A while back around July 4, I posted on Bladeforums asking about knifemakers in Arkansas. I was going on vacation and figured I might could find someone to share a cup of coffee and some knife talk. Lin Rhea answered my post. Now I have to admit, I was quite excited. I've only met a couple of mastersmiths, and I've liked Lin's work for a long time. In fact, my very own brother said he'd disown me if I didn't meet Lin for coffee.
When the day came, Lin and Chris Montgomery and I met at Cracker Barrel in Benton, AR at 5:45 in the morning. We showed a few knives and exchanged a few items. I gave some handle material, and Lin gave me a waterjet cut knife blank, a bird/trout design. We had coffee and breakfast and a good conversation before Lin and Chris had to go to work.
When I finally got around to a batch of carbon steel blades, I put the blank in. Because it started so thin, I did the heat treat first, then ground the tapered tang and bevels. I had picked up a nice thin set of mammoth from Charles Turnage at the Lone Star knife show, and the fit was perfect. Here's the final product, that will be on my table at the Knifemaker's Guild show in KY in September.
OAL is 7 inches, blade is 3 1/4.
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Thanks again, Lin and Chris, for the good time and the start to this wonderful project.
Jason
When the day came, Lin and Chris Montgomery and I met at Cracker Barrel in Benton, AR at 5:45 in the morning. We showed a few knives and exchanged a few items. I gave some handle material, and Lin gave me a waterjet cut knife blank, a bird/trout design. We had coffee and breakfast and a good conversation before Lin and Chris had to go to work.
When I finally got around to a batch of carbon steel blades, I put the blank in. Because it started so thin, I did the heat treat first, then ground the tapered tang and bevels. I had picked up a nice thin set of mammoth from Charles Turnage at the Lone Star knife show, and the fit was perfect. Here's the final product, that will be on my table at the Knifemaker's Guild show in KY in September.
OAL is 7 inches, blade is 3 1/4.
.
Thanks again, Lin and Chris, for the good time and the start to this wonderful project.
Jason
