Anybody make / assemble knives?

[scottgraham]

I decided a week or so ago to dabble in this. I'm not a collector, but just thought what the hell, why not.
I've been tying flies for about 40 years, custom built fishing rods/ designed fly rods and reels for the mainstream...I'll give knives a shot.
So I bought a few (cheap) knife blanks online to start out. I decided to make my own scales (handles). The first knife is finished, the handle is made from dried floral moss from the dollar store in resin. I decided to try my hand at file work on the handle steel...meh, not bad for the first try I guess.

The blue one below I just started shaping the handle today. It is made from construction paper soaked in resin (some people call this technique micarta, but it's really not, that's a brand name for a similar process). Next one will be a hidden tang, then I have a few pocket knives I'm going to re-do. I have a Damascus blade on order to build one for my kid for his 18th birthday in a couple of weeks. I'll also be making sheaths for these, cause why not?
Don't know if I enjoy it enough to build a kiln (furnace?) and start banging them out of sheet steel...maybe once or twice, just to say I did it.

 

[pagrey]

@xxdabroxx has done a few and posted some good pics

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/finished-a-knife.26928/

 

[scottgraham]

Got the blue one done yesterday. I tried electrolysis on the blade to darken it, but didn't get the results I was hoping for so I painted it flat black. I think I'll media blast it next.

 

[Rick Flair]

Wow, for a first time you did great!

 

[2001slvrstntj]

Yeah, very impressed.....Nice!

 

[Blackegg]

Looks great!
I'm a blacksmith when I'm not at work. I've made several knives from many things.
I'll have to find the ones I've made from forge welded large mining cable.

 

[scottgraham]

I'm making one for a gift.
This is a nice blade, I hope I don't screw it up.
It was hand forged in Idaho Falls by a company w/ a really good reputation.
It is Damascus steel, about 350 layers of carbon and nickle rolled into it.
It's so friggin' sharp right out of the paper towel it was packed in ( ), I could shave my arm hair w/ it.
I made some scale blanks but also bought some, did I say I don't want to screw it up?

 

[pagrey]

That pattern in unreal, it is going to make a beautiful knife.

 

[billiebob]

My son does this, here is the first firing of his forge, a converted 30# propane tank and Amazon parts.

 

[Blackegg]

Here's one I forged from a piece of cable. The same cable that's in the photos actually.

 

[billiebob]

And the home bilt belt sander.

 

[billiebob]

Final version of the forge, fired outside this time....

 

[billiebob]

Will have to get more knife photos, this is all I have, from some files I gave him.
He is a chef and he loves the sharp edge of high carbon steel.

 

[billiebob]

A pic from a day at work,

 

[xxdabroxx]

Nice work everyone. This is what I've been working on lately in my spare time. Progress has been really slow but there are a lot of firsts for me on this one. I've got a hunk of ivory paper micarta for the handle.

This is the last one I made.

 

[scottgraham]

Making progress. Still some more polishing to do, have some sanding scratches, but meh, he's gonna scratch it up anyway.

Also made my first Kydex sheath

 

[WallyWest]

Love knives and swords. Own a few, probably the coolest are Nepali made Kukris.
Thinking when I retire I would like to get into making knives. And/or forging replica medieval armor.

 

[Sancho]

Very cool guys!

I dont make knives... but this week commissioned someone to restore a EGW WW2 Army standard issue combat knife.

My uncle passed away mid restoration, so I was glad to find an old school hobbiest to finish the work.

Pic is of knife before restoration.

Hung out with the guy for a bit... he was happy to talk knives and show off his work.

Ended up buying a smaller blade of his...

He did the handle... its some old buffalo skinning blade he thinks.

 

[scottgraham]

So my daughter asked me to do one for her husband. She really liked the dried moss handle. Should be a good camping knife for them, rough sanded, I'm pretty happy w/ it:

While I was wet sanding:

I have since filled in the air bubbles and will polish...