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View Full Version : A photo of what will become my new knife



jc1234
05-07-2010, 11:38 PM
No, its not me making it. Im simply not even close to being this good with my hands. Yes its big, but Ive been through all sized knives and this fits me needs (and wants). Custom designed by me and the bladesmith over the course of about 6 months. Completely overkill and tougher than I will ever need...but when I get a tool like I hold onto it forever and rarely replace it unless it dies, so I figured I might as well get the best I could afford. Will update with more photos once its done.

Edit: photos removed

Justin Case
05-08-2010, 12:37 AM
Dang,, Looks more like a "Short Sword" ,, Like the Spartans carried , Looks Cool !! :)

jc1234
05-08-2010, 12:49 AM
Dang,, Looks more like a "Short Sword" ,, Like the Spartans carried , Looks Cool !! :)

Its an 11" blade with an extra bit on the end for a pommel, so I dont mess up the scales when I hammer it into material. The blade length has a few purposes, the butterfly serrations on top make for an excellent saw, but only if I can get a long enough stroke to make it worth it (which means at least a 9" blade). I also use my current knife instead of an axe. I place it lengthwise on a log and hammer it through by hitting the top of the blade about 2" back from the tip with a large stick until it splits the wood. I like it much better than an axe,m its quicker and I think its safer, but my current knife blade of 8.5" is a little short Ive found. The extra length was so little additional weight I figured it was worth it. I use my current knife for almost everything. I still carry a multitool in my pack dont bother using it anymore. It looks stupid big carrying it, but its uses are just endless. Once I get this, Im giving my current knife to a good friend of mine, its a bit beat up, but still a great knife just a little too short for me as silly as that sounds and doesnt have all the options or the steel I want.

crashdive123
05-08-2010, 07:56 AM
Looks pretty cool. Who ever is doing the smithing looks pretty darned talented.

rebel
05-08-2010, 07:58 AM
Cool pics. Thanks.

Camp10
05-08-2010, 08:15 AM
Cant wait for Sarge to see that blade!:innocent:

Rick
05-08-2010, 08:19 AM
We have a saying around here. If it works for you then it works for me. Post up some finished pics, please.

randyt
05-08-2010, 08:24 AM
looks like that will be a dandy when it's done.

Camp10
05-08-2010, 08:32 AM
That handle looks like it should be very comfortable. What are you going to have for scales for the handle? I'm guessing this is a stock removal knife but he is pounding the bevels in the blade, is that right? I also hope you post some pics of the finished knife.

Pict
05-08-2010, 08:48 AM
Now that is a true short sword. Very cool project. I'd like to see it when it's finished.

Ole WV Coot
05-08-2010, 08:53 AM
Since this was a well thought out design I am interested mainly in the blade length. In my younger days a 7" blade was max. for what I used it for. Now a 4" blade finds more use for me. Except for a few green officers with expensive hand-made Bowies, nice and shiny I never knew anyone that used anything larger than a K-Bar for everything. I am interested in the finished product, the saw back and how it is used so please post pics when completed, I am curious.

panch0
05-08-2010, 10:35 AM
Can't wait to see it completed.

jc1234
05-08-2010, 11:35 AM
I will post up photos when it is done, no worries. The knife is completely hand forged then undergoes several heat / quenching cycles and cryo treatment. As far as scales, we are just using micarta, its what Im using now and I find it very comfortable with excellent grip.

As far as the blade length, it allows me to drop an axe, and saw from my pack. The problem with any knife Ive found that has a saw back, is if its too short you dont get good strokes and it just ends up wasting time and feeling like an idiot. Likewise if the blade is too thin, the saw teeth just get stuck after a while due to friction on the sides of the blade. A nice thick spine acts as a wedge and a saw at the same time so it cuts and splits at once. Instead of an axe, I usually split logs that are about 6" wide on average I guess. I place the knife blade over top lengthwise and hammering it through the log. It works much quicker and easier than and axe or hatchet for me, but you need enough of the knife blade sticking out of the other side of the log to have someething to hammer on, plus you need enough length on the handle side to have some leverage. That and the saw length was the main reasoning for me going 11" over 8, 9, or 10. This also gave me enough blade to have a few inches of serrations while still giving me plenty of straight blade.

After carring my 8.5" blade I couldnt see myself ever going smaller than that again. I like the leverage for prying, the cutting length, the weight for slashing through brush. I also like that a blade that long can be stabbed into dirt or snow and used as a hand hold to maneuver up short inclines that are just a bit to steep to get up without having the extra help. I find endless uses for a large knife that I never found with a small one. I could probably just as easily carry a small knife and some other tools too get the job done, I just like this route more and I dont have a really good explanation as too why...it just worked for me from day one after getting my first large knife.

If I was in the military and had to carry additional equipment anyway, one thing for every task and there was little need/desire to multitask, I doubt I would carry a knife this big. Also for fighting, a knife this big is less maneuverable, slower, too heavy to feel natural, and telegraphs everything you would do far ahead of time of a smaller blade. For a fighting knife, a 5" blade would be perfect IMO...but I dont need a fighting knife. In fact the only reason we stuck a modified drop point on there was just to make it easier to pry or hammer into ice, snow, and dirt, etc.

