Work in Progress/Preview 8/20/16 Updated!

Osprey Knife & Tool

Osprey Knife & Tool

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Here is an update to what I am working on this is not everything just what I had my hands on today and happen to take a picture of.





Its cooled down a bit, but the humidity is on the rise, so that means afternoon thunderstorms.

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Here I have a Batch of 27 +/- a few scribed and ready for drilling. I start them in larger batches then break them down into smaller groups as I progress further in the process.

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Here I am laying them out according to thickness to mark the grind lines for the bevels and tapered tangs.

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Measuring the thickness of the blade so I can caculate how thick of an edge I want to leave for heat treat. I vary according to the thickness of the steel and the blade type.


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This one measured out at 0.188. I want an edge thickness before heat treat of .025 so I subtract that and divide the number I get by by two


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After I caculate my desired thickness I mark a test mark on the spine to see if it looks right.

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Here is what is looks like when I am done. I will grind all the way up to these lines before heat treating.

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Last but not least meet the new addition to the Osprey family no name yet it is essentialy a big ole Warthog.

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Thanks for looking questions and comments welcome
 
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Very cool! Thank you for the insight into your process.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
:thumbup:Thanks Chris! That big Warthog looks like it's gonna be nice, can't wait to see the finished result!
 
This is good. It's nice to see the effort and work that goes into the production of your knives. It makes me appreciate, even more, the finished product.

Giant Warthog ............................ Yes !!!!!!!!!
 
I've been really liking the toxic glow Warthog that has probably an "average" handle as well as another Warthog I just bought from another member, which has a much more narrow commando handle. Its a great knife that I honestly have no complaints about. But I was thinking if I had another where the blade was a bit longer (like Mamushi length) that would be really handy to double as EDC and some food prep. So its nice to see the bigger Warthog version. The only thing I'd question is increasing the size 100% in proportion .. maybe increase the blade proportionately but leave the Warthog handle about the same?

But heck, you may end up where Andy is with different requests depending on personal preference and hand size:
Standard Warthog
Giant Warthog as shown above
Standard Warthog handle with larger blade
Standard Warthog blade with larger handle

If anything its food for thought and maybe something to experiment with. My personal preference though is consistently going to be a 3/32 blade, just because that's my overall preference, based on my needs and use. I'm sure there are task and folks where 1/8 would be optimal.


And as always, thanks for sharing!! This is great stuff to see all around.
 
Osprey Knife & Tool said:
Here is an update to what I am working on this is not everything just what I had my hands on today and happen to take a picture of.


Last but not least meet the new addition to the Osprey family no name yet it is essentialy a big ole Warthog.

Hosted on Fotki

Thanks for looking questions and comments welcome
Click to expand...


Cool! :thumbup:

I'm really looking forward to seeing the progress on this new model. :)
 
Thanks Chris for walking us through your layout and scribing process pre-grind and heat treat. Very informative.

The Big Warthog has all the design elements that I have come to appreciate from you. It looks like the tip of the blade is dead center to the point on the back of the handle. I like that arrangement for most things. I am excited to see how this model turns out in 3D.

I have one question for you related to my personal for guardless blades (i.e. guards that don't extend below the sharpened edge of the blade.) Since many of your designs already have a prominent index finger depression in the handle that forms a guard of sorts, is there a practical reason for carrying the guard down further on a non-fighter design? Do you add it for tradition, looks, or something else?

Thanks,

Phil
 
Panthera tigris said:
That giant warthog reminds me of these guys

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/entelodonts-giant-killer-pigs/
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Very interesting, I think I remember seeing something like this at the Fernbank Museum in Atlanta as a kid. I dont think I would use entelodont as a name though. Doenst seem to fit my style of names. I do like the animal though just not keen on the name. Thanks for sharing!


TheAmish1 said:
This is good. It's nice to see the effort and work that goes into the production of your knives. It makes me appreciate, even more, the finished product.

Giant Warthog ............................ Yes !!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Thanks Mark, I am glad you guys find it interesting.
 
Warrior108 said:
I've been really liking the toxic glow Warthog that has probably an "average" handle as well as another Warthog I just bought from another member, which has a much more narrow commando handle. Its a great knife that I honestly have no complaints about. But I was thinking if I had another where the blade was a bit longer (like Mamushi length) that would be really handy to double as EDC and some food prep. So its nice to see the bigger Warthog version. The only thing I'd question is increasing the size 100% in proportion .. maybe increase the blade proportionately but leave the Warthog handle about the same?

But heck, you may end up where Andy is with different requests depending on personal preference and hand size:
Standard Warthog
Giant Warthog as shown above
Standard Warthog handle with larger blade
Standard Warthog blade with larger handle

If anything its food for thought and maybe something to experiment with. My personal preference though is consistently going to be a 3/32 blade, just because that's my overall preference, based on my needs and use. I'm sure there are task and folks where 1/8 would be optimal.


And as always, thanks for sharing!! This is great stuff to see all around.
Click to expand...


Those are all great questions. I actually used the apcahe blade and handle length and the the Warthog handle contours. I guess to really answer your question its all about flow and balance. It should be more apparent as I progress. And at the same time, I usually tweak a design several times after the first one a make.
 
