Oklahoma Knife Group Association Shop Tour

The shop tour was really great. I brought one of my brothers with me and I think he was bit by the knife bug. We got to meet new folks and old friends. The food was great and plenty of it. The demonstrations were excellent.

I want to thank Mike, Ray, Bill, and all the others that worked to make this shop tour happen. "They done good!!".

I look forward to the next one.
 
Cal,
It was good to get to visit with all of you again.
As most of you know, I really enjoy making the hidden tang integrals, they just seem to be simple, strong, and less maintenance on them. A couple of the examples from the small to the large are in the pics. Since it is very easy to change the blade shape and design, the handle seems to be the most comfortable for what ever blade shape is made.
I hope you like them.
Ray Kirk

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Mike,

You guys have it all going on with the shop tour. I need to get my butt down to the next one. I bet I learn a lot just by watching your guys do what you do best!!
 
Forged from a round bar of 52100 or 5160 with stabilized maple burl for handle material. The round hidden tang is pinned and epoxied. Flats and shoulders are left as is from forging, blades hollow ground on 10" wheel, back grind the top of the blade to reduce a bit more weight and make easier for penetration. After the knives are completed and sharpened, the handle is taped with electrical tape and the metal is sand blasted. After that, a coat of tool black is applies, oiled down good and resharpened on hard Arkansas stone.
Wood to metal contact is restricted to the small area of the ricasso to retard any moisture to the steel and no bump from shrinking and swelling. There is little of this by using the stabilized wood.
For those that would like to learn this method of making the integral, I will be a demonstrator at Batson's this coming spring on how I do it. I will go from start to finish with a hand out. Kind of like Martha Steward when she cooks, I will have part of it already in the oven to save time. :) For those that have never attended Batson's Bladesmith Symposium, it is in my opinion, the best hammer in you could ever attend. Starts on Friday and ends on Sunday at noon. He also has a knife show for a little while on Saturday after lunch that is attended pretty heavily by the public.
Gosh, I guess I could talk a long time when I get started. Sorry about that.
 
RayKirk said:
Forged from a round bar of 52100 or 5160 with stabilized maple burl for handle material. The round hidden tang is pinned and epoxied. Flats and shoulders are left as is from forging, blades hollow ground on 10" wheel, back grind the top of the blade to reduce a bit more weight and make easier for penetration. After the knives are completed and sharpened, the handle is taped with electrical tape and the metal is sand blasted. After that, a coat of tool black is applies, oiled down good and resharpened on hard Arkansas stone.
Wood to metal contact is restricted to the small area of the ricasso to retard any moisture to the steel and no bump from shrinking and swelling. There is little of this by using the stabilized wood.
For those that would like to learn this method of making the integral, I will be a demonstrator at Batson's this coming spring on how I do it. I will go from start to finish with a hand out. Kind of like Martha Steward when she cooks, I will have part of it already in the oven to save time. :) For those that have never attended Batson's Bladesmith Symposium, it is in my opinion, the best hammer in you could ever attend. Starts on Friday and ends on Sunday at noon. He also has a knife show for a little while on Saturday after lunch that is attended pretty heavily by the public.
Gosh, I guess I could talk a long time when I get started. Sorry about that.
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Hi Ray,

Really glad to see you here. hi there 1

You can take your time when you're talking like you just did. goodjob1

Hope I get to Batsons' again next year to see you demonstrate.

Mike
 
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A few of mine

I mainly do old style hunters and do my own sheath work. Larry Parsons has helped a lot on the sheaths to get me going in the right direction.:D I have made knives for the last 25 years but as I tell people I FINALLY LEARNED how to make knives 4 years ago through our shop tours. You can really pick up a lot of tips to make it easier. First knife is ATS -34 stainless with stabilized cottonwood handle. Second is ATS-34 with Harner made burlap micarta. Third is ATS-34 with mammoth ivory. Last is CPM-154 with preban elephant ivory which I use as my avatar.

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If anyone has any more pictures of the shop tour, I would like for you to post them so I could download them. I forgot to bring a camera. I hope to remember next time.
Thanks
 
Cal you are going to have to help me keep Ray away from the desert table. he was woofing down a piece of pecan pie before the rest of us even got in the building to start our meals. My son is going to fix me a disc of pictures that he took of us. He said he took about 60 pictures . May be awhile before we get them , he is in North Missouri until Wednesday.
 
No hurry on the pics Mike. It will be good to get them when he has time. It was really a fun time. You and Ray just posted some awesome knives. I have to confess. I brought that pecan pie. I will help you keep an eye on Ray next shop tour.
 
Family_Pics_182.jpgMr. Ben Patterson working on his first blade. Over my right shoulder is Luke Killiam who was next in line to forge.Family_Pics_213.jpg And last is Ray setting up to forge with some of the Tuttle crew gathered around him.Family_Pics_219.jpg Just a little of what was going on.
 
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I attended the shop tour and learned how to hollow grind, been doing flat grinds so I learned a new tech. Bills demo was really good, going to try it in near future, also he helped me finally build a sheath for my first personal knive. These are great events to attend, and a whole lot of good food, and new friends.
 
Right on Danny! Hope to see you at the next one..will be my first!

C

Danny F said:
I attended the shop tour and learned how to hollow grind, been doing flat grinds so I learned a new tech. Bills demo was really good, going to try it in near future, also he helped me finally build a sheath for my first personal knive. These are great events to attend, and a whole lot of good food, and new friends.
Click to expand...
 
05%20knives%20088.jpgRay is always too modest about his work. This is what always fascinated me when I go by his table. He FIRST believes in being MR. SHARP then what it looks like. He has won numerous awards in the cutting competitions held around the county until his back told him enough is enough. This is Ray Kirk.

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