Malice9610 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Still have a bit of finish polishing left to do on the spine of the blade, But this is one I just completed for a friend of mine. two things I have decided I need to work on, on the Brass bolster, you cant really see it from the pics, but there is a faint outline of the pin, so it looks like I didnt pein it enough. Also at the handle transition from the blade I should have made it a bit larger, the knife is comfortable in the hand, but could use more meat up in that area. 5160 Steel, 4.5 inch blade, 4.5 inch handle, Brass and Bocote handle materials with mild steel pins. This is actually my first full tang knife with a wood handle so it was quite the learning curve getting everything to fit just right,. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Very nice, in particular for your first full tang. The only suggestion I would have, other than stuff you have already identified, is based on my own personal aesthetic, so take that for what it is worth: I like to see a bit of distal taper in the tang as well as the blade. For me it gives a better feeling of balance to the work, both physically and visually. You do have a fairly massive blade though, so in this case it may not be completely applicable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malice9610 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I made this one for a friend who intends to use it pretty harshly on backpacking trips, I had considered a tapered tang but he was a bit worried it would be less durable, and since I have not had a chance to make one of each to test side by side, I decided to go with the safer option of leaving it full thickness all the way down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Makes sense, looks light a good profile for a working camp knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malice9610 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 about 20 minutes before he showed up to check it out for the first time, I took it out and played with it a bit. I have a small " quaking aspen " forest in my back yard, so I have hundreds of the little cloneling sprouts all over my yard, ranging from 1/8th inch thick all the way up to 1 inch thick mini trees, was able to cleave the 1 inch thick ones in a single swing, and no issues grabbing a handful of the littler ones and cutting them clean in a single try, also threw it through some batonning practice with a log about 4 inches round, cut right through it without any deformation of the blade, I think I really have gotten the hang of 5160 and really like how well it works for a knife like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Most backpackers I know are very concerned about weight and so a longer edge bevel and distal taper(s) would be demanded of me when I do a blade for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Very nice. Aesthetically, I agree that the handle-to-blade transition could be a little beefier -- indeed, the handle as a whole looks a little slender next to that big blade -- but that's a very minor point. Bocote's a lovely wood, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malice9610 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 Thomas, I would agree, from my limited experience backpacking, however his intent was to replace multiple items he carries when he is out, I suspect this knife will see more baton use then anything else, which is why he wanted it as beefy as I could make it. but he is around the same age as me, and has recently taken up backpacking as one of his hobbies, so his preferences very well may change as he hikes more miles carrying a full pack, And yes, JH, I am in love with Bocote right now, finishes nice, has an awesome character to it, and is quite enjoyable to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoRockNazz Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 That's a wonderful first full tang, I hope you're proud If you like the look of no distal taper in the handle you can always drill/cut out sections around your pinning holes to lighten er up without loosing the look of a heftier blade. The top section of the bolster where it is not radiused may be uncomfortable when you choke up. Looks good, keep on forgin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Round holes in the hidden parts of the tang will lighten it up a lot and not decrease strength much. When I see people wanting massive blades for camping I often suggest they look at how thick machetes tend to be that see massively more use than a typical camp knife. But the customer is always right until they get so silly they are no longer a customer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malice9610 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I have a machete I am actually working on for my other friends dad, its WAY thinner then this knife is all the way down, I think the thickest part is 1/8th inch. one thing I do like about this knife though, is the fact that you can feel in it how much you can beat on it, with how thick it is, you know you can smack it with a log and not worry about breaking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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