Alaskan Survivalist
05-08-2010, 11:58 AM
I kinda tackled the same problem from another direction. I was cleaning a lot of fish one day and was using my Estwing Hatchet to chop off heads and tail. I was getting lazy and rather than put down hatchet and pick up knife I tried gutting one with the hatchet. I keep my tools sharp and it actually worked so I took it a step further and slightly rounded the top edge of Estwing and put single angle edge on the top inch of blade and sharpened it like a knife. I use it more than a knife and the Estwing is a hammer too.

Pocomoonskyeyes3
05-08-2010, 12:49 PM
A.S. I would like to see a pic of your Estwing, if you get the chance. It sounds interesting with the modifications you have described.

Alaskan Survivalist
05-08-2010, 01:48 PM
A.S. I would like to see a pic of your Estwing, if you get the chance. It sounds interesting with the modifications you have described.

I posted a picture of it before. You can see the slightly rounded top so it does not dig in while skining and once I sharpened the top inch of blade I made a leather case to protect it. Not much to see because it was not a major modification.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1366&page=12

PS-I leave the bottom corner pointed because I stab it into the end of sawn firewood to pick it up for loading. It saves my worn out back. This thing is like an extention of my arm in the woods.

Ole WV Coot
05-08-2010, 06:35 PM
Got your reasoning jc1234 and makes me more interested in the finished product. I will enjoy seeing it come together.

jc1234
05-14-2010, 12:09 AM
Here are two updated photos, its getting closer to being done.

Edit: photos removed

Sourdough
05-14-2010, 01:16 AM
DAMN the torpedo's, if your going to have a BIG Knife, Have a BIG Knife, no point diddling around about it. I like it. I want one (with more belly).

jc1234
05-14-2010, 02:11 AM
DAMN the torpedo's, if your going to have a BIG Knife, Have a BIG Knife, no point diddling around about it. I like it. I want one (with more belly).

The standard design has a lot more belly actually. I had to modify it for my needs though. The large belly definitely has its advantages though.

jc1234
05-16-2010, 10:57 PM
This is what the standard knife looks like. I think the one pictured is a 9.25" blade. I like the shape of this design, but after having a very similar style knife, I realized that I needed to make some changes to suit particular my needs better if I was going to spend the money for a custom knife

http://www.relentlessknives.com/newsletter_files/mississippi4cs.jpg

Sourdough
05-16-2010, 11:40 PM
Thanks.......Can you say who is making your knife.....? OK, If NOT.

jc1234
05-17-2010, 12:02 AM
Thanks.......Can you say who is making your knife.....? OK, If NOT.

Dan Certo of Relentless Knives. He is a really nice guy, I have talked to him for around a year or so now. He normally doesnt release photos of how he makes knives, but I had specifically asked for photos of the knife in production. He will explain most things up and down for you to the smallest detail, but he is pretty secretive about the specifics of his shop and certain specifics of his design process, neither of which I care about knowing, but he has made mention over it during casual conversation. I removed the photos, because he asked me to keep photos of the unfinished knife private. but I will post photos of the finished product.

His work ethic is amazing and great customer service. For instance, we made a design change prior to production but a few months after the order from a matte to satin finish. He finished the knife, it was amazing, but it was matte. He could have put a satin finish on it, but said it would bother him, so he remade me a knew knife (even though I spent a good day telling him that I thought it was a waste to make a new one). The new knife was free of charge with no wait period other than the few weeks it takes to make the knife.

He does a lot of military style knives, but also some small utility and large bush type knives.

BTW, the original style before all the changes is the M1A

Sourdough
05-17-2010, 01:24 AM
Does he charge a lot extra for changes to his basic design.....?

jc1234
05-17-2010, 01:43 AM
Does he charge a lot extra for changes to his basic design.....?

really no extra charges for the changes unless there is extra material or labor. I did require extra material and labor: I wanted extra serrations on top, serrations on the bottom, my blade length required extra steel, etc. They were all very minimal charges.

If you come to him with a brand new design, ask him to come up with a whole new design, or want him to use a type of steel he isnt familiar with, then I believe there would be more significant charges.

You should email him if you are curious. He talked to me at length well before I had the money to afford one of his knives and he knew that at the time. He is just a nice guy who loves the art and will happily talk to you about the process.

Sourdough
05-17-2010, 02:11 AM
I have always wanted a Heavy "Bolo" with lots of belly for Skinning/Meat work. I don't think I need the serrations, and would rather have the weight and blade rigidity, I hate harmonic vibration.

jc1234
05-17-2010, 11:06 AM
I have always wanted a Heavy "Bolo" with lots of belly for Skinning/Meat work. I don't think I need the serrations, and would rather have the weight and blade rigidity, I hate harmonic vibration.