Comprehensivist said:
Thanks Chris for walking us through your layout and scribing process pre-grind and heat treat. Very informative.

The Big Warthog has all the design elements that I have come to appreciate from you. It looks like the tip of the blade is dead center to the point on the back of the handle. I like that arrangement for most things. I am excited to see how this model turns out in 3D.

I have one question for you related to my personal for guardless blades (i.e. guards that don't extend below the sharpened edge of the blade.) Since many of your designs already have a prominent index finger depression in the handle that forms a guard of sorts, is there a practical reason for carrying the guard down further on a non-fighter design? Do you add it for tradition, looks, or something else?

Thanks,

Phil
Click to expand...

Thank you Phil,

A little bit of both, Sometimes I am going for a more traditional look. Alot of the times its for safety to prevent your hand from slipping over the gaurd in a thrusting application. I do have intentions of making variations in my current line-up with minimal gaurds. I also have plans to change up the whole gaurd area as well. The update to this post will explain visually only one of those ways I plan to achieve this.
 
Very nice Chris. Excited to watch the Warthog XL develop as the Warthog is one of my favorite models in your current lineup.

I always enjoy the posts that walk us through the process. Thank you for taking the time to write up and photograph some of your methods.
 
Update to the current work in progress.
I am going to try and pick up where I left off.



So yesterday I had the blades ready for grinding, the last step before grinding is to mark where I want my bevel to end on the knife before heat treat. Here is what I use just plain compass.

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This is what is looks like. This helps me with uniformity

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Next I use a dull 80 grit belt to what we call 45ing the bevels. This is just starting the plunge and making a short grind bevel on both sides. There are a couple of reasons I do this. First, the sharp corners on the blank takes alot of grit off and dull a sharp belt fast, and where there is no need for a sharp belt, I use a dull used one. Here is what it looks like when I am done 45ing the blades.

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Another view, notice I didnt go past the scribe lines

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After I have completed 45ing all of the blades. I separate them according to thickness and shape. This helps me with consistency and uniformity. This part of the process is one that takes alot of focus. I free hand grind everthing. I like to compare it to driving down the free way dodging in and out of traffic at 100mph. It doesnt look like I am doing that much while grinding, but the speed at which I have to process the information in front of me and make fine adjustments in pressure and speed at the same time takes a similar amount of focus for me. It is mentally and physically taxing, but I enjoy it! I put my head phones on listen to some music and just focus on that and nothing else.
Below is what it looks like.

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This is the what they look like after that step. The one on the far left told me it wanted to be full height.

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Here if you can see it I was trying to show that I stopped at the scribe line. Sometimes I go past it but this gives me a guideline.

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Here is another view on the pile I did today, I am showing that I still maintain the same edge thickness prior to heat treat and did not go over the scribe line.


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Here are some more material I ordered and recieved in the mail this week.
I already mentioned the material in the left hand corner in a previous post so I will skip over those. Top right corner we have assorted thickness of G10 liner from .014 -.030. Lower right hand corner is blue and green moon glow G10. I figured I would give it a try. Not sure yet how I will use it. Bottom right hand corner is assorted thickness of G10 base from .060 to.125

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Here on the left we have assorted colors of G10 and Micarta in 1/4"
on the right assorted colors of G10 and Micarta in 3/8'

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I am starting another part of the process here. This is where the handles begin. This description applies to wood, only in how I obtain it in the raw form. The steps are the same after I cut them to size for scales.


I start with a block of wood.

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Next I have them cut to the desired thickness, this varies according to the knife and handle design.

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Then I take the match book set and I make corresponding marks on the sides. This helps me keep track of which side pairs up. I have noticed that it can be hard to tell on some woods in there rough state.

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I end up with an odd piece sometimes and I can't match book it so I cut it in half and use it for bolster material the back half of a smaller bolstered knife. If I make a bolstered handle for a larger knife or the matchbook is necessary, I will use a full matchbook set.

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Last but not least. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! Sometimes I get an itch, I took a bar of steel I had laying around and drew a rough design on it. I then profile it out. It gives me the freedom to make ajdustments as I go. I dont feel like I need to stay whithin a scribed line. Later on, when I establish a design and I want to repeat it I will scribe it out and obey the lines. I prefer to design this way because personally, I have a hard time drawing a design on paper as it never looks right to me.

Below is the product of that today. I havent decided if it will be a one off or a prototype. But I am happy with it and plan on completing it. Tomorrow, I will taper the tang along with the rest of the batch I worked on today.
My inspiration for this one was a BOLO type blade.

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Comparison photo with the Recon, the largest blade I currently make.

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Thanks for looking. Questions and comments are welcome.
 
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This is awesome Chris! I love seeing everything you put into these knives. Thank you for sharing! I never really grasped all the steps and little details that you have to pay attention to, the hard work you put into these knives really shows in the end product.

The first thing I thought of when I saw the large Warthog was Razorback, like one of the big ol nasty 500 pounders. I'll be excited to see the finished project. :thumbup:
 
The new XL Warthog with Apache size and Warthog style ............... in the famous words of that beer commercial ....... "it don't get no better than this"

Again, Thanks for sharing your techniques and processes.
 
Chris, thanks for taking the time to type that all out. The time spent on communication and enhancing customer understanding of your processes is certainly not lost on me.
 
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