Knife # 2

[DarrylF]

Finished my second knife. I used a HSS metal lathe tool for the blank - picked up several for $6-8 each at a local market. The infill this time is huon pine - nice contrast.

[DarrylF]

The other side.

[DarrylF]

Here you can see the blank, and the ground version, with the scales. The really nice thing about the HSS is the edge you can get with it - really sharp and seems to stay that way.

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

Pardon my ignorance, but what sort of knife is it?

[DarrylF]

I probably should have said - it's a kinda odd shape :) I made this and the other one for carving (kinda) - basically for working inside compound curves on things like home made plane totes etc. Spots where a normal chisel won't fit.

[davo453]

Lovely figuring on the handle Darryl

Don’t know if it’s been said before but a cheap and often free way of gaining large pieces of steel suitable for knives etc is to get some used metal cutting power hacksaw blades they generally come in sections around 500mm long by 50mm wide by about 3 to 4mm thick.

I once worked at special steel supplier (they are always throwing them away) and we had a few guys that regularly came looking for them. One of them made a large bush knife for me with one of the blades keeping the serrated back edge and shaping it in to a vicious looking but useful tool. It keeps its edge extremely well.

Cheers



Dave

[captaincrash]

HI there,

I saw your knives on here and thought I would make one of my own, I used a wore out reciprocating saw blade (steel cutting)and it worked out quite well. Time will tell if the blade holds an edge for long?? When I get a pic of it I will post one. Thanks again for the great idea.....I will be making more if this one works well.

Mike

[morry]

just make sure that you use all hard blades and not the bi-metal ones that consist of a HSS cutting edge welded to a more flexible backer. It would be a shame to spend hours grinding up a knife blank to have it not hold an edge. I gave made a few knives using these blades and they hold a good edge. My brother pinched one and has become his favorite boat knife for tuna fishing (he only complains about the rust).

[captaincrash]

I just ran down and checked the package and they arent Bi-metel......glad you mentioned that cuz I never thought of it!! After the knife was finished I whittled a little sailor out of a chunk of basswood and it stayed razor sharp so far... As for Tuna, we dont have them here so I will have to try it on Pike or Pikeral lol...

Thanks again for all your advise and the great forums everybody!

Mike