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I Forge Iron

One for Dad


lanternnate

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Finished this today with intentions to give it to my old man for father's day. This knife is also a bit of a progress marker for me. A year ago for father's day I gave my dad the very first "knife" I made. I posted a picture of that mangled railroad spike below as well to show a year of tinkering and getting help and advice from kind folks on here.

My goal for the knife was something a bit utilitarian that was still something nice to look at. I had a picture in my head of something part way between a sheepsfoot and a drop point. I was able to forge it out pretty close to the picture in my head. The knife was forged from 1080 .25"x1" bar stock (my first knife with non-scrap steel). The bevels were ground. Heat treat was an edge quench in preheated canola oil with a double 400 degree temper. I had a real bear of a time trying to do the etch as some may have seen in my other post. I failed multiple times, so this knife has seen a lot of abrasives (and a lot of my time). Luckily I was able to get some good advice from here on another way to try. The 4th attempt switching to lemon juice finally got the look I wanted. The handles are rosewood that I was given as scrap from a friend who does woodworking. Woodworking has been a hobby of my father's, so it seemed appropriate.The pins are nickel silver. I even tried to put to use some of Frosty's photography advice :) 

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Thanks guys. While I've made some progress, life has a way of reminding you there is still plenty of learning and improving to do. I was fitting it up for a kydex sheath tonight and snapped a piece off the lower tip on the front of one of the handle scales. Lesson learned not to shape the front of the scales to such a thin point. I was trying to be a bit too fancy on that part. I did my best to round off the break with needle files, then file down the other side to match. Not an easy task with the scales glued to the knife... it's getting a fresh coat of tung oil now after resanding the handle to blend everything back together.

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Lanternnate,

If you must dimension and sand  the "chipped" handle scale, a power file, could speed up the operation.

But its use requires a VERY light touch. And putting the knife scale in a vise to immobilize it, during the operation, would increase your control substantially.

Perhaps not being in a rush and doing it, by hand, would work best of all.

SLAG.

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