First half successful knife: 52100 Sax

[Tim Lemke]

I kind of beat some slag into it, and I'll work on that in the future, but this one is probably going on my hip as my personal test knife. Just gonna beat the crap out of it until it fails so I can get a baseline started. It's heat treated, but not sharpened. I think it's ht'd, skates a file, I knocked my forklift tine striking surface with the tip and indented the 5160 nice and easy... no tip damage or flattening, and I wasn't holding back. 5160 is kind of soft stuff though, innit?

Dunno, anxious to get epoxy this weekend so I can knock out what I learned in woodshop and get the epoxy setting.

Now, I know the folks in here like the unnatural handles, guess they're marketable as more durable, less maintenance, but what would you guys say to this: acacia, mahogany, oak or maple? Haha, I have some... flooring samples, they're thick enough to be scales.

 

[Ben Sellers]

Looks like a great start! You need to get a handle on that thing. Wood scales can be pretty cheap. As low as $3 to $4.00 a pair plus shipping and they’re going to be the right dimensions and reasonablely flat. I dont envy you drilling holes in what I presume is a hardened tang.

 

[Tim Lemke]

I differential hardened it up to the ricasso so, that will be a relief. There wasn't enough forge to get the blade and tang to hold temp. It's just a soup can forge! :[

Actually, as to handle material, my stepfather Justin had a smart solution. See, there's certain hardwood floor companies that will give you samplers if you are "interested in purchase at some point in time." These single tile samples... are thick enough to split down the thickness if you wanted to. But I've had a great deal of luck, because our current roommate was a cabinet maker before he moved, and has supplied me with bloodwood at the perfect ready thickness! Lucky me. It's colors will be great for this!

I do know it at least isn't decarb'd it skates the 59 hrc files like nothing I've encountered. I mean, usually there's a tiny bit of bite right? Not with this.

Been so busy, shit, now I feel like handling today.

Are there possible side effects for having an unhardened tang?