Working on something new

[stephanfowler]

I've been meaning to start working with larger knives and decided to finally bite the bullet and try one.

9" blade
5.5" handle
1095 with a rockin Hamon

haven't decided on a handle yet - I'm thinking a small SS Bolster dovetailed with some nice wood..... thoughts anyone?

Clip is not sharpened, I had planned to sharpen it but the Hamon dies about 3/4 inch from the back end of the clip, so I would be sharpening unhardened steel (not this cowboy dangit) still I think it's turning out beautifully

[Harry Mathews]

That's a good looking blade Stephen and it deserves a good looking handle. I would trace that whole blade out on a piece of paper a bunch of times and then sit down and draw some handles on them. Don't limit yourself by the lines on the paper when it comes to the handle. I would let them set for a day or two and then draw some more. After you have done that, see which one grabs you. I just did that same thing on a blade that turned out to be a hunters Bowie. That is what it started out to be, but I had some reservations until my drawings confirmed it.

[Crex]

Stephan
Not sure why you wouldn't sharpen the clip. I know you don't want to wreck test that particular blade and am not suggesting that, but you should make up a test blade of same tip geometry and do the HT. Check out it's hardness and edge holding abilities. I think you'd be surprised with the results (throughout the whole clip section).
There was a long discussion about hamons a couple of years ago and some cross-sectional cuts were magnified and etched showing the actual grain structure transition. It displayed a severe parabolic curve going the opposite direction from which you'd expect - away from the edge. In otherwords, your clip section is going to be a good bit harder under the surface than you might invision. An easy inhouse test would be to snap the test blade tip off back around the area in question and look at the overall geometry of the break. It should demonstrate a straight break across from edge to spine/clip with just a very slight curve back toward the handle right at the edge of the clip itself.
A bit more to it than I can explain here, but we can talk about it at TrackRock if you remind me.

All that said - what really is important is the function of the clip on that particular style blade. My perception is the clip was ground and sharpened on blades of this particular geometry to allow easier penetration into an adversary whether man or beast. A couple of minutes testing that style blade's clip as a chopping instrument on a 2X4 will quickly dispel the "light axe" theory one often hears.
Another angle I read somewhere was that the Romans did it on their short swords for better thrusting penetration...and...to keep the enemy from getting a grip on the blade (man, that had to be some serious closed fighting!).

Hey almost forgot - reallly nice looking blade neighbor! Looking forward to seeing it completed. Handle application/selection has always been my stall zone. Gotten to where now I just turn the lights out in the shop, spin around three times and walk around until I bump into a bench. Whatever I have in my hand when I turn on the light is the handle.