What's going on in your shop?
- Thread starter Justin Presson
- Start date
REK Knives
Well-Known Member
Released a handful of my midtech front flippers the other day!
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
It's been quite a while since I was active here. 2022 was a crazy year of very high highs and very low lows. I didn't make a lot of knives. Things began to settle out in the fall and I got back into the shop with a vengeance. The time away from the grind was helfpul. (pun intended LOL)
Here's a Chinese Chef that I recently finished. I finally put myself on the schedule and this one is mine. I don't sweat all the small stuff when a knife is for me because I know I'm going to beat the snot out of it, and well, call me lazy but I'm not nearly as picky for myself as I am for my customers.
By the way, the cutting edge looks funky in this photo, but it's not. It picked up a weird dark reflection halfway up, which I think is my shirt LOL. Maybe I'll reshoot this picture. Who am I kidding? No I won't.
Here's the handle in sunlight. This block of wood came from John Doyle, probably 7 or 8 years ago.
Here's a Chinese Chef that I recently finished. I finally put myself on the schedule and this one is mine. I don't sweat all the small stuff when a knife is for me because I know I'm going to beat the snot out of it, and well, call me lazy but I'm not nearly as picky for myself as I am for my customers.
By the way, the cutting edge looks funky in this photo, but it's not. It picked up a weird dark reflection halfway up, which I think is my shirt LOL. Maybe I'll reshoot this picture. Who am I kidding? No I won't.
Here's the handle in sunlight. This block of wood came from John Doyle, probably 7 or 8 years ago.
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
John,It's been quite a while since I was active here. 2022 was a crazy year of very high highs and very low lows. I didn't make a lot of knives. Things began to settle out in the fall and I got back into the shop with a vengeance. The time away from the grind was helfpul. (pun intended LOL)
Here's a Chinese Chef that I recently finished. I finally put myself on the schedule and this one is mine. I don't sweat all the small stuff when a knife is for me because I know I'm going to beat the snot out of it, and well, call me lazy but I'm not nearly as picky for myself as I am for my customers.
By the way, the cutting edge looks funky in this photo, but it's not. It picked up a weird dark reflection halfway up, which I think is my shirt LOL. Maybe I'll reshoot this picture. Who am I kidding? No I won't.
Here's the handle in sunlight. This block of wood came from John Doyle, probably 7 or 8 years ago.
I don't see your photos. I tried two different browsers, Firefox and Chrome. Looks like you are posting through Outlook?
TimGinMN
Well-Known Member
Same here.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I wonder what's going on- I even see them in your reply.
Let's try this again...
Let's try this again...
chrisstaniar
Well-Known Member
By the way, the cutting edge looks funky in this photo, but it's not. It picked up a weird dark reflection halfway up, which I think is my shirt LOL. Maybe I'll reshoot this picture. Who am I kidding? No I won't.
Lol, I've done that many times. Take a pic and there's some dang smudgely looking thing on it and I'm like what the heck is that? Then I look closer and it's my face or hand.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I had a funny one yesterday evening. I was doing a curly maple handle with just loads and loads of curl, along with linear veins running through it. The customer wanted it tinted blue, which looks way more awesome than it sounds.
Anyhoo- Once I got the blue tint in the wood and the grain really came alive, I freaked out. I kept seeing crazy lumps and ridges and dips and waves that didn't get sanded out. This, after hand sanding, buffing, tinting... I was like "how in the world did I miss that?!!!" So then I start looking closer under good lighting and I swear I can see it, but I cannot feel any of it. Then I think I CAN feel it... So there I am with my eyes closed rubbing this handle like I'm learning to read Braille trying to figure out if it's really there or if I'm imagining it because I can see it! HAHAHAHAH! It was the curl in the wood with these really confused swirls and ridges and veins which practically glowed in the light once I got some Tru Oil on there. I'm sure I looked like a confused monkey staring at a rubiks cube.
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
I can see them now John. Thanks for reposting. Very nice work!
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
thank you sir!
CDHumiston
Well-Known Member
Sometimes I go a little nuts when I want a piece of equipment. I got tired of the tiny toaster oven I was using for tempering.
I found this drying oven that holds temps to within 3 degrees of what is set. The dimensions didn't seem too big, and I like to make some large blades. I also like to temper 3 or 4 at a time.
Well, the oven arrived today in a wooden crate. I knew I had gone overboard again! It's pretty damn big! I uncrated it and got it set up. Did some testing with a high temp probe and it holds temp perfectly! It has yet to wonder 2 degrees + or - of what I set it for.
Don't ask me how much I paid...like I said I'm a little nuts.
The gauge in the oven is not what I did my testing with by the way....
I found this drying oven that holds temps to within 3 degrees of what is set. The dimensions didn't seem too big, and I like to make some large blades. I also like to temper 3 or 4 at a time.
Well, the oven arrived today in a wooden crate. I knew I had gone overboard again! It's pretty damn big! I uncrated it and got it set up. Did some testing with a high temp probe and it holds temp perfectly! It has yet to wonder 2 degrees + or - of what I set it for.
Don't ask me how much I paid...like I said I'm a little nuts.
The gauge in the oven is not what I did my testing with by the way....
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
Now that is sexy! It looks like a QC Lab incubator. What exactly is a drying oven for (besides the obvious.... drying... LOL) What do they dry in them?
opaul
KNIFE MAKER
I’ve been trying to find a used small one - they are expensive!
J. Doyle
Dealer - Purveyor
Nice. Where did you get it? I might have to do something similar. How big of a blade can you put in there?
CDHumiston
Well-Known Member
You know I'm not really sure. I saw something about sterilizing surgical tools. Here is a list I found on the web. They may be used for other things as well...
A heating or drying oven can be seen in several applications as follows.
- In pharmaceutical, food (such as rambutan drying) and agriculture industries, environmental technology, and forestry for determining dry content and humidity content. Oven drying method is key to it like the determination of the moisture content of milk powder
- In electronics for drying components, degassing epoxy resins, and for burn-in testing
- In research for sample preparation
- Chemistry research such as determining optimal acid hydrolysis time
- Ageing or tempering of plastics, metals
- Stability testing in the food industry
- Heated storage of building materials, plastics, components
- Heating of surgical cloths, blankets, rinsing solutions, infusion solutions etc. in clinics and hospitals
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
Very interesting!
CDHumiston
Well-Known Member
I ordered it online from Toolots. I can easily get a 26" blade in it diagonally. With the height and the shelfs I could do three blades that way at the same time. I'll keep testing and let you all know if it was worth it.
Funny thing is I'm only doing this for a hobby, but I like to have good tools and equipment.
Jesse Latham
Well-Known Member
This so much. It makes life better. I like your budget!