Knife turned out better than expected

[Brasilikilt]

Hello everyone

Just for kicks I decided to make a utility blade that I could use for rough jobs, and not care if it got mucked up.



I used a chunk of 5160 which was previously a blade that I screwed up during forging and tossed on the ground.
The handle was simply a stick that was just laying around after someone cut their hedges....it is a type of hardwood, but not sure exactly what though.

The copper ring was cut from a section of plumbing scrap I had picked up who knows how long ago.

The button was a slug I collected from the floor around the punch press at my old job.

All in all I am quite pleased with this product from the scrap heap. It is made intentionally ugly...but perhaps "rustic" is a more appropriate word to describe it.



Right now the blade has simply been forged, edge quenched in used cooking oil and polished up a bit. The blade is quite hard with my files unable to get a bite off the steel.
I suppose today I will set it in the toaster oven at 350 deg. for a couple hrs to see if that takes a bit of hardness out.
After that I guess I can clean up the lines a bit and then peen the tang onto the metal "button"

Thanks for looking

Iain

[monstermetal]

Cool!

It sounds kind of screwy but I find things like this to be far more useful than the "perfect" knife projects...

I have a damascus blade I made that has a inclusion that I didnt finish for a couple of years... when I was handling some kitchen knifes I went ahead and finished it figuring it would make a good shop knife... Funny part is it gets used way more than any of the "good" knives

[Marksnagel]

I like it! Functionality (is that a word?). It will serve you well for many many years and I think it looks good. Not everything has to be "pretty".

I am working on a few knives that were old files and hopefully they will look as good. If not then at least I know they will be functional (I know that's a word).



Nice Job.
Mark<><