Makers: Post pics of your knives.

jdm61 said:
Not fabulous. A little wobbly but not bad for a first attempt. The curvature of the bottom makes it a bit tougher. You can't just throw it up against the fence on the router table. I did not dye the maple because I wanted to see how multiple applications of the red oil would work. Not bad, but I am still trying to figure out how it got this gorgeous orangey color once a few years ago in a sample block. It was almost like what you would get from Japanese lacquer.
View attachment 724290View attachment 724291
Click to expand...

Wow that came out gorgeous! Would've been sad to lose the Brazilian rosewood if something had gone awry...

Did you make the finishing oil by soaking red alkanet root in it? Do you think you could get similar contrast with staining then oiling after the stain dried?
 
Appreciate the tips and compliment MB. I've just profiled 5 knives in this size. Two western and three Wa in 52100. I've got another 5 to go in AEBL. There does seem to be a lot of interest.
I'll have a few 240's as well, but man, they are a real grind if you know what I mean. A 270mm! :eek: I need to do that just to experience the making. 240 has been the biggest so far. That is a challenge and a LOT of steel to taper and convex.
I'll add one to this batch. :thumbsup: Western or Wa, what do you all think?

These are the 240's I am thinking about, a more traditional J-type, tip centered handle design.

western-wa-240s-G.jpg
 
Last edited:
milkbaby said:
Wow that came out gorgeous! Would've been sad to lose the Brazilian rosewood if something had gone awry...

Did you make the finishing oil by soaking red alkanet root in it? Do you think you could get similar contrast with staining then oiling after the stain dried?
Click to expand...
No, I still have a little bit of oil and the polishing compound from the Warthog kit from South Africa that I bought from Brownells a few years back. Unfortunately neither it nor the Purdey style kit are sold in the US anymore and the one similar kit still made in the UK can't be shipped to the US for some reason.
As for the knife, it is going be a gift, because has some little flaws in the handle. Good learning experience, though.
 
Bad pic but finished!!! I knocked the corners off of the edge with a worn 400 grit AO belt and after less than 10 minutes on a King 1000/6000 stone and a "flesh side" Woodcraft strop with AO powder, I was able to push cut a tiny scrap of the thin paper from a Starbucks pastry bag. :D The 270 western suji is the next project to be completed. Also AEB-L with blackwood scales, mini-Corbys and more blue G-10.
IMG_0673.jpg IMG_0671.jpg
 
Last edited:
IMG_2205 by Wjkrywko, on Flickr

This set is 22 layer suminigashi with white paper core. I was going to use sambar stag tapers I had, but the recipient changed her mind to the elk crowns I had. This isn't a good match to me, but this is what Bella wanted. The stand is Wenge with a hand rubbed Danish oil finish.
 
Warren, those look very nice. Have you ever tried to dye elk?
 
jdm61 said:
Warren, those look very nice. Have you ever tried to dye elk?
Click to expand...


Yes, I much prefer it dyed. Bella wanted it white. I'm doing two pointy fighters with dyed elk right now, and one large 8" hunter. After the dye dries, I stabilize it with cactus juice too. The pith benefits from it the most, and I doubt the outside takes much resin.

I've just never been a fan of crown pieces, as the handles have too much drop, or a hump in the middle of the handle. The flow is wrong to me. I got these OK, but imagine these knives with Koa or gidgee handles instead.

This was the last piece I did:

IMG_1063 by Wjkrywko, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Wow! That set looks amazing...!!well done
 
Robert Erickson said:
Finished up this set for a customer. Fabulous Tasmanian Blackwood from Burlsource, African Blackwood bolsters, black and copper liners. S35VN steel except for the cleaver which is 3V.


IMG_5937 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr

IMG_5939 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr

IMG_5940 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Those a just beautiful what a set. That cleaver would be a good bone cutter I bet. I need a good water melon cutter myself, maybe a 12 inch blade. Something to cut all the way through a big water melon with one stroke.
 
Thanks.Tim. On the next one, I am thinking of rounding over the the sides up where ya pinch like you see on some knives by Will Catchside and others or maybe taper it. I might have to adjust the length of the ferrule to do the latter right. Or I might try one of those crazy Yankee 37 piece handles like you make. You are not one to shy away from complexity, are you my friend? ;) This handle had 6 pieces, but that is only because it has doweled core and two skinny O1 registration pins. Those pins made life SOOOO much easier. I was able to do a lot of the initial shaping and fiddling before gluing anything. The only really major operation that I did after gluing the handle with Tite-Bond 3 was chamfering the facets. After that, allI had to do was secure the blade with a relatively small amount of West Sytem 105/206 with a pinch of colloidal silica filler and that locked everything into place.
 
Last edited:
I like to keep it simple but sometimes things spiral out of control :D Rounding over the spine, choil and front of the handle is a nice touch, chefs seem to really appreciate it. With alot of the J knives they are expected to sand the edges down themselves.
 
None my kitchen knives have the 90 degree spine so that you can strike a fire steel on them.;) On this one, I just did the 45 degree micro-chamfer on the front of the handle, albeit not all that well. That is one reason that this knife is going to be a gift a family member. :p
 
Robert Erickson said:
Finished up this set for a customer. Fabulous Tasmanian Blackwood from Burlsource, African Blackwood bolsters, black and copper liners. S35VN steel except for the cleaver which is 3V.


IMG_5937 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr

IMG_5939 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr

IMG_5940 by Robert Erickson, on Flickr
Click to expand...


How do the copper liners hold up? I love the look, but I remember copper spacers separating on a cane I made a few years back. It might have been my process, or prep though. I hope so, as I'd live to use copper like this.
 
Willie71 said:
How do the copper liners hold up? I love the look, but I remember copper spacers separating on a cane I made a few years back. It might have been my process, or prep though. I hope so, as I'd live to use copper like this.
Click to expand...

I love the look as well. There's just something about copper in the kitchen that seems right :)
As for durability, I don't know yet. I made my first knife with copper liners a couple of years ago for my wife and it gets regular use and so far no separation between the copper and wood or liner. (or us :p)
The process I use is pretty much the same as for other materials. I try to get the copper liners as flat as possible by lapping them on a granite surface plate, rough them up with 80 grit paper and then glue them to a rough sanded micarta or G10 liner with CA glue. I either peen the pins or use corby bolts to fasten the handles.
I'd be curious to hear how others who have been using copper liners for a while attach them and how they are holding up.
 
Robert Erickson said:
I love the look as well. There's just something about copper in the kitchen that seems right :)
As for durability, I don't know yet. I made my first knife with copper liners a couple of years ago for my wife and it gets regular use and so far no separation between the copper and wood or liner. (or us :p)
The process I use is pretty much the same as for other materials. I try to get the copper liners as flat as possible by lapping them on a granite surface plate, rough them up with 80 grit paper and then glue them to a rough sanded micarta or G10 liner with CA glue. I either peen the pins or use corby bolts to fasten the handles.
I'd be curious to hear how others who have been using copper liners for a while attach them and how they are holding up.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I'll try CA. I used epoxy, and it seemed the heat from filing was causing the glue to release. I was fluting spacers and they kept coming apart.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top