steels I am using so I can really try to dial the process in, so to speak. I think everyone should pick a few core steels that do what they want, and work to learn them and get them most from them. Just my thoughts. It may be better than bouncing from steel to steel.

thanks to both of you.
kc
 
Kevin,
Very nice looking knife! I would round the rear end of the top of the handle, but that's just me.

Having big hands I like a drop at the rear, starting about 1 1/2" in from the rear. .

Nice looking wood and Bolster too!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
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