Photo 1 below slows the rough shape cut and cleaned up.
Photo 2 shows the surface smoothed off and the two bevels ground in.
That's as far as I've got for now. More to follow ...
27 July 2019
Knife number 5
Looking for a more advanced knife to make next, I am taking inspiration from a style known as the "Razorback", found online and supplied by "Down Under" in Australia.
Photo 1 below slows the rough shape cut and cleaned up.
Photo 2 shows the surface smoothed off and the two bevels ground in.
That's as far as I've got for now. More to follow ...
Photo 1 below slows the rough shape cut and cleaned up.
Photo 2 shows the surface smoothed off and the two bevels ground in.
That's as far as I've got for now. More to follow ...
27 June 2019
Lake Garda day 7
The weather forecast for today was another VERY HOT day, and it did not disappoint in that regard.
We packed our bags after breakfast and left them in the storage cupboard at reception. With no intention of doing anything too energetic today, we started by sitting in the shade of the trees on the bar terrace, watching the world go by. A cold drink and reading a book helped the morning pass without incident. When the little hand was just past the 12, we took a walk to a restaurant around the corner from the hotel and had more authentic Italian pizzas, which were REALLY GOOD.
After sitting beside the lake for a few minutes, it became uncomfortably hot, so we returned to relax in the cool air-conditioned lounge and read some more. Changed into our travel clothes in time for the bus that took us to the airport. The journey lasted around 2 hours, including picking up others at a few places en-route, the reverse of when we arrived last week. The bus's air conditioning was struggling to cope and the internal temperature climbed gradually. Fortunately it was having some effect because when we arrived at Verona airport the outside temperature was 38°C! For my friends across the pond, that's 100°F.
Our flight was uneventful, as was the drive home, arriving just a shade after midnight. Two weary, but happy travellers after a super 7 days surrounded by beautiful countryside, pretty towns, an emerald-green lake bathed in hot sunshine, and scrumptious Italian food. All told, a very successful holiday.
Shout of thanks to "Jet2 Holidays" who put the package together. Well done. Good job!
We packed our bags after breakfast and left them in the storage cupboard at reception. With no intention of doing anything too energetic today, we started by sitting in the shade of the trees on the bar terrace, watching the world go by. A cold drink and reading a book helped the morning pass without incident. When the little hand was just past the 12, we took a walk to a restaurant around the corner from the hotel and had more authentic Italian pizzas, which were REALLY GOOD.
After sitting beside the lake for a few minutes, it became uncomfortably hot, so we returned to relax in the cool air-conditioned lounge and read some more. Changed into our travel clothes in time for the bus that took us to the airport. The journey lasted around 2 hours, including picking up others at a few places en-route, the reverse of when we arrived last week. The bus's air conditioning was struggling to cope and the internal temperature climbed gradually. Fortunately it was having some effect because when we arrived at Verona airport the outside temperature was 38°C! For my friends across the pond, that's 100°F.
Our flight was uneventful, as was the drive home, arriving just a shade after midnight. Two weary, but happy travellers after a super 7 days surrounded by beautiful countryside, pretty towns, an emerald-green lake bathed in hot sunshine, and scrumptious Italian food. All told, a very successful holiday.
Shout of thanks to "Jet2 Holidays" who put the package together. Well done. Good job!
25 June 2019
Lake Garda day 6
Our last full day at Lake Garda, as we return home tomorrow evening.
We started the day with another ferry boat ride just the short distance across the south-west corner of the lake to the town of Salò. It was very much like the others we visited a few days ago - quaint, pretty and full of character. Apart from that it was just another little Italian town. Lots of boutique shops, lots of hotels, lots of restaurants.
We walked through the streets looking for a souvenir or two. Went into the fairly large Church, which as before looked a bit drab from the outside, but was beautifully decorated inside.
By noon it was already another hot day with the temperature around 30°C. We bought some gelato (Italian ice cream) to cool us down, which was very refreshing.
