Black and Bronze Hunter...

[J. Doyle]

This is one of my compact guardless hunters. It is a full sized utility blade but still quite compact. A good slicer but plenty capable to handle rougher work. I like how the bronze visually breaks up the dark blade and handle and the various patterns in each.

Specs:
Hand forged from 80CrV2 steel with mustard patina
8 3/8" overall length, 4" blade, .195" thick at the ricasso with full distal taper
Rounded spine and ricasso edge
Rounded filed thumb grip
File cut and fullered bronze collar
Premium curly/quilted tiger maple handle, stained black and oil finished
Bronze checkered finial bolt

All comments and discussion welcome.

 

[John Wilson]

the patina on your blade is stunning. The colors are great, the way the handle and blade match, but are broken up by the bronze collar. Very classy knife!

 

[BrandantR]

John, I always admire your work. This one rates right up there in my favorites. If you would be willing to share your technique for the blade's patina, I'd sure love to hear it. It's absolutely fantastic.

 

[Daniel Rohde]

Hmm...I can't make up my mind on my feelings towards the combo, not sure if I like the patina and bronze, its got a lot of personality and either I love it or I don't...Either way, the execution is flawless from my view and that makes any knife desirable and I love any knife with J.Doyle on it. I think a three layered bolster with two heat darkened and polished Zirc(fluted) with your coined bronze spacer between them would have tipped it for me a little more. But that's all just a random pointless little opinion about a stellar knife.

...But what would I know...

I'd love to hear how you did the patina! Its a great finished in the right situation and it looks stellar!

 

[Ty Adams]

The fit on the guard is clean. It is set off with the black all around. How long do you let the mustard set on the blade? That has to be the darkest mustard etch that I have seen.
Another question is how do you keep your plug lines so crisp. Do you use a tight radius block with sand paper?

 

[Smallshop]

That blade is AMAZING...reminds me of an old Winchester color case hardened action.....I think the whole is stunning...the bronze is set between two very dark muted colors. Works for me....Very different and beautiful.

 

[Johan Nel]

John,
This is beautiful! I love the way the mustard patina has come out. I like the course visual texture of it. It gives a feeling of some form of camo on the blade. The dark colour repeated on blade and handle, has contrasting textures that just compliments each other and the brass collar works great in ofsetting the dark colours.
I know really very little of knifes and of making them, but I do now "Wow" when I see it, and this is "Wow"! Love it!

 

[J. Doyle]

Thank you guys for the good words. I appreciate it.

Daniel, thanks for the comments. I gave great deliberation to the fittings. I think the bronze is a nice break up of the all dark colors. Right now its bright but in a week or two when it starts getting it's patina is when I think it will really come into it's own. When it turns that nice worn penny color I think it will be just right.

For the mustard finish.....I use French's and I think I'm going to start calling it a 'French Etch' "mustard finish" just sounds so low class.

I dab the mustard on randomly and let it sit for about 2 hours. Then I scrub it off with a cotton ball and baking soda. I wipe the blade clean and dry and touch up spots that need it. You have to play around with thickness and location of the dabs. The next application I leave on for about an hour. Then I do it one more time to touch up any last minute bright areas. About 30 minutes on the third application. I clean with baking soda and a cotton pad.

When I'm all done, I oil the blade lightly. The varying times and varying thicknesses give you different shades of blacks, grays and blues. You'll get most of it done on the first application and it's more difficult to fill in with subsequent applications for some reason. Remember too that unhardened parts of the blade will not 'etch' the same as hardened steel. the hardened steel will etch darker and better.

Thanks again for the comments.

 

[Calvin Robinson]

Hey John,
That thing is as purty as a speckled pup! I like the, no gaurd design. Guards get in my way when I'm skinning.