I just finished my first knife and i must say, i'm really proud of it.
The blade itself turned out full of dents ( i need a better hammer >_< ) but the black and red micarta handle turned out fantastic! I just need a buffer to make it really polished.
Took me 3 tries to get the micarta just right. At first i was putting way to much hardener in the epoxy which made alot of chunks before i could finish.
Then on the second try, i just didnt make enough epoxy to glue the whole thing correctly and some layers seperated when i was pining it to the knife.
I melted the point of the knife during the last heat so the shape turn out a little awkward.
I think i succeeded in heat treating it properly since it cuts pretty well and it holds the edge. Tested it with a file as well.

I'm going to try and make a tanto type knife for my next one with Black and blue micarta.
Similar to this: http://www.jayfisher...voryMicarta.jpg
Might be a challenge but thats exactly what i want :D

Sorry, the image wasnt posted for some reason.
Here it is!

Glad youi showed us your knife, and for sure that handle did come oiut really nice....now about that buffer. A good buffer in good hands with the right wheel and compound could make all of the dents and marks in that blade really shiney. No tlikely in a real lot of days would it remove any of them..It is for finishing a smooth surface to bring the shine up. Filing,sanding etc is wot removes the texture and makes a nice finish,,,anyone can do it if they care.

I have a small 1x30 inch belt sander that i used to sand it a little bit but i only have cheap aluminum oxide belts at the moment.
They aren't hard enough to really grind the knife and remove the scratches and dents.
But i ordered some zirconia and ceramic belts from http://www.supergrit.com/.
They should get here soon and work much better :) Got some polishing belts as well. I'll try and put a nice satin finish on it.
I tried to use files but i suck with them and i don't really have the patience. Plus i don't have a vise so its really awkward to use.

If youi anneal the blade after forging it is easieer to finish,,it will scale a little in HT but should clean u fairly easy

I can't really anneal or HT it with the handle attached. The micarta will melt.
I'll just polish it a little bit to make look more clean.
This was just a "test" project anyway, to see how things work. I won't ever use this one.
I'll go the extra mile with my next knives, make them look alot better than this one.

I don't use a vise for blade finishing.....I clamp the blade to a board and clamp the board to the bench. Then I do all my draw filing like that. Clamps are cheap and easy to find. Just a thought. Always anneal after forging and the finishing will be much easier. Cheers and enjoy!