First knife done

[gkyle840]

I sanded the blade to 220 and the handle to 320. It's a little rough but functional. I am happy with it for my first knife. The plunge is pretty messed up but I don't think that will affect its functionality.




https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxh...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxh...w?usp=drivesdk

[Ray Rogers]

Not bad at all for a first knife. Now test it very hard. That will teach you more about knife making than any amount of reading. If you have a good quality commercially made knife of similar style you might want to test it along side this one and see how they compare. Test by cutting slices of cardboard and counting them to the point where the edge won't shave hair anymore. Try to whittle your way through a fresh 2x4. Count slices of hemp rope. While you do these things notice what the handle is doing to your hand, if you get blisters or if your hand slides up onto the blade or if the knife flies out of your hand your handle design needs work. Stab it into soft wood and twist the blade out to see if the tip will snap off. Drop it point first onto a cement floor a few times. Do some light prying with it such as removing a paint can lid. If it survives all that then the HT is probably good ...

[jimmontg]

The handle looks real nice, what kind of wood is it? I wouldn't worry about the blurry line between the ricasso and blade, it doesn't affect the function. Looks OK as Ray said for a first knife. Do all the destructive tests last btw.lol

[dtec1]

I agree for a first it looks very good, looks better than my first hands down, as ray said man just abuse the life out that thing. and see how comfortable it is while you do it and if .....next one forget the handle put it in a vise and snap it in half that will tell you more about the HT than almost anything else.....I know I know when ray told me to break my first and second knife I thought he was outa his mind! all that work then break it!!! lets just say I ended up breaking a few knives and a few coupons and it deffinitly taught me something I look at its a sacrifice of a knife or 2 will make the rest that much better. I do really like the wood you chose and I am wondering what wood it is also

[gkyle840]

The wood on the handle is cocobolo. I really like it as well. Before I epoxied it I cleaned the inner surface really well with 100% isopropyl as it was really oily. When I get the 1084 I will make 2 blades and HT/temper the first and then break it and adjust my HT/temper for the second and then break the second. Just so you know, this will likely damage my soul after putting so much work in them

[jmccustomknives]

Originally Posted by gkyle840

The wood on the handle is cocobolo. I really like it as well. Before I epoxied it I cleaned the inner surface really well with 100% isopropyl as it was really oily. When I get the 1084 I will make 2 blades and HT/temper the first and then break it and adjust my HT/temper for the second and then break the second. Just so you know, this will likely damage my soul after putting so much work in them

It always hurts to destroy something you've made. But it's how you learn what's going on. The difference between a blacksmith and a bladesmith; one manipulates the iron outwardly, the other manipulates it inside. To understand what's going on inside you have to look.

[gkyle840]

I put the knife to work today.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxh...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxh...w?usp=drivesdk

[Ray Rogers]

It really doesn't have to be all that much work, just profile, grind and HT. No need for a fancy finish or even a handle unless you plan to do all the chopping tests first.

Cocobolo is very attractive wood as are many other tropical woods. But, it is dangerous too - just a little for some people but can be very bad for others. The dust is very toxic if you breathe it AND even if it settles on your skin so always wear long sleeves and a respirator when you work tropical woods. It can be even worse if the weather is hot and you're sweating, a rash can form on your skin. These woods are only mildly toxic for most people but the toxicity is cumulative. You can go along fine for years as I did and not have anything more than a slight itchy reaction to it then one day you suddenly can't breathe around it. Remember, even with a respirator on if you can smell that distinctive wood smell it is getting into your lungs and blood stream and it isn't going to come out.

Aside from that gloom and doom, it really clogs up your belts too...

[gkyle840]

Thanks for the heads up on cocobolo. I remember reading somewhere it was very easy to develop an allergy to it.
After getting home I cleaned my knife and checked the edge. I cut about 40 pieces of bait with it tonight. Went through a lot of bone in the 6-12" baitfish we were using. The edge looked very good. Still as sharp as before the trip. I found out how quickly 01 will rust as well. It had a lot of surface rust on the blade.

[Ray Rogers]

O1 does rust easily but if you rub it down with cooking oil it will resist rust much better next time. Rust makes it ugly but doesn't stop it from being serviceable. I have an O1 knife with a 7" blade laying on my porch outside. It has been there for 15 years. The blade is lightly pitted and rust brown but it would still be as serviceable as the day I made it if I resharpened it ...