Let's get the next build rolling

lessismore said:
Ohhh no, an engraver is a rabbit hole I'll not fall into! Just an etched. A chemical etcher. That's a wild knife right there.
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Long winter nights and all, thought I'd plant the seed...

The seller was a Doctor; he had some nice Randall knives for sale, about sixty, laid out on a billiard table. He asked which ones we'd like. When I said 'All of them', my late wife, Edna, gave me a look, a really strange look. We made good money off that purchase. The engraver was Ken Hurst.
 
Careful, John. Shel said the same thing to Bo Randall back in '46 and look how that turned out.
 
I haven't done a tapered tang in a while, hell I haven't done a full tang in a while. This one will only be taken down to a third of it's thickness but will take a lot of weight out of the handle. I start by hollow grinding down the length of the handle, and grinding two little scallops to the final thickness in the end. The scallops me know how far to go when I taper. I'll flat grind the handles until the scallops disappear on both sides, it gives an quick visual check instead of trying to read tiny Scribe lines.
20191103_125305-01.jpeg
Double row of small pins, I likes me them double rows. The large holes down the center reduce weight, form an epoxy bridge, and most importantly to help me guide that small wheel when I grind out the center of the handle.

That's my mumbo jumbo post of the day.
 
mitch4ging said:
You're an animal, John!:eek::thumbsup:
It boggles my little mind on how the scales and pins fit in smoothly at what angle....:confused:
Look forward to this one progressing!!:thumbsup:
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Right? There's a lot more work than just tapering the tang. Drilling and lining things up is a lot more involved than a straight tang with parallel scales. Tapering makes a huge difference in balance though. You really cant drill enough holes in a straight tang to match the weight reduction of a taper. I don't like drilling holes especially close to the ricasso where things kind of fulcrum under stress... aaaaand there I go with the mumbo jumbo again. Let's get Greg a picture......
 
lessismore said:
I haven't done a tapered tang in a while, hell I haven't done a full tang in a while. This one will only be taken down to a third of it's thickness but will take a lot of weight out of the handle. I start by hollow grinding down the length of the handle, and grinding two little scallops to the final thickness in the end. The scallops me know how far to go when I taper. I'll flat grind the handles until the scallops disappear on both sides, it gives an quick visual check instead of trying to read tiny Scribe lines.
View attachment 1225071
Double row of small pins, I likes me them double rows. The large holes down the center reduce weight, form an epoxy bridge, and most importantly to help me guide that small wheel when I grind out the center of the handle.

That's my mumbo jumbo post of the day.
Click to expand...

Mumbo jumbo my @ss!!! :eek: That's some cool isht! :cool:

lessismore said:
.175 at the ricasso down to .055. Gotta go at least a third of the thickness to look right in my opinion.
View attachment 1225250
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Wow, nice! :thumbsup:

Wait a minute.... 0.058" 52100 stock??? :eek: What, you plannin to make some scalpels??? :cool:

mitch4ging said:
You're an animal, John!:eek::thumbsup:
It boggles my little mind on how the scales and pins fit in smoothly at what angle....:confused:
Look forward to this one progressing!!:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

lessismore said:
Right? There's a lot more work than just tapering the tang. Drilling and lining things up is a lot more involved than a straight tang with parallel scales. Tapering makes a huge difference in balance though. You really cant drill enough holes in a straight tang to match the weight reduction of a taper. I don't like drilling holes especially close to the ricasso where things kind of fulcrum under stress... aaaaand there I go with the mumbo jumbo again. Let's get Greg a picture......
Click to expand...

Yeah, drilling that many pins through the scales on a tapered tang without screwing anything up cannot be easy!!! :eek: I do have a couple tapered tang fixed blades, and it does do an amazing job at lightening the knife and making them feel much more lively in-hand! :thumbsup:

lessismore said:
13 7/8" OAL 9" Blade
View attachment 1225269
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WHOA NELLY!!! :eek: :cool: :thumbsup: :D
 
SpyderPhreak said:
Mumbo jumbo my @ss!!! :eek: That's some cool isht! :cool:
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Boring to most, interesting insight to nerds like us:D
SpyderPhreak said:
Wait a minute.... 0.058" 52100 stock??? :eek: What, you plannin to make some scalpels??? :cool:
Click to expand...
Not scalpels, but some very thin slicey things!
SpyderPhreak said:
Yeah, drilling that many pins through the scales on a tapered tang without screwing anything up cannot be easy!!! :eek: I do have a couple tapered tang fixed blades, and it does do an amazing job at lightening the knife and making them feel much more lively in-hand! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
A nice distal taper should keep things balanced well and lively! I'd like to get into some thicker steel with hard tapers, it's a lot of work but worth it.
 
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