Beginnings

Discussion in 'Blades' started by Bear, Jun 11, 2007.


  1. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Here's the beginnings of a special knife.... cutting up larger charcoal chunks into smaller pieces for the forge.... spent 2 hours today filling up 3 of those 23 quart containers to the brim.... (I was covered with black after that... yuck)

    Its a special one... promised to a very good friend's son who is in the Boy Scouts and just celebrated a very important milestone in his life.... This thread is so that after his son gets the knife, he can see how it all began and moved along to completion....

    This one will be charcoal forged out of coil spring... clay heat treated and quenched in Texaco A quenching oil... then all the final grinding will be done on water stones....

    I'll keep posting pics here until I finish.... Hope you all enjoy it as well....
    E Knife 1.JPG E Knife 2.JPG
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    This will be fun to watch all along the way. What wood was the charcoal made from?
     
  3. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Mesquite... its the only all wood charcoal that's available here in the islands... I buy it in 40lb bags and stock up on it when I can.... burns hot and clean...

    Yeah this will be a fun one.... Thanks....
     
  4. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    [ditto]
     
  5. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    2 months and no update???
     
  6. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Summer vacation and the new job has me bogged down... haven't forgotten this though.... next weekend should have some progress!.....[winkthumb]

    sorry about the false start....
     
  7. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    Cool. You know we are very interested in your new works
     
  8. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    O.k. it took me long enough...
    Apologies go out to my buddy....
    I think I lost the pics of the process but saved these...

    Free form users of course... never two alike from me... as I forge I kinda look for the "feel" of the knife in the steel... [beer][lolol]
    Lots of fun!

    Bottom is Cable Damascus forged out of 1.5" cable.... That was fun... Pics show the finished forged and then rough grind... its the top in the second picture....
    This should be cool once I etch it to show the pattern
    Yew Handles unless I decide otherwise...
    Yew has an awesome history and a great significance!

    Top is the coil spring... same...
    Its the bottom in the second picture....
    I'll clay heat treat and see if I can't get a cool hamon... I'll try for a brass or stainless guard....
    Same Yew handles...

    I'll see if I can find the process pics...

    But there's a very special Son out there that I promised these to the Father a while ago and I wanted to at least show that I didn't forget....

    I'm just slow in my old age
    1.JPG 2.JPG
     
  9. Valkman

    Valkman Knifemaker Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Nice! Can't wait to see more!
     
  10. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Thanks for the compliment... don't hold your breath... at the rate I'm going... it could take a while[boozingbuddies]

    I was thinking some pre-civil war wrought iron might be pretty cool with the Yew....

    Oh well....

    Valkman you'll appreciate this... these are the first I've ground on the 220 2hp Bader II I got from Tom Mayo... finally got the 220 30amp line in and the grinder set up... gonna need to fabricate a new arm so I use my 10inch wheel too.... lots of fun... when I find the time....[lolol] been too busy playing with a Lincoln AC 225 stick welder.... making up some tools for my buddies who installed all the wiring for the grinders and the 230 50amp line for the Lincoln...

    Thanks again...
     
  11. Valkman

    Valkman Knifemaker Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I'll bet that 2hp will grind anything! Man that is nice - my 1 1/2 is great for hollow grinding but I can easily stop it flat grinding.
     
  12. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Tom told me he couldn't stop it.... and I hear he is one serious heavy duty grinder.... and he had it wired with a lighter duty plug... I had my electrician buddy put the full 30amp plug on it to match the Baldor motor... yup... I was pushing pretty hard today... nothing...

    I can easily stop the 1 1/2 on the KMG... nice to have a beast like the Bader around...[beer]
     
  13. mage2

    mage2 Monkey+++

    Stop it you two. all this talk is making me drool. :)
     
  14. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Sorry... spent part of the day setting up my Kalamazoo 1x42 to flip to a horizontal grinder... that will help with projects.... and that kit has only been sitting for at least a couple years.... talk about slowing down...[booze]
     
  15. FalconDance

    FalconDance Neighborhood Witch

    (I like the knife in the very first pics. [dunno] )
     
  16. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Ah.... my trusty charcoal knife... my buddy in Japan made that one.... [beer]
     
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7