My most recent work. 

 

0-1 brass and antler

Very nicely done. The random ball peen marks add a nice unique touch, in my opinion.

Thanks they are intentional 

i like the look of un finished steel next to mirror polish it says yes i can but why do i have to 

plus the mirror shines more brightley next to the dark

thanks again

Du,

is that a hidden tang or partial tang? just curious how you go the pommel on.

1 hour ago, ZachNiedjalski said:

Du,

is that a hidden tang or partial tang? just curious how you go the pommel on.

huh? that is like asking is that a real knife or a metal tool you made to cut things

I think he means is the antler hollowed out to the pommel and the tang extends, curved, through the whole length of the antler to the pommel or is it just a stub into the first third of the antler.

 

That was my take too: is the pommel fastened to the tang or just to the antler?

Though as a smith the random ballpeen divots insults my eyes---unless you are going for the look of a piece left on a smoke house floor with random coarse salt for a generation or so...

I am so confused I need more sleep, you are saying they wont finish the blade leaving divots n scale, but will take the effort to hollow the antler and curve the tang

No; those divots are not the type of divots that regular forging would leave---look at stormcrow's work for instance.  They could mimic the deep pitting I have seen on smoke house floor axe finds; but cleaned up and buffed with a sisal buff with black compound.

How the handle is done it totally separate; just like when we take an old axe head and clean it up and put a fancy handle on it.   

In  quality historical work they worked very hard to not leave a lot of hammer marks---that's why they had flatters and files!  "Crude" means not worth the trouble to do it right; or unskilled in blade smithing. So some of the "homemade" bowies from the ACW for example.  Meanwhile at the same time lovely blades from Sheffield England were being sold over here.

1 hour ago, Steve Sells said:

I am so confused I need more sleep, you are saying they wont finish the blade leaving divots n scale, but will take the effort to hollow the antler and curve the tang

You guys know I rarely comment on blades, I appreciate good work but I'm not a bladesmith guy so I keep my council. 

I have to say I do NOT like unfinished blades, I recognize the quality in Stormcrow's blades but I wouldn't own one let alone buy one, they're unfinished to my eye and taste. It is just a matter of taste and anyone in a trade who doesn't produce to meet the market won't be in the trade long. That said I don't dis Stormcrow's work, it's just not for me.

This current piece on the other hand has been deliberately marred. You don't need more sleep on this one Steve it IS confusing in the sense that a lot of things beginners do confuses seasoned makers. He didn't LEAVE divots, he hot forged them in deliberately.

I'm not a blade guy but I know about the physics of a useful tool and these divots make it a wall hanger. First, they're stress risers, a user couldn't put force on it and trust it not to break. Can you visualize what those did to the heat treatment? The deep divots can't be cleaned well enough to use it on food let alone dress an animal.

I think it's something that sounded like a good idea but wasn't thought through in conjunction with the product. Just a typical beginner's mistake, I've made thousands of them, I've even shown them off and had to read and listen to some pretty harsh critiques. I deserved most of them and paid attention.

Deep hammer marks aren't unattractive in themselves but they belong on art, they have no place on a tool, I can't think of one anyway. Art yes, tools no.

Frosty The Lucky.

Personally I could care less how quality historical work is done!  Modern smiths tend much more toward artistry than technical perfection.  To my artistic mind that is a very good thing!  I have seen some very polished gleaming blades that, to my eyes, lacked beauty and functionality!  Really, some nearly perfect looking blades that were duller than my steak knives... yet they glimmered on each mirror polished surface!  To me they were repulsive!  I will say that I like the more subtle textures achieved by Stormcrow better.  This knife is nice though.

 

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 6:50 AM, CMS3900 said:

I think he means is the antler hollowed out to the pommel and the tang extends, curved, through the whole length of the antler to the pommel or is it just a stub into the first third of the antler.

 

thats