not another knife thread...

[panch0]

That knife looks like it will be very handy. Nice job!

[canid]

i haven't got a power drill to make the rivet holes so this knife is on hold for now.

next, i'm shaping out some new proper kitchen knives.

[Rick]

Hey Canid. I picked up a Craftsman 19v drill at Goodwill minus the battery charger. Came home and ordered the battery charger from Sears and wound up with a really nice drill for about half the cost of a new one. You might try a pawn shop. Of course, the guys at the pawn shops generally know the price of a tool.

[canid]

the pawn shops here tend to ask about 125% of retail for anything that more than half works.

i've got the blade roughed out for the first kitchen knife, and a handle i may or may not like.

[NightShade]

there are hardware stores around me that will rent powertools for real short change... might be an avenue worth lookin into

[canid]

i haven't had $10 that wasn't already earmarked in a long time. i do have friends with more tools than i.

[canid]

pictures:

blade is roughed out, and bevel of blade edge is ground in, but blunted to prevent scorching during heat treatment. the stock was a cheap steel machete, with black powder coating. i sanded to remove the coating.
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i have roughed out a handle, but i'm not sold on it's profile yet. the blade is still not heat treated yet, and the handle is dry fit.
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[crashdive123]

Looks like it would be a welcome addition to any kitchen or field cook kit.

[canid]

i think i'll take the spur on the base of the grip down a bit, so it's less pronounced. it's comfortable in the hand, but i'm not sold on the aesthetic.

i kind of like the texture and finish left by the orbital sander. i'm going to buff it as smooth as may be, to keep it from tarnishing too much, but otherwise, i will try to keep it.

i'm going to try something iffy with this after it's heat treated:

weak acid etching. tannin seems to be particularly nasty to carbon steel, given it's weak acidity. i'm going to make a strong tea of tanin rich bark and see if it'll work. i'm dubious, but i don't think it'll hurt and it might just work.

[crashdive123]

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

[NightShade]

i think i'll take the spur on the base of the grip down a bit, so it's less pronounced. it's comfortable in the hand, but i'm not sold on the aesthetic.

i kind of like the texture and finish left by the orbital sander. i'm going to buff it as smooth as may be, to keep it from tarnishing too much, but otherwise, i will try to keep it.

i'm going to try something iffy with this after it's heat treated:

weak acid etching. tannin seems to be particularly nasty to carbon steel, given it's weak acidity. i'm going to make a strong tea of tanin rich bark and see if it'll work. i'm dubious, but i don't think it'll hurt and it might just work.

That's interesting.. I'm curious to see how the etching works out...keep us updated!!

[canid]

me too. i have serious doubts, to be sure, but i can't wait to gibe a try.

[WgS]

we're getting rid of everything in storage in the next couple of weeks. i'll send whatever tools and useful things I find down with your uncle.

[canid]

oh, ok. however it works out.

[canid]

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here are the skinner, two of the kitchen knives and a couple broadheads.

they are ready to be polished up a bit [to bring the surface a tad closer to the low spots, and round the edges. it seems this will reduce scorching/tarnish when i heat treat.

after this comes the heat treatment, which i've been putting off to work in the garden.

i plan to heat treat the skinner again, because i re-ground the bevel on one side to remove some bulk and it got too hot in the process [carelessness on my part].

the broadheads where fun, and quick to make. they overheat quickly on the grinder, and i bet i could get the grinding and heating done in one move, then quench immediately. i keep cooling water next to the grinder anyway.

[canid]

some more work on the handle aswell.

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this is the handle for the cleaver, and i plan to do the other kitchen knife in a similar fashion, but contoured better for more of a sideways grip, since it will be used for slicing as much as chopping.

[crashdive123]

They're coming along nicely. As usual, well done.

[canid]

thank you; i'm under no delusions, some of my work is half #$%ed, but i'm having a great time and it looks like i'll come out with perfectly serviceable tools.

after all of this feels smooth to me, i'll move onto aesthetics, reducing imperfections and streamlining my work for efficiency and quality.

i absolutely love learning to do these things.

[crashdive123]

The mark of a good tool is one that is able to accomplish the job at hand. The art, as in you bows will come in time.

[canid]

i've got a pot on the stove and i'm attempting the etching with a strong tea of ash leaves. they are pretty bitter, so they seemed a good candidate.

if this doesn't work i'll try it again, but will also try etching in warm cola.