What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!

Yes, thanks. I like the massive clamp/plunge stop.

 

Here's an Arizona themed EDC just finished up. .125" NitroV at about 8" OAL with Mesquite, Turquoise and Copper. We have lots of all three here!

 

Carbon fiber is so beautiful but it’s absolutely disgusting to work with

 

Mini Kwaiken, 8670, Black G10

 

I would appreciate your feedback on the design, I would like to use 4mm 14c28n. Handle material micarta. The front of the scales would be wider to provide a integrated guard. 2 corby bolts and maybe 2 3mm pins on the front and back of the scales (if not a structural problem?). I will weigh the blank, if too heavy I would do a small fuller with a small wheel attachment before HT.

 

4mm is OK and IMHO you don't need a fuller, a cleaver needs that weight to do the job.

This is the model I do regularly, I use from 3.5 to 4.5mm depending on what Bohler has in stock for K720

Pablo

 

Don't overdo with pins and corbies, imho that looks off

 

Thanks, two large corbies ought to do the job.

 

Tony Bose died yesterday so theres that. Totally sucks.

 

One thing on the handle I usually try to angle the front of the handle material so you don’t end up with that little nub past the curve at the heel. In other words end the bottom of the handle material just before the tight curve to the heel but this is just personal preference. PEU did exactly this on his cleaver he posted above.

 

Thanks. I usually also finish the front of the scale without the nub. I want to attempt an integrated guard, that would prevent your hand slipping forward. Similar to this.

First design had the nub completely out, now it is halfway up the blade, to gain half cm of handle length (without changing overall length) .

 

Try a brass bolster that sits forward, as in the victorinox model you supply a photo of?

 

Hmm, I want to keep it simple, no holes on the front of the handle this time. My plan was to cut a "T" in micarta and split it down the length for two scales, shape the curves with small wheel attachment. Here is a rudimentary scetch.

 

I like the idea of integrated guard but a cleaver doesn’t necessarily need one with such a large choil it’d be pretty hard to slip onto the edge. But for the learning experience why not, sorry for derailing the thread everyone.

 

That a valid point, thanks for your input. I think I will do it without the guard and save the trouble for a knife where it makes more sense. Also with the swinging motion the knife wants to actually slip out of your hand and not toward it, if it makes sense.

I sometimes use this thread for short questions as to not open a thread for each question I have (habit of a bicycle forum I used to frequent).

Back on topic. First time grinding a knife on my 50x2000 (would be incorrect to call it 2x72 ). It's a beast, so quick progress. Vfd iz amazing!


Choil shot before convexing.

Tip shot before convexing.

120 grit after convexing (came out a bit blurry)

 

I’m amazed at some (most) of y’all’s grinding ability. I’m on my tenth knife, and they’re getting there. But I’m now where near where I want to be. I usually do really good until I make a stupid mistake. But, each knife is better than the last, so I guess I’m on the right trajectory.

 

Hey, I am not even on the 10 knife mark. The bevel was partly ground pre HT with a jig. I did the grind today with a push stick method and a table. This was my good side. I slipped couple of times on the other side but it didn't matter in the end. I am practicing the clean lines and blending in at the end. With full flat grind there is no worries though

 

I was going to wait until I finished sanding the other 3, but I decided to take some pictures of a few blades that are waiting for handles:

 

If you do 10 more where you concentrate hard on doing your best, plan things in advance, make sure you are not distracted, then you will soon start to "get lucky" and finish without a big mistake. I'm on a decent roll lately since I've been home and had more time to practice regularly. I always feel like I could mess up at any moment. I would say after about 30 knives, if you haven't had a bunch of time off, then you will certainly be confident of at least some of the steps.

 

So .... almost a year ago (in a thread about hardness versus sharpening ability) you all were "introduced" to my friend Brian and cooking chinese food...



Well .... as it turned out, Brian was diagnosed with a cancer this last summer, and recently returned from Mayo to recover from some major surgery (right now all actually looks ok ). Anyway, a few months ago I approached WEO to help create a damascus chinese cleaver (really a vegetable knife) as a get-well-soon present for brian. Here is the final product, which we gave to Brian yesterday:




William forged out the damascus to requested number of layers and profile - he then sent it to me and I did the bevel grind, adjusted the profile, did the etch (first time!), and made the handle. WEO does make great damascus. Thank you William!

Here are the specs:
15N20 / 1080, 84 layers
62 hrc
handle: octagonal Wa, red dyed stablilized spalted maple (also from weo) with Wenge bolster and butt, red rubberized spacers.

Of course, the first reaction from Brian was "I cant actually use this". I did ultimately extract a promise from him do damn-well use it!!!!!