Integral Bolster Chef's Knife

[David Kahn]

The blade is forged out of W-2, triple normalized and hardened in salt, and the handle is stabilized snakewood. Not sure what it's called, but I did the handle in a shape I've seen on Japanese knives -- it's more or less oval, with a straight facet that runs the length of the handle under the base of the fingers. (Does anyone know if there is there a name for this style of handle?) The blade and butt-cap (also hardened W-2) have a Michael Rader inspired mustard finish. (Also took some pics as I was making this, which can be seen here: http://www.rhinometalworks.com/wip.html ). Hope you guys like it.

[Rob Browne]

Really nice knife. I would love one like that in my kitchen.

[Mainely,Bob]

Sweet looking knife!I REALLY like the finish on the blade.If it cuts anywhere as nice as it looks then you better be prepared to make a lot of them.They`re going to go fast!
Being as how it`s a kitchen knife,how thrilled was SWMBO with it?That`s the real test.
Us blacksmiths are easily impressed,a clear pic usually does it for us. ;)

[yesteryearforge]

NICELY DONE

Mike Tanner

[adamj]

how do you get the finish on the blade with all the little circles i really like that looks like damascus

[David Kahn]

how do you get the finish on the blade with all the little circles i really like that looks like damascus

If this was something I had developed or discovered on my own, I would happily share, but a knife maker up in Washington (Michael Rader) shared this technique with me, and since he's the one who figured it out, I feel like it wouldn't be right to post it on a public board without checking with him first. (Which I will do.) Very sorry to withhold, but I don't think I should out his trade secrets without first confirming that he doesn't mind.

[Ronnie]

If this was something I had developed or discovered on my own, I would happily share, but a knife maker up in Washington (Michael Rader) shared this technique with me, and since he's the one who figured it out, I feel like it wouldn't be right to post it on a public board without checking with him first. (Which I will do.) Very sorry to withhold, but I don't think I should out his trade secrets without first confirming that he doesn't mind.

Thanks for the share. Maybe you could invite Mr. Rader to join us and share his technique. Just a thought

[adamj]

thats fine i would love to know how after you talk to him

[David Kahn]

thats fine i would love to know how after you talk to him

Sorry I took a while to respond, but as I said, I learned this from Michael Rader up in Washington, and I felt like I should check with him before divulging his secrets. Michael says he learned it from Wayne Goddard and gave me permission to explain how it's done. (Michael is a great knife maker and a super nice guy, btw.)

It's a patina, done with mustard. I use French’s, actually. You finish the blade (maybe to 600 grit). You then apply the mustard in little dots with a toothpick, and let it dry. Drying takes three or five hours, and it turns black. I tried using a heat lamp to accelerate this, but I think it actually works better when the mustard is allowed to dry slowly. Once it's dry, you wash it off and repeat until you get the finish you want. For some reason, the patina is much more distinct on hardened steel, so this finish doesn't work so well on blades that have been differentially hardened (e.g., clay coated, edge quenched, or even if the spine has been tempered back too hard). Sometimes, the patina opalesces, creating a cool sort of a rainbow effect, but I haven't figured out how to make that happen deliberately; it just happens sometimes, or not. You can see a great example of this if you look at image 19 on Michael's site gallery here: http://www.raderblade.com/gallery.htm . (If someone else figures this out, please share.) Obviously, the size and spacing of the mustard dots you apply affects the pattern of the patina, and you can play around until you get an effect you like. One nice thing about it is that the etched surface holds a nice film of oil, so it doesn't rust or stain so easily. Plus, it's easy to touch up if it gets scratched, etc.

Hope this is of some help guys, and again, sorry for the delay in sharing.

[adamj]

thanks for sharing i will be trying that on one of my next knives whenever that may be

[NRunals]

Wow that's a really neat patina. I understand why you hardened the end cap now! Am I correct in thinking that would be a poor choice for a flat ground knife, or does it etch deep into the surface? By the way thank you for sharing.

[lanchie76]

can i ask that a moderator put this into the finishing and polishing folder please as i think that there is some fantastic hints for finishing a knife. thanks for sharing i would never have though of mustard makes a great finish though

[David Kahn]

Wow that's a really neat patina. I understand why you hardened the end cap now! Am I correct in thinking that would be a poor choice for a flat ground knife, or does it etch deep into the surface? By the way thank you for sharing.

That's exactly why I hardend the butt cap! Otherwise it doesn't take the finish very well. (In fact, you can see that the finish is a little less distinct on the bolster; that's because I tempered it back from full hardness.)

I don't follow your question on flat ground blades. The mustard etch isn't very deep, but this knife is flat ground (as are all of the other blades on which I've used this finish: http://www.rhinometalworks.com/knives.html ). It woudn't work well on a Japanese style blade, I suppose, where one sharpens the knife by grinding the entire bevel, but on any knife where there's a secondary bevel at the edge, it's fine. Of course, it's just a patina, and will change over time in any event.

[NRunals]

OK that makes sense. When I sharpen my flat ground blades (maybe this is the Japanese style of sharpening) I usually hit the secondary bevel with the stone a little then I work on the primary bevel, which I suppose isn't necessary. Now you've got me thinking about why I do it that way.