We took the return ferry back to Portese at around 12.40pm. After a light lunch of toasted sandwiches and cold drinks on the bar terrace we returned to the room and both had a sleep. Later we went for a swim in the lake and this time I did make it all the way in. Cool at first, but refreshing once used to it.
When I first approached the water's edge, I paddled in just above ankle deep and paused for a minute to take a photo of Ann in the lake. A mother duck and her 5 ducklings came swimming over to me, probably hoping for some food. They came right up to within touching distance around my legs, the one even stepping onto the shore behind my foot. I managed to get a few photos of them before they swam away, realising that there were no snacks on offer. This photo was taken while the 5th duckling was on the shore behind me.
After showers we went back to the bar terrace in time for "Happy Hour", during which you basically get 2 cocktails or long drinks for the price of 1. Ann had a cocktail and I had a fruit punch.
While taking our walk after supper it was still hot outside. The on-line weather report (Dark Sky app) showed that it was still 30°C and felt like 31°C at 8.24pm. Thankfully the room is air conditioned!
We started the day with another ferry boat ride just the short distance across the south-west corner of the lake to the town of Salò. It was very much like the others we visited a few days ago - quaint, pretty and full of character. Apart from that it was just another little Italian town. Lots of boutique shops, lots of hotels, lots of restaurants.
We walked through the streets looking for a souvenir or two. Went into the fairly large Church, which as before looked a bit drab from the outside, but was beautifully decorated inside.
We took the return ferry back to Portese at around 12.40pm. After a light lunch of toasted sandwiches and cold drinks on the bar terrace we returned to the room and both had a sleep. Later we went for a swim in the lake and this time I did make it all the way in. Cool at first, but refreshing once used to it.
When I first approached the water's edge, I paddled in just above ankle deep and paused for a minute to take a photo of Ann in the lake. A mother duck and her 5 ducklings came swimming over to me, probably hoping for some food. They came right up to within touching distance around my legs, the one even stepping onto the shore behind my foot. I managed to get a few photos of them before they swam away, realising that there were no snacks on offer. This photo was taken while the 5th duckling was on the shore behind me.
After showers we went back to the bar terrace in time for "Happy Hour", during which you basically get 2 cocktails or long drinks for the price of 1. Ann had a cocktail and I had a fruit punch.
While taking our walk after supper it was still hot outside. The on-line weather report (Dark Sky app) showed that it was still 30°C and felt like 31°C at 8.24pm. Thankfully the room is air conditioned!
24 June 2019
Lake Garda day 5
Another day of beautiful, hot, sunny weather. We decided to make it a quiet, relaxing one after our outing yesterday. Immediately after breakfast we reserved 2 loungers and an umbrella beside the main pool, where we settled ourselves with books, sunglasses and zero intention of doing anything energetic for the next several hours.
Ann smothered herself with a generous coating of sunscreen. Knowing that I burn easily, I opted to remain well within the shadow of the umbrella, moving my position as the sun moved, and decided that the sunscreen would therefore not be necessary. (Note to self ... next time remember that reflected sunlight can burn just as fiercely as direct sun. Use sunscreen!) Needless to say I would now be well camouflaged in a pink marshmallow factory!
Around early afternoon I returned to the room for a sleep, leaving Ann beside the pool. Later we both paddled in the lake, Ann venturing in right up to her neck, but I was happy to just go knee deep. It is interesting that for such a large body of inland water the temperature was surprisingly warm. We both swam some more in the pool.
At around 5pm we climbed aboard a little street train (see photo below), which rides around the nearby villages and campsites for people to get around if they don't have a car. Our only reason for going was to see what the surrounding area looked like. The route took just over an hour, offering several stopping places along the way. It was quite pleasant, but we learned that the makers of the train had saved their budget by omitting a suspension system from the design.
Showers, supper and our evening stroll wrapped up the day. Another successful day of stress-free relaxation. Just what the doctor would have ordered.
