What has Josh Dabney been up too ?

Josh Dabney

Josh Dabney

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Just thought I'd throw up a post in the hopes of getting some comments/critisism on the knives I've recently completed. All comments are welcomed guys so let me have it ! :D

Here's a shot of my #7 knife. It's shadow pattern slip joint in carmel micarta. ATS-34 zulu pattern from GLWJ. The function is great on this one and flush in all three positions. The blade does however lay to one side in the closed position :eek: Overall I'm pretty happy with it for a first attempt at a slippie.
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#8 This knife was designed and built to the customers request for a early to mid-19th century working blade.

6 1/2" 1095 spear point with false clip. This blade is extra stout all the way to the tip, also at the customers request but she's still shaving sharp. Curly maple scales, copper and mild steel rivets. The copper washers are recessed into the wood (read squeezed). I did put a few axtra dings in the maple figuring out the process to recess the washers :eek: but I've got it figured out now for future projects. I also did one more coat of tru-oil after the pics were taken that really brought out the chatoyance of the curl. Customer is making his own sheath for this one.

WiskeyJamesBowie023.jpg



#9 Also a customer spec knife.

3 3/4" 1095 Boot Dagger. 8 1/1" OAL. Blackwalnut with black liners and mild steel pins. Tru-Oil finish.
Sheath tooled with customers KK logo (his initials) and ricasso also etched with KK logo.

KoyoteKenDagger003-1.jpg


KoyoteKenDagger007.jpg


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Again all comments and critiques good or bad are welcomed and greatly appreciated

Thanks guys ! Josh :D
 
I love the Boot Dagger. I need to try one of those when my grinding skills improve.

I'd like to see a close up of the handle on the spear point. Those copper washers look interesting.
 
Appreciate the comments guys !

Here's a better shot showing the riveted handle-
As you'll see in the pic I also peened the edge of the copper to set the washer to the curve of the wood and break the crisp edge of the copper.

WiskeyJamesBowie028.jpg


WiskeyJamesBowie030.jpg


Just thought I'd add that I do realize that for the most part my pics are NOT good or even decent so I'm making it a priority to get a lightbox built and also a tripod for the camera to improve my pic quality. The info to help me in this reguard is out there just got to get it done, LOL.
-Josh
 
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Darrin

I didn't have as much trouble as I imagined I'd have but since you asked-
Do's-

Read Ryan Minchews WIP thread 5 times !
http://www.knifedogs.com/showthread.php?t=1054

Read tutorial on Chris Crawfords website
http://chriscrawfordknives.com/#/slipjoint-pocketknife/4535414914

Do the suface grinding before reaming the blade pivot hole.

Don'ts-

Think you can just give a try to soldering SS bolsters to SS liners with rosin core solder and no flux.

Think the waterjet saves much work or figures out the geometry and fit-up

Assemble the knife before finishing the blade cuz your figuring it'll turn out like crud anyway.

fit up the kick to close to the outter profile of the handle. DO- let the tip of the blade sit down in a little deep

The rearmost portion of the spine of the blade came water-jetted at a downward angle toward the tip of the blade. DO NOT leave it in this profile ! Put at least a small flat on the blade where the blade "face" bumps into the spring "face". I left mine and it basically becomes a RC 60-61 chisel that bites into the face of the spring and causes an un-sightly little bump up at the front of the spring visible on the spine of the knife.

Thats all I can think of at the moment but I'll update If I think of anything else.

-Josh
 
Good job on the slippy. I think I understand what you are saying about the parts. The set of parts is just that, a set of parts. Not a pin together and ready to go kit. Still a lot of work to do on the maker's end. Its just eisier to start with profiled parts than having to buy a stick of blade steel and a sheet of SS and trying to cut a pattern from it. That is the whole concept of these sets. Now that you finished the first one, do ya have the bug? :D
 
David,

I was aware of exactly what the GLWJ kit would be like and it was what I expected. Just wanted to forewarn others who may never had any experience with waterjetted parts before.

I do agree, the GLWJ kit saves tedious time at the bandsaw and layout and profiling time which is a big plus especially for someone like me who has much less time than desire to make knives :) In addition you get the pattern.

The thing about the blade biting the spring is NOT a problem with the kit just something I didn't forsee on the first one. The spring was plenty long enough to remedy the problem by putting a tiny flat on the blade negating the "chisel effect".

The purpose of the angle as I understand it is to keep lint crud etc. from affecting lock-up when in the open position.

Just being perfectly clear this was MY FAULT not a problem with David's kit.

Man o man I've just got all kinds of bugs, LOL. I don't see myself specializing in slip joints but I did have alot of fun building this one. There's a sense of accomplishment that comes with the end product functioning as it should when finished that isn't there with fixed blades and the challenge of figuring out how to get ALL the important details right is also fun.

Slippies are something I certainly want in my arsenal and I do have another kit on hand. So i guess yes I do have the bug, LOL.

-Josh
 
Well you are way ahead of me. I have 3 pinned together and haven't finished one yet. Keep up the good work.2thumbs
 
Nice work Josh! Looks like the dagger turned out great...how difficult was it to do the double grind?
 
Paul,

Not nearly as hard as the 12" damascus Arkansas Toothpick I recently did, LOL.

The plunges are the hardest part IMHO. On this dagger, my first, one side I got near perfectly symetrical plunges. The other side one plung matches the first side and the other I got just a touch flatter :( It's a pretty small difference but It is there. I've got some pretty good respose from it though and I've taken an order for another just like it with bone scales so I'm shooting for 4 matching plunges this time around LOL.

It is a difficult grind and probably not the best newbie profile but I managed to get it done without wasting any steel and starting over. Give it a shot if your want. Your doing much better than you give yourself credit for.

-Josh
 
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