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I Forge Iron

Raindrop Pattern - Hunting Knife


Dustin Quade

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This is my newest knife. I forged it out on one of the days here that wasn’t 35 degrees. I listened to the advice here on my last knife. I took this one through the grits, 60 120 220 400. This one is raindrop pattern 1080 and 15n20. I etched in vinegar again for 3 hours.  I was also super happy with the pin holes this time. The last knife I did I had to hot punch the holes in because my drill couldn’t make a dent in the steel. So I invested in a high roc tungsten carbide bit and it went through the handle like it was nothing. Still need to put an edge on it and the handle. I will post more pics when that step is done. The only thing I'm not happy with is the point. I was going for another chef’s knife with this one but the more I worked on it the more I realised it was looking more like a camp knife or hunting knife. So yea not too happy about that.

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I'm not much of a knife maker, but ill tell you my suggestion anyways....

For the handle, where the handle transitions to the blade (I think there's a term for that, someone remind me if there is) I would recommend there to be more of a step, so that your hand is less likely to slip foreword and cut you, and also so that you can get closer up to the blade with less worries of cutting yourself.

Everything looks good, I like the pattern!

                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

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LBSMTH,

Japanese cuttlers swage & fuller (indent) the steel at the end of the handle. (ricasso), at right angle to the long axis of the blade. The fingers fit into the indentation. This improves the grip of the knife.

Beautiful figure, beautiful knife.

SLAG.

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I love the pattern and contrast though I have to agree with Littleblacksmith it needs more ricasso.

There is an OLD trick I haven't seen passed along and am seriously surprised you bladesmith guys either don't know or are just keeping mum.

To drill a hole in steel that's been hardened chuck up a piece of round rod smaller than the proposed hole in the drill press and spin it into the spot you want to drill till the stock runs black. Give it a little soak time and check the other side and repeat on the other side if the color didn't run through. This runs the hardness out in a localized area and the transition to the hard steel is circular and doesn't or minimally effects strength, .

Am I the ONLY one here who doesn't know that one? :o

Frosty The Lucky.

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3 hours ago, Steve Sells said:

I love the many colors your vinegar got you as well.  Above average job on the pattern, waaaaaay above on the etching job

Thanks alot. I was actually really upset with the etch at first. When i first took it out of the vinegar and put it into the baking soda water it had this black film all over it but once i used a wet cloth to clean it up and it looked great.

3 hours ago, Frosty said:

I love the pattern and contrast though I have to agree with Littleblacksmith it needs more ricasso.

There is an OLD trick I haven't seen passed along and am seriously surprised you bladesmith guys either don't know or are just keeping mum.

To drill a hole in steel that's been hardened chuck up a piece of round rod smaller than the proposed hole in the drill press and spin it into the spot you want to drill till the stock runs black. Give it a little soak time and check the other side and repeat on the other side if the color didn't run through. This runs the hardness out in a localized area and the transition to the hard steel is circular and doesn't or minimally effects strength, .

Am I the ONLY one here who doesn't know that one? :o

Frosty The Lucky.

Wow i really have never heard of that trick at all. I will be sure to give it a try next time.  Thanks alot for the tip. As for the ricaso is it that it need to be deeper (like in relation from blade edge to handle) or wider (in relation from handle to the start of the blades cutting edge)

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Thomas brings up a good point, there are alloys that won't work with.

From my non-bladesmith guy perspective the transition from the handle to the blade is a little too gradual. In hard use a person's grip could slip and slide their hand right down the edge. It it was closer to a 90* it would serve as a brace so your hand couldn't slide down the blade and you could apply more pressure.

I am sure this topic has been discussed at length in the knife section, I just use the things I don't make them. ;)

Frosty The Lucky.

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11 hours ago, Frosty said:

 

Am I the ONLY one here who doesn't know that one? :o

Frosty The Lucky.

Letting the cat out of the bag again? Tut, tut , you gona git yourself tarred and  feathered some day:D next you'll be telling them about using hand cleaner as a drilling aid too! :P 

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22 hours ago, ianinsa said:

Letting the cat out of the bag again? Tut, tut , you gona git yourself tarred and  feathered some day:D next you'll be telling them about using hand cleaner as a drilling aid too! :P 

Carter beat me to letting Tut and his cat out of the bag. What kind of hand cleaner? Spit will do in a pinch.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Good old fashioned hand cleaner(with or without grit both seem to work), there must be a rBazillion:D brands like flight etc. Works like a charm when drilling 'difficult' to drill metals like s/s and Damascus. It seems to knock spots off cutting fluids when it comes to it cheap and usually omnipresent, I buy mine in 5L buckets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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17 hours ago, ianinsa said:

Good old fashioned hand cleaner(with or without grit both seem to work), there must be a rBazillion:D brands like flight etc. Works like a charm when drilling 'difficult' to drill metals like s/s and Damascus. It seems to knock spots off cutting fluids when it comes to it cheap and usually omnipresent, I buy mine in 5L buckets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another useful tip i will have to try. I have just been using WD40

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