Ann smothered herself with a generous coating of sunscreen. Knowing that I burn easily, I opted to remain well within the shadow of the umbrella, moving my position as the sun moved, and decided that the sunscreen would therefore not be necessary. (Note to self ... next time remember that reflected sunlight can burn just as fiercely as direct sun. Use sunscreen!) Needless to say I would now be well camouflaged in a pink marshmallow factory!
Around early afternoon I returned to the room for a sleep, leaving Ann beside the pool. Later we both paddled in the lake, Ann venturing in right up to her neck, but I was happy to just go knee deep. It is interesting that for such a large body of inland water the temperature was surprisingly warm. We both swam some more in the pool.
At around 5pm we climbed aboard a little street train (see photo below), which rides around the nearby villages and campsites for people to get around if they don't have a car. Our only reason for going was to see what the surrounding area looked like. The route took just over an hour, offering several stopping places along the way. It was quite pleasant, but we learned that the makers of the train had saved their budget by omitting a suspension system from the design.
Showers, supper and our evening stroll wrapped up the day. Another successful day of stress-free relaxation. Just what the doctor would have ordered.
23 June 2019
Lake Garda day 4
The weather was beautiful again today - warm, blue sky, no wind. We decided to take the ferry across the lake to visit a couple of little towns on the east bank. Left Portese around 10am, stopping at three other towns along the way to let passengers on and off, just like a bus service, but on the water. See the photo of the ferry below.
The crossing took about 1.5 hours to get to the town of Garda where we disembarked. It is a beautiful town with lovely character, typical of Italy. We spent some tome walking through the streets looking at the shops which are aimed at the tourists. There was also a Sunday market on the go with lots of stalls set up in the streets along the lake shore. The vendors were selling the usual variety of things you don't need - trying to convince the passers by to spend money they don't have on things they don't want to impress people they don't even like, and for which they will have to find a use or storage place once they get it home. It was a pleasant stroll nevertheless.
All along the shore and throughout the streets there are lots of trees and pretty flowers, giving the whole town a "leafy", colourful appearance. We followed the paved walkway along the shore, heading south towards the next town of Bardolino, which was about 3.5km away. The trees and flowers continued, and for most of the way the pebble beaches were packed with people soaking up the sun and swimming in the lake. We suspect that there were probably mostly local people but there were also a lot of visitors, judging by the variety of languages. It seems a popular way to get around is by bicycle - many are obviously hired, many have electric motors to aid propulsion, and many have a basket on the handlebars, which provides a convenient seat for the family pet. Mostly little dogs, but we saw one cat as well. All very cute and obviously enjoying the outing with their owners.
By the time we got to Bardolino and strolled around the town for a while the weather was hot again, probably over 30°C. We shared a pizza for lunch at one of the many roadside restaurants while we watched the people, and more bicycles, and more puppies in baskets.
We caught the return ferry at around 3pm, arriving back at Portese around 4.45pm. A quick swim in the pool was very refreshing after a day in the hot sunshine. We relaxed and showered before supper in the restaurant again, followed by our customary stroll as the sun was setting behind the mountains.
Another very enjoyable day exploring two lovely towns filled with character and charm. The plan for tomorrow has yet to be decided...
The crossing took about 1.5 hours to get to the town of Garda where we disembarked. It is a beautiful town with lovely character, typical of Italy. We spent some tome walking through the streets looking at the shops which are aimed at the tourists. There was also a Sunday market on the go with lots of stalls set up in the streets along the lake shore. The vendors were selling the usual variety of things you don't need - trying to convince the passers by to spend money they don't have on things they don't want to impress people they don't even like, and for which they will have to find a use or storage place once they get it home. It was a pleasant stroll nevertheless.
