Ok here we go... Knife number five

B

Black cat

Well-Known Member
Just completed knife number five, five more too go (before tomorrow *rolls eyes*)

This is a 12" 1084 recurve with SS bolster (mat finish) bubinga handle and stone washed blade.

This knife has been in the works for a while now in one form or another. I've made several experimental versions that I didnt like, they all ended up in my huge box of rejected blades.

This one turned out GREAT! Imo as far as completed knife number 5 in my career goes :p

It's plenty tough enough... As it cut a chunk out of my buffer (happens often) not a scratch on the blade.

I'ts sharp enough to shave with, feels good in the hand and is well balanced.

I tried a few new techniques on this one... The stone wash finish. That was going well until my father found it tumbling in his clothes dryer and almost lost his mind.

The 1/16 bolster pins pain in the butt! Switching to a slower epoxy helped a lot!

With some help i've finally managed to get the hang of nearly invisible pins... Now it's a matter of practice.

I really like this blade but it has two flaws i'm still trying to get the hang of.

The first is: I cant seem to get a clean tight seal between the bolster/handle scales and the blade... Looking at the spine you can see ugly gaps. Peening helps some... But there must be a better trick too it. I see so many blades that the bolster is so tight it looks like one piece.

I'm using pins and epoxy then peening and smaking the heck out of it then clamping with C clamps.

I'm considering perhaps some sort of hydraulic vise? More pressure to the bolster.
The parts are flat... As far as I can tell anyway.

The other issue is sharpening... I use the belt grinder and water to keep it cool then strop on the buffer. Gets a whicked sharp edge but it makes a terrible looking edge bevel. All wavy... Kind of like an edge on a cheap machete :p also the buffer makes an ugly shiny line that ruins the mat finish.

Any thoughts or ideas/tips advise would be appreciated!

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Hmmmmmmm I flatten them on a disk grinder but... It's bevelled. As far as getting things flat it seems to do the best job but i've always wondered if that very slight bevel could be causing some issues.

Perhaps I need a flat disk grinder or hmmm I could build something.
 
I think you'll have better luck on the bolster's flatness with a granite surface plate or even a piece of glass and hand sand them flat. Put a sheet of sandpaper down and keep even pressure on the bolsters and hand flatten them. Equally important, the blade has to be completely flat underneath them. There is a tendency for the very top edge and bottom edge to be slightly radiused from hand sanding. I like leaving just a tad of extra steel on the blade's profile, like a 32nd, until after the bolsters are pinned. Then go back and finalize the profile of the whole knife. You avoid that little radius that way. And lastly, put the absolute bare minimum of epoxy under there, just enough to make a water tight seal. The amount should be so small, there's barely any squeeze out.
 
Sure, anything that you are certain is perfectly flat and stiff will work. The surface plates are just great because they can be used for several chores in a knife maker's shop. I use mine for flattening bolsters and scales a lot. I also use it for marking center lines of the cutting edge before grinding. I even use it for stamping patterns in leather. Since I recently put the ceramic glass liner on my grinder's platen, I'm getting really close to flat on the grinder. Then, just a few strokes on a sandpaper covered surface plate and it's perfect. Also, you probably just need more practice to get it perfect. Trust me, I'm no pro, I'm still learning everyday too, but I think you'd like the surface plates. I picked mine up on an Enco sale and it was money well spent.
 
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I love that idea, I will give it a try!

What about making a clean even consistent edge while sharpening, is that just practice or is there anything that helps?
 
I'd say it's probably a more practice thing. But, it can also be an equipment thing. I'll tell you what works for me, but again, I'm no pro. First thing for sharpening I think that is huge, a variable speed grinder. I like to slow mine way down and take it slow and easy. I run the grinder in reverse and shape the edge on the little slack belt spot between the top wheel and the platen. I have the edge up so I can see the burr form. I start with a good 400 belt, then go 600, 800, 1000. I have one old cloth backed belt I run inside out. I put green compound on it and polish with that, then go to leather strop. Actually, Bossdog has a good video out there somewhere on sharpening with a grinder, see if you can find it .
 
I second the granite plate. I picked one up for ensuring flatness on my scales and tangs, and now use it for all kinds of things. Some days it drives me nuts, but it sure helps with the knife coming together. Grizzly industrial offers them pretty reasonable. Overall its a great looking knife, keep it up.

-Aaron
 
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