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Custom Projects A place to meet for special project threads. |
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#1
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Veteran's Collaborative Project
Veteran's Day is recognized on November 11th in the USA. I'd like to propose a project to honor all those who have served in harms way.
Four knifemaker's are needed. "The Driver" Conceives the basic design and profile and does the primary grinding to about 80%-90% complete. "The Chef" Heat treats and does secondary grinding to final proportions and finish. Provides funds for shipping to eventual owner. "The Doctor" Selects and installs handle material. Sharpens and finishes the knife. "The Tailor" Designs and creates a sheath to compliment the design of the knife. Photographs knife or has it done by competent individual. The idea here is to create a unique collaborative knife that represents the finest effort of all those involved. The knife would be auctioned off with 100% of the proceedes to benefit a veteran's charity to be selected in discussions between the four makers involved. In keeping with the guiding principals of this forum, this project is open to all, not just 'Americans' and the veteran's organization to receive the funds can be any that is agreed upon by the makers. This will be decided before the project begins. VERY high quality materials and work is desired. If you wish to volunteer for one of the four slots, choose the one that represents your strength as a maker. Due to the nature of the project, edge or clay quenched carbon steel is preferred since the 'Doctor' may have to drill holes in the tang for handle instalation. If it is preferred by the team to go with stainless, then arrangements will have to made and those with the tools, digital kilns, etc., to work this steel will have to be on board. No outsourcing for HT. "The Chef" was taxed with the shipping fees to the end owner since his/her duties require no actual materials costs other than belts, polish, FC, etc. The other three makers bear the expenses of good steel, premium handle material, leather, etc. Makers who are veterans themselves or who have a very warm place in their heart for veterans are encouraged to participate. The Driver will have the knife for March and April and ship by May 1st to the Chef. The Chef will have it for May and June and ship to the Doctor by July 1st. The Doctor will be in posession for July and August and send to the Tailor by Sept. 1st. The Tailor has September and October to get it 'dressed' and photographed. The auction will be the first week of November and the knife should be in the hands of the new owner by Veteran's Day. If more than 4 makers are willing to step up to this considerable challenge, we will start a second team and a second knife, and so on if there are more still. Pictures of the knife can be posted in progress, but no discussion between makers as far as design or style should be decided in commitee. Each maker is solely responsible for his creative duties and is to be totaly trusted. No maker will alter the work of a previous participant beyond what is needed to complete his own task. We have this month to discuss this project. I'd like to see it up and running by March 1st. There's no reason why this should interfere too greatly with a maker's other projects, since only a portion of the knife is required. As a veteran of the US Army, I'd like to volunteer for the honor of being the 'Driver' and do the profile design and primary grinding. The floor is open... __________________ Andy Garrett https://www.facebook.com/GarrettKnives?ref=hl Charter Member - Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association www.kansasknives.org "Drawing your knife from its sheath and using it in the presence of others should be an event complete with oos, ahhs, and questions." Last edited by Andrew Garrett; 02-06-2007 at 06:40 AM. |
#2
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As an old veteran this is one of the greatest, oringinal, and most creative ideas in knife making I have ever heard of! I only wish I had the talent to participate. I hope once the project starts, you will be able to keep us all in on the progress, with pics!
GOOD LUCK!!!!! |
#3
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Andy,
I would like to participate. I don't do tacticals but I'm in for heat treat, so sign me in for a Chef. This will be my first KITH. I hope it will make someone proud. No high alloy or Stainless please. Scott __________________ jScott Oxford, AL |
#4
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The time line works for me on the Doctor. If there is another team I'm open for each of the other spots but the sheath with Driver if a second team and Chef if there is a third. As this is working for strengths, sheaths & pics are not mine.
Jim __________________ I cook with a flair for the dramatic, and depraved indifference to calories |
#5
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Andy-
Awesome idea!! Unfortunately I don't have the skills necessary to do any of the steps justice. I do however have an idea on how I can participate. I've been making homemade "micarta" for a while now with decent success. I've been thinking about taking some of my old BDUs (Battle Dress Uniforms) that I wore while serving in Bosnia and turning them into micarta. I'd be happy to do this for the Doctor to install. What do you guys think? -Dave __________________ www.ruhligknives.com "The choice isn't between success and failure; it's between choosing risk and striving for greatness, or risking nothing and being certain of mediocrity." - Keith Ferrazi |
#6
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This sounds great.wish I could play,but think I might be a little thin right now.Just accepted an order for 5 new ones.Will be watching closely.Need lots of pics and updates.