All along the shore and throughout the streets there are lots of trees and pretty flowers, giving the whole town a "leafy", colourful appearance. We followed the paved walkway along the shore, heading south towards the next town of Bardolino, which was about 3.5km away. The trees and flowers continued, and for most of the way the pebble beaches were packed with people soaking up the sun and swimming in the lake. We suspect that there were probably mostly local people but there were also a lot of visitors, judging by the variety of languages. It seems a popular way to get around is by bicycle - many are obviously hired, many have electric motors to aid propulsion, and many have a basket on the handlebars, which provides a convenient seat for the family pet. Mostly little dogs, but we saw one cat as well. All very cute and obviously enjoying the outing with their owners.
We caught the return ferry at around 3pm, arriving back at Portese around 4.45pm. A quick swim in the pool was very refreshing after a day in the hot sunshine. We relaxed and showered before supper in the restaurant again, followed by our customary stroll as the sun was setting behind the mountains.
Another very enjoyable day exploring two lovely towns filled with character and charm. The plan for tomorrow has yet to be decided...
22 June 2019
Lake Garda day 3
Last night our sleep was disturbed a number of times by fierce thunderstorms and heavy rain. This morning the rain had reduced but the wind was blowing very strongly. Result ... Today would be a low activity day, at least until the weather improved.
We spent most of the morning and into the afternoon sitting in the lounge, drinking cappuccinos and reading our books. By around 2pm the rain had stopped and the wind had subsided a bit so we went for a walk, but it was still not great to be outdoors.
Our package holiday at this hotel included one free visit to the "Wellness Centre" - indoor pool, saunas, Jacuzzi etc. So we made use of that for a couple of hours this afternoon, which was nice and relaxing.
After supper we took our customary walk as the weather is now calm and basically back to normal. Then back to the room to watch a movie or read some more, or both. So overall a very quiet, uneventful day, but good for relaxing, which is why we came here after all.
We spent most of the morning and into the afternoon sitting in the lounge, drinking cappuccinos and reading our books. By around 2pm the rain had stopped and the wind had subsided a bit so we went for a walk, but it was still not great to be outdoors.
Our package holiday at this hotel included one free visit to the "Wellness Centre" - indoor pool, saunas, Jacuzzi etc. So we made use of that for a couple of hours this afternoon, which was nice and relaxing.
After supper we took our customary walk as the weather is now calm and basically back to normal. Then back to the room to watch a movie or read some more, or both. So overall a very quiet, uneventful day, but good for relaxing, which is why we came here after all.
21 June 2019
Lake Garda day 2 - Verona
Set out after an early breakfast, heading for the nearby city of Verona (where we flew into on Wednesday). We had arranged to join a tour group so picked up others from a few hotels on the way. Our tour guide provided a very interesting narrative about the city and its history, both while on the bus and on foot as he showed us around the highlights of the city.
About one third of William Shakespeare's plays were set in Verona, either fully or in part. Famously, "Romeo and Juliet", and "Two Gentlemen of Verona". Naturally we had to visit the houses where legend has it that Romeo's family and Juliet's family lived, and Juliet's balcony, made famous by the Hollywood film.
Verona is fairly typical of an old Italian city in many ways with the old architecture, several stately homes, parts of the city walls that still remain and, in the case of Verona, an ancient amphitheatre that is still in frequent use today. This one is in better condition than its more famous cousin, the Colloseum in Rome, although slightly smaller. Today is officially the first day of summer, which also means it is the start of the opera season, so we could not go inside the amphitheatre because it was being prepared for tonight's opening performance. We did meet up with a few Roman Soldiers outside it though. See the photos below. I'm not sure why they seemed to be a little more hostile towards me than Ann?
After a lunch of traditional pizza, as made by real Italian people, we went up to the top of the "Tower Dei Lamberti", which is the tallest in Verona with spectacular views of the entire city.
The weather was HOT, 34°C and the glare radiating off the stone and marble buildings was quite uncomfortable at times, but not enough to spoil a good day out. Needless to say we were happy to get back in the air conditioned bus for the return journey.
A quick swim in the pool was a welcome refresher before supper in the hotel restaurant, followed by another stroll beside the lake. Showers and into bed after a tiring but very enjoyable day.
About one third of William Shakespeare's plays were set in Verona, either fully or in part. Famously, "Romeo and Juliet", and "Two Gentlemen of Verona". Naturally we had to visit the houses where legend has it that Romeo's family and Juliet's family lived, and Juliet's balcony, made famous by the Hollywood film.
Verona is fairly typical of an old Italian city in many ways with the old architecture, several stately homes, parts of the city walls that still remain and, in the case of Verona, an ancient amphitheatre that is still in frequent use today. This one is in better condition than its more famous cousin, the Colloseum in Rome, although slightly smaller. Today is officially the first day of summer, which also means it is the start of the opera season, so we could not go inside the amphitheatre because it was being prepared for tonight's opening performance. We did meet up with a few Roman Soldiers outside it though. See the photos below. I'm not sure why they seemed to be a little more hostile towards me than Ann?
The weather was HOT, 34°C and the glare radiating off the stone and marble buildings was quite uncomfortable at times, but not enough to spoil a good day out. Needless to say we were happy to get back in the air conditioned bus for the return journey.
A quick swim in the pool was a welcome refresher before supper in the hotel restaurant, followed by another stroll beside the lake. Showers and into bed after a tiring but very enjoyable day.
20 June 2019
Lake Garda day 1
We arrived at Hotel Casimiro late last night, around 9pm. There was a light supper ready and waiting for us after which it was a quick unpack, shower and into bed.
This morning got off to a reasonably leisurely start with breakfast at around 8am followed by a reconnaissance walk around the hotel and surrounding area to get our bearings. The hotel is situated right on the west bank of Lake Garda beside the little village of Portese. The area is very picturesque, surrounded by high mountains with beautiful trees and flowers all around. We did not realise how massive Lake Garda is! From our location we can only see one fairly small section of the lake and even that seems huge.
Below is a photo of our wing of the hotel with one of the 2 pools on the left. Our room is on the ground floor, about 4th from the left in the picture.
We spent much of the morning sitting beside the lake and on the terrace outside the bar, under the trees.
We took a walk into the very modest little village and visited a 16th century Church at the top of the hill. It looked pretty grim from the outside but the inside was beautifully decorated. Returned to the hotel, had a very refreshing swim in the other pool, followed by more relaxing and reading our books.
Supper in the main restaurant was a very appetizing spread after which we took another walk beside the lake and enjoyed the sunset. The cooler evening weather was a welcome relief after the high of 30°C earlier in the day.
This morning got off to a reasonably leisurely start with breakfast at around 8am followed by a reconnaissance walk around the hotel and surrounding area to get our bearings. The hotel is situated right on the west bank of Lake Garda beside the little village of Portese. The area is very picturesque, surrounded by high mountains with beautiful trees and flowers all around. We did not realise how massive Lake Garda is! From our location we can only see one fairly small section of the lake and even that seems huge.
Below is a photo of our wing of the hotel with one of the 2 pools on the left. Our room is on the ground floor, about 4th from the left in the picture.
We spent much of the morning sitting beside the lake and on the terrace outside the bar, under the trees.
We took a walk into the very modest little village and visited a 16th century Church at the top of the hill. It looked pretty grim from the outside but the inside was beautifully decorated. Returned to the hotel, had a very refreshing swim in the other pool, followed by more relaxing and reading our books.
Supper in the main restaurant was a very appetizing spread after which we took another walk beside the lake and enjoyed the sunset. The cooler evening weather was a welcome relief after the high of 30°C earlier in the day.
17 June 2019
Knife number 4
Back in the workshop I picked up a blade that I had started working on some time ago but then put aside because I was not happy with the way it was going. I decided to finish it, but deliberately use it as a learning experience to try some new things.
Here is the finished knife. It is from 304 stainless steel. The blade is 115mm long x 35mm wide x 3mm thick. Handle is 110mm long including the guard x 20mm thick. The guard is brass and the handle is Cedar wood, once again polished with beeswax to bring out the natural sheen and the beauty of the wood. The Cedar is a lighter weight than other woods I have used before so overall the knife feels "blade-heavy", even more so since it does not have a pummel at the back to provide any counter-balance.
The knife is made with a hidden tang but this time I was able to drill the slot into the wood with my new extra-length drill bits. They are 200mm long and range from 2mm to 7mm in diameter. Just what I needed for this application but I can see I must be very careful to avoid bending them in use.
So this one is more of a working knife that I plan to use, rather than a trophy for display, but it's been fun to make nevertheless. Enjoy the photos!
Here is the finished knife. It is from 304 stainless steel. The blade is 115mm long x 35mm wide x 3mm thick. Handle is 110mm long including the guard x 20mm thick. The guard is brass and the handle is Cedar wood, once again polished with beeswax to bring out the natural sheen and the beauty of the wood. The Cedar is a lighter weight than other woods I have used before so overall the knife feels "blade-heavy", even more so since it does not have a pummel at the back to provide any counter-balance.
The knife is made with a hidden tang but this time I was able to drill the slot into the wood with my new extra-length drill bits. They are 200mm long and range from 2mm to 7mm in diameter. Just what I needed for this application but I can see I must be very careful to avoid bending them in use.
So this one is more of a working knife that I plan to use, rather than a trophy for display, but it's been fun to make nevertheless. Enjoy the photos!
27 May 2019
Craig's knife
Not every knife I make will be a gift for someone, but I am proud to have made this for my good friend and 'adopted brother', Craig.
Also made completely from new materials, this one features a full tang design with ornately shaped blade. The scales are made from Bloodwood with aluminium bolsters and brass pins.
The blade is 120mm long (4.72") and the handle is 110mm long (4.33"), giving an overall length of 230mm (9.05").
Enjoy the photos!
Also made completely from new materials, this one features a full tang design with ornately shaped blade. The scales are made from Bloodwood with aluminium bolsters and brass pins.
The blade is 120mm long (4.72") and the handle is 110mm long (4.33"), giving an overall length of 230mm (9.05").
Enjoy the photos!
Pa Jerry's Knife
My blog has been quiet for the past few months. The reason ... I have been working on two more knives, which were both made as gifts for people who have access to this blog and I did not want them to see the results before I had the chance to hand over the knives to them in person.
This is the story of the knife I made for Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, from whom I got much of the wood that I am using for the handles.
The knife is made completely from new raw materials (no recycled files etc.) The blade is 304 Stainless steel, polished to a mirror finish. The handle is, from blade to pummel:
The blade is 140mm long (5.5") x 40mm wide (1,57") and 4.5mm thick (0.18"). The handle is 125mm long (4.9").
Pic 01 - Cutting the rough blade shape from flat bar
Pic 02 - Smoothing the blade surface to remove roughness, ready for the bevel
Pic 03 - Grinding the bevel using the jig, which allows adjustment to set the required angle
Pic 04 - Blade set in the adjustable jig, showing the bevel partly ground
Pic 05 - Polishing the blade to a mirror finish using the spinning mop cloth
Pic 06 - Parts of the handle cut and ready for assembly
Pic 07 - Handle assembled and glued with epoxy. Initial sanding done to prepare a smooth surface for shaping.
Pic 08 - Shaping the handle using a portable belt sander mounted upside down in the vice
Pic 09 - Final shaping of the handle done by hand
Pic 10 - Shaping and polishing complete
Pic 11 - Wood polished with beeswax to bring out the natural lustre
Pic 12 - Final step - new owner's name etched into the steel using acid
This is the story of the knife I made for Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, from whom I got much of the wood that I am using for the handles.
The knife is made completely from new raw materials (no recycled files etc.) The blade is 304 Stainless steel, polished to a mirror finish. The handle is, from blade to pummel:
- brass
- black Perspex*
- thin brass plate
- red Perspex*
- thin brass plate
- maple
- walnut
- brass
The blade is 140mm long (5.5") x 40mm wide (1,57") and 4.5mm thick (0.18"). The handle is 125mm long (4.9").
Pic 01 - Cutting the rough blade shape from flat bar
Pic 02 - Smoothing the blade surface to remove roughness, ready for the bevel
Pic 03 - Grinding the bevel using the jig, which allows adjustment to set the required angle
Pic 04 - Blade set in the adjustable jig, showing the bevel partly ground
Pic 05 - Polishing the blade to a mirror finish using the spinning mop cloth
Pic 06 - Parts of the handle cut and ready for assembly
Pic 07 - Handle assembled and glued with epoxy. Initial sanding done to prepare a smooth surface for shaping.
Pic 08 - Shaping the handle using a portable belt sander mounted upside down in the vice
Pic 09 - Final shaping of the handle done by hand
Pic 10 - Shaping and polishing complete
Pic 11 - Wood polished with beeswax to bring out the natural lustre
Pic 12 - Final step - new owner's name etched into the steel using acid
27 January 2019
My First Bottle Opener
Back in the workshop I decided to try something a little different, so set to work making a bottle opener. As this required a number of the same skills that I would use to make a knife, I used the opportunity to try out some techniques I have not done before, such as a 'full tang' design and applying 'bolsters' on the sides instead of a 'guard'.
The central silver part is 304 stainless steel. The 'bolsters' are brass and the wooden 'scales' are walnut. After cutting, shaping, glueing and polishing to get the mirror finish, I treated the wood with beeswax to give it a natural, rich shine.
Overall dimensions:
Length 100mm (4")
Width 28mm (1.1")
Thickness 16mm (0.63")
Overall I am very happy with the result. Hope you like the photos!
The central silver part is 304 stainless steel. The 'bolsters' are brass and the wooden 'scales' are walnut. After cutting, shaping, glueing and polishing to get the mirror finish, I treated the wood with beeswax to give it a natural, rich shine.
Overall dimensions:
Length 100mm (4")
Width 28mm (1.1")
Thickness 16mm (0.63")
Overall I am very happy with the result. Hope you like the photos!
06 January 2019
My first knife
Over the past several weeks I have been making my first knife, which I finished today.
I started off with an old, rusty file that looked like it had been rotting in a ditch for a few years. Needless to say, it required a lot of grinding to get it to the right size and shape, not helped by the fact that it was already hardened. My grinder performed well as I breathed new life into the steel.
Shout of thanks to Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, for the selection of wood offcuts that I brought home after my last visit to the ranch. For this knife I decided to keep it simple and just used a single block of cherry wood for the hidden tang design. The guard and pummel are brass with a black perspex insert for visual effect.
After cutting, drilling, epoxy, assembly, shaping and sanding, I finished it off by polishing the cherry wood handle with beeswax to give it a rich sheen as well as protection for the wood.
The blade is 150mm long (6") x 32mm wide (1.25") and 5mm thick (0.4"). The handle is 110mm long (4.3").
Overall, for my first knife, I am very happy with the result.
Enjoy the photos!
I started off with an old, rusty file that looked like it had been rotting in a ditch for a few years. Needless to say, it required a lot of grinding to get it to the right size and shape, not helped by the fact that it was already hardened. My grinder performed well as I breathed new life into the steel.
Shout of thanks to Pa Jerry in Mulberry, USA, for the selection of wood offcuts that I brought home after my last visit to the ranch. For this knife I decided to keep it simple and just used a single block of cherry wood for the hidden tang design. The guard and pummel are brass with a black perspex insert for visual effect.
After cutting, drilling, epoxy, assembly, shaping and sanding, I finished it off by polishing the cherry wood handle with beeswax to give it a rich sheen as well as protection for the wood.
The blade is 150mm long (6") x 32mm wide (1.25") and 5mm thick (0.4"). The handle is 110mm long (4.3").
Overall, for my first knife, I am very happy with the result.
Enjoy the photos!
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