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:
- brass
- black Perspex*
- thin brass plate
- red Perspex*
- thin brass plate
- maple
- walnut
- brass
[* Perspex is a trade name for
poly(methyl methacrylate), also known as
acrylic]
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