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#7
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J. Scott,
Just to clarify, this is not neccessarily a tactical. The Driver will send you something to work with without you having much if any heads-up on the design. That's entirely up to him (me if there is no objection, since I volunteered for the position). As the chef, you would be responsible for more than the heat treat. This is perhaps the most crucial step where quality of work is concerned, because in addition to the HT, you would do all the finish grinding and provide the finished product where the steel is concerened. That finish would be up to you. Mirrored, satin, etched, bead blasted, dura-coated, whatever--just so long as it is ready for a handle and sharpening when it gets to the doctor. The chef would also forward the final shipping funds to the tailor for delivery to the buyer. I wasn't sure, based on your response, if you caught the entire scope of the chef's responsibility. Let us know if you still feel up to it based on all this. I don't think I've ever seen your work, but I'd love to have you on board if cool with all the details. Dave, I've been wanting to try some BDU phenolic too! I've never seen it though. So, since the idea is to use premium stuff, you should whip up a batch and see what it looks like, how it grinds, polishes, etc. I have no doubt it would be strong, but we should have a working knowledge of the appearance before we commit to it. In the end, this selection is up to the Doctor. Remember, we are trusting the creativity of the person doing the work. Jim is the first to step up for that position, so if he is to be the Doctor, the thing to do would be to offer the material to him for his stage of the work. He may choose it as a handle or even a bolster material. It's up to him. I think first though..., make some and let's get a look at it. Let's keep the the discussion going! __________________ Andy Garrett https://www.facebook.com/GarrettKnives?ref=hl Charter Member - Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association www.kansasknives.org "Drawing your knife from its sheath and using it in the presence of others should be an event complete with oos, ahhs, and questions." |
#8
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man i wish my skill level was up to par so i could contribute.....sounds like a great idea, but ill have to wait a couple years.
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#9
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Andy-
Good point - I have no idea what it's going to look like either. I'll try to whip some up this weekend. It takes a few days to dry so I should be able to get some pics up next week. -Dave __________________ www.ruhligknives.com "The choice isn't between success and failure; it's between choosing risk and striving for greatness, or risking nothing and being certain of mediocrity." - Keith Ferrazi |
#10
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Andy,
No problem with the finish on the blade. Ht skills are O.K. I am tempering in a kitchen oven but have had good success with that. I usually drill the tang for handle material before quenching so this may present a problem for the Doctor to drill after the blade is hardened. Scott __________________ jScott Oxford, AL |
#11
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BTW Andy,
If this project comes together, could you send some scrap steel to the Chef in order to test for RC hardness. I have a neighbor that has access to a machine at his work and can run a test for us. Scott __________________ jScott Oxford, AL |
#12
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I can do the driver part if i can get my tendonitis under control. How would a forged blade in W2 sound? Although I would probaby have to heat reat it too because apprently W2 can be a bit tricky. I could also use 5160, 1080 or O1 and do the heat treat if that would make life easier for the next guy. Finishing is enough work for any one man with one of my blades...lol. Maybe the chef could be responsible for selecting and roughing out the guard and other hardware.
Joe Last edited by jdm61; 02-07-2007 at 03:18 PM. |
#13
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J. Scott,
We can avoid tang hardness problems by edge quenching the bade or by using satanite for a clay quench. PM me if you have any questions on this process... super easy and make (IMHO) a better blade due to differential HT. Everyone, I'd like to see two of these get going! One stock removal full tang and a forged stick tang. So far we have the following volunteers: Driver (profile, and primary grinding): Andy Garrett Joe (jdm61) Carl Price Chef (heat treat, blade finishing): J. Scott Doctor (handle and sharpening) Jim Drouillard Tailor (sheath) Carl Price (if no one else steps up) Andrew Garrett (in the event we get a second knife going) __________________ Andy Garrett https://www.facebook.com/GarrettKnives?ref=hl Charter Member - Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association www.kansasknives.org "Drawing your knife from its sheath and using it in the presence of others should be an event complete with oos, ahhs, and questions." Last edited by Andrew Garrett; 02-07-2007 at 11:37 PM. |
#14
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Andy,
Lets kick it up a notch. I have 2 pcs of 3/16 x 1 1/4 x 9" random damascus that I would be willing to donate. Questions can be directed to me about heat treating and finishing for this steel. Although this does rule out differential heat treating. ( I think it takes away from the beauty of the steel.) __________________ Delbert Ealy www.ealyknives.com custom damascus in high carbon tool steels www.mokume-jewelry.com gold, silver, and palladium mokume rings for under $1000 |
#15
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Wow Delbert! That's huge!
Ok... let me think here... There are details to work out... I'll get back to you all shortly. __________________ Andy Garrett https://www.facebook.com/GarrettKnives?ref=hl Charter Member - Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association www.kansasknives.org "Drawing your knife from its sheath and using it in the presence of others should be an event complete with oos, ahhs, and questions." |
Tags |
blade, fixed blade, forge, forging, hunting knife, knife, knife making, knives |
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