I can hang my bodyweight (close to 200 pounds) on a knife that is one of his designs (a production version) and it will bend slightly, but not much. The production knife I have is spring tempered to allow it some flexibility, but the only time Ive noticed it was when I had it hammered into the ice and was using it as a handhold on an ice covered trail...I dont think you will notice any flexibility with anything less than 100 pounds of lateral force on the blade.

His knives seem to weigh in at about 18 - 22 oz and he says the balance is about perfect with a 9.5 - 10" blade (at least with the M1A.) He uses 1095, cpms30v, and is starting to use cpm3v, but with the thickness of steel he uses, I dont think you could go wrong with any half decent steel.

Rick
05-17-2010, 11:07 AM
I can hang my body weight from a fork lift...wait...never mind.

jc1234
05-17-2010, 12:09 PM
I forgot to mention that you could buy a thick rigid knife that will hold a great edge for about 20% of the cost of one of Dan's knives and it would be just fine. I just happen to get very attached to my guns and knives, so I generally tend to buy for life which makes it worthwhile for my to customize to my needs. If the end of the word was near and I needed a knife that I knew would last a lot longer than I would, it would be one of Dan's knives without question though.

jc1234
05-24-2010, 07:47 PM
Just got these from the blade smith, should have the knife in my hands later this week or early next week.

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/d5745ca7508247539795002d98826cb9.Large.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/6cada4ad43a4434da04d86cf6cfccf82.Large.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/98ccc235af5b47a2b4c339f242fa4247.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/f43ba21a144247f1a2aee00385b12429.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/1f779618f7b8436988d17ce2f7fb3997.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/051a01c015dc4ca7a2d182aeaceea420.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/b7118f9554f9408593e4c1413af6f759.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/6917928092f54201bd2cb3f777d9b21d.1600x1200.jpg

Rick
05-24-2010, 07:51 PM
That is a wicked looking blade. He did a very nice job on it. It's a bit big for me but you laid out your requirements very well. I hope you're truly happy with it. It's a beautiful knife.

crashdive123
05-24-2010, 10:08 PM
Looks like a keeper. Very nicely done indeed.

p moore
05-24-2010, 10:46 PM
That looks beautiful and very dangerous. Congrats!!

Paul

jc1234
05-25-2010, 12:10 AM
Thanks for the comments. Im very interested to see how it feels in my hands. Its supposed to be lighter weight than my 8.5" blade, which is hard to imagine. I know I sacrificed perfect balance for size, so we shall see how that works out, but the knife I have now isnt balanced either, so it may not be much of a switch.

The length of the blade really makes the width look smaller than it is, I'll take some photos of it next to other things for reference. Definitely cant wait to test it out. Im extremely happy with how it came out.

Camp10
05-25-2010, 05:58 AM
I think I cut myself looking at it! Very nice looking beast, congrats!

panch0
05-25-2010, 02:50 PM
Oh Wow! That is sweeeet! He is a very talented knifemaker! Congrats on the score!

hunter63
05-25-2010, 10:32 PM
Very nice, wicked looking.......carry first aid supplies, and such................

rebel
05-26-2010, 10:33 PM
Nice! Congrats on your new knife.

jc1234
05-27-2010, 10:45 PM
Got the knife, its amazing! I literally just got it and havent been able to field test it yet, but it is insanely strong (I cant even describe how solid it is) and almost perfectly balanced (shockingly). The balance point is just under 3/4" past the hilt. The blade ended up being just over 10.25" measuring in front of the hilt to the tip. The steel at its widest point is 1/4" and 3/16" at its narrowist. I have to say, even though 11" is only .75" longer, I think it would have looked comically big at that point. I have the option of returning it, but Im not going too. This knife is plenty big and will do exactly what I need. This knife is only 1.75" longer than my current knife, yet is just as thick has double the length of top serrations (which are wicked sharp and designed better than any knife Ive ever seen) and 2.5" of bottom serrations, and weighs in at almost a full ounce less than my existing knife. The balance and maneuverability isnt even comparable. Anymore serrations on the bottom than I have would have been overkill and anymore on top wouldnt have left enough room to use as a hammering surface when chopping through wood as described in previous posts. I think Dan saved me from myself in a few areas. I would have no issues with sending something back if it wasnt the way I wanted it, but I just cant see room for improvement here by adding anything. Plus as much as I didnt care about balance before...all of a sudden its important lol.

Here is a photo:

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/81238cc27a72400fbadf094fa3198b9d.1600x1200.jpg

jc1234
05-29-2010, 12:07 PM
and a few more:

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/8775787260004838b17a666eff38d79a.1600x1200.jpg

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/ffd608cef5d748d8aed89b03389d3da2.1600x1200.jpg

panch0
05-29-2010, 01:40 PM
That definitely is a cool knife

crashdive123
05-29-2010, 04:02 PM
A well armed dog. Hey! Wait a minute! Where's his hat?

jc1234
05-29-2010, 04:37 PM
A well armed dog. Hey! Wait a minute! Where's his hat?

I stole it! As you can see, he was not the least bit interested in a photo.

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_4/4/1/0/100144/5c8b8d081723426085ad283f108a5a30.1600x1200.jpg