Making of a blade

[Romey]

One thing i left out, that nicly finished blade dont look like that after heattreat, the scale and gunk that heattreat does to a blade needs cleaned up AGAIN and re handsanded. Its kind of a shame but i generally tend to rehandsand a blade 3 times before its done. The first time i do it to make sure the flats of the blade are dead flat and to start a foundation finish. Second time is to clean the blade back up and final time is to remove scratchs fitting the handle on may cause. Some custom knifemakers just use thier grinder to do a finish and then buff , thats fine but doing a handsanded satin finish like i do, this is the price i pay and is the ultimate and most sough after finish a blade can have. It truelly says CUSTOM as no factory knife can have the finish running with the blade due to the machines they use to grind blades out. Ill get some pics of the blade as it comes out of heattreat and out of temper. then it will be back to handsanded AGAIN and will look like it has the last you all seen it.

[Romey]

Here is Nathans blade just after hardening. It is fully quenched, which means the entire blade is brought to its critical temperature and quenched fulling in the oil. ALOT of custom smiths d just the edge, leaving a soft pearlite spine. The trouble with this is that is allow pearlite (the bad stuff) to mix with the martinsite (the good stuff) at the edge and as such performance goes down.
Being i ended up making Nathans blade slightly larger then our plan was, the blade which is actually only 3/8 wider then our plan, it has be osmosis transformed the blade into a drop point look rather then clip point, partley due to not putting the false edge on top like we had planned. Im still working out if we can get it into Au with a false edge. Customs laws and all that.
Atanyrate the next step is into temper oven to draw it out. I do this 3 times for a hour a peice allowing the blade to cool to room temperature and full martinsite transformation. Pics to follow..

[Romey]

Well since last update, the blade has been RE-polished, to its now finished state which again looks just like it did BEFORE heattreat pictures so no need to post those again. Also I got my my logo on the blade.

I also didnt take pictures of filing the shoulders of the ricasso or sloting the nickle silver guard nor did I of putting it on. Even though this is a major make or break part of the knife I figured words would suffice.
My guards are slotted to just under the shoulder size with a milling machine where I then go in and hand file for a exact fit. Once its pretty close I slide a pipe I make just for putting guards on and give it a whack or two or twenty,hehe. You can see in the photos that the tape I have on the blade to protect it is wrecked, this is from whacking the pressure fit guard in and the blade sliding slightly dwn into my protective jig...

This pressure fit if done right leaves ZERO gaps and absoloutly no place for moisture to get under the guard and start rusting. I put JB weld into the back side of the guard to seal it completely just to ease my mind, Yes I beleive there is nothing wrong with over building.
So first pic shows the guard final fitted on the tang.
Second pic is close up of the fit between the blade and guard. Pretty flawless, I was happy and didnt have to do it twice which makes me happier yet.

[Nathan123]

That is looking good mate.

[Romey]

Next Job was to pick out the block of wood to be used for the handle. Nathan wanted maple burl and I had several to choose from and choose the nicest block I had, I have made Nathan wait for this knife to near the limits of what I told him so wanted to treat this a bit more special. This maple block has burl on two sides and is curly on 2 sides, not a common block by anymeans. Not only is it not common but the burl really pops in this peice, at anyrate this will for sure be a one of a kind. As with any maple I use as well as some other softer woods this has been professionally stabilized which is impregnating a accrylic resin under high pressure into the wood, When dry it doesnt shrink or move , is VERY VERY tough far more then any wood left natrual and is water and chemical resistant. The company I use does it in a way it still feels and works like wood, some others companies stabilization feels like plastic.
Here is the block I picked,
First picture is the burly side, I choose this side to be the sides of the handle and the curly sides to be top and bottom which will be the second picture.
The third pic
I drilled out the tang recess got it to fit up well and also drilled the pin hole in it. All this was done after I had drilled the tang and used it as a template. youll notice the teeth sawed into the tang, I do this as well as the exstra hole in the tang for epoxy to bind to the tang. The hole will make whats called a "hidden epoxy pin" and the teeth is just more for the tang to grab on too.
Like I said, I over build but this kinda stuff makes the differance in hard use, high performance knives in this hidden tang type of knife.. and something factory knives DONT do. Take your knife apart see how easy this happens, Take mine apart you need a grinder, dont ask me how I know!
So here it is in its peices ready for final fit up, Nickle silver guard fitted on a forged W-2 steel blade. Handle drilled and ready for fit up, Nickle silver and black vulcanized spacers and nickle silver pin.
Now to clean all the parts and mix my epoxy resin.

[Nathan123]

That's a nice looking peice of timber. It is going to be a good looking knife when it is finished.

[Romey]

Last photos of this update.
I have mixed my epoxy resin up , cleaned all the parts and fitted it all together. The Epoxy I use is reallllly tough , void filling with great adhesion and to date havent had a handle fail from this resin.
A bunch of custom makers got together all did a bunch of adhesive tests on everything from devcon 2 ton to some nasa 100$ a ounce stuff.
The stuff I use far outperformed devcon 2 ton (2,500 PSI adhesion) which is what I used to use and was happy with it but when it came to heat the stuff I use outpreformed the Devcon, trouble is this what i use cant be bought in your local store. Such as it is, I have alot of faith in this stuff and its worth ordering it.
So here is the pics as she sits awaiting for the epoxy to cure.

[Romey]

It will look alot better when its sanded what you see is saw cut polish, I have found if it looks that good from a saw blade, sanding looks 20 times nicer.

[Romey]

Here is lastest that i got done after work today, got it roughed out with belt grinder, now Ill go to the final shaping of handle and guard with hand files then back to the grinder to sand out. The handle and gaurd (other then the finger notch) is at only 120 grit. VERY nice figuring in this wood.
Pictures suck tonight but here you all go.

Feel free to comment or ask questions if you have them.
Balance of this is right where i like them, right at guard, makes a quicker blade as the balance is at your forfinger when in your hand skinning or what not

[Nathan123]

Bloody good job mate.

[Romey]

You liking it? Any concerns?

[Nathan123]

Originally Posted by Romey

You liking it? Any concerns?

I am loving how it is turning out. My only concern is it is going to get cold here soon, i hate the cold LOL.

[hawkeye_gunner]

How much did you sell that latest one for?

[Romey]

Hawkeye, if your refering to the knife in the pictures I just posted, that aint even done, nor close to it, its in a roughed out shaping and at only 120 grit sanding, still have some hand filing and sanding to go. As for the price it is a custom order for Nathan "cold Toes" and as such the particulars are private on THAT perticular knife. If your interested in one of mine Id be happy to discuss general prices through my website.

Nathan my friend, im not convinced you know what cold is! Common over here when I am calving out heifers in Feb. next year , Ill introduce you to working outside and or horseback at -20f below , -30f below windchill with a wet bawlin calf across your lap and a its Mad Momma trying to put you into a snowbank.

[Nathan123]

Originally Posted by Romey

Nathan my friend, im not convinced you know what cold is! Common over here when I am calving out heifers in Feb. next year , Ill introduce you to working outside and or horseback at -20f below , -30f below windchill with a wet bawlin calf across your lap and a its Mad Momma trying to put you into a snowbank.

HAHAHA. Mate anything under 20C (68F) is too cold for me. I have been in -12C (10F) before and do not wish to experience anything like it again.

I have a mate that lives in Canada, he just laughs at my -12 experience LOL (i bet it is much the same where you are, you are not that far from Canada)

-30F? bugger that, that's -34 in our language. All those cold places are always very beautiful places though.

[ArkansasHunter]

Geeez I'm getting cold from reading these temperatures. Romey maybe someday when I win the lottery I can get you to build me one. Excellent work feller !!!
A.H

[Romey]

No need to win the lottery, I do take trades

[neophyte]

Romey: Sir; when you do the calving who's knife do you carry

Having gone back several times to see the progress; WoW. Looking at what I thought was finished and you say your not finished
"Nathan" Sir; you're going to be one envied knife "holder"

[Romey]

Craig,
I carry a quick release thumbs stud folder that i made. The uses that I need for calving ranching and cowboy work is different them what I need for hunting and or guiding hunters. No one knife does it all nomatter what you may read on the internet.lol

No the knife isnt done in those pics, its only rough shaped..

[Romey]

Well being Nathan lives over seas I did more cutting testing on his blade as if there were to be any problem it would be a pain for us both to ship back and forth.
Altho I did a cutting test already, Chopping on brass then paper cutting to look for any edge deflection, chipping or a rolled edge which it passed as well as any blade I have ever made I did some extra testing, I chopped a paice of lathe and a 2x2 green treated decking rail ,cut on some leather then some cardboard.
Thought you all might like to see the results.
I didnt get pics of the leather I cut up but its heavy 16oz saddle skirting thats about 1/4 thick, 17) 2 inch cuts. I also didnt get pictures of a peice of lathe I chopped in half twice.
My camera batteries did hold out long enough to show the 2x2 green treated wood I chopped nearly in half before getting to cold and coming back in, cut on the leather then cardboard then a tested for a rolled edge on paper and examined for any chips.
Cutting paper will tell you everything you need to know about the edge you have. Nothing will dull a blade faster then leather or cardboard and hence I use both.
I WANT to see where and visibly notice when where and what dulls the blade. When I quit this test I could still easily shave and easily slice paper. Im callin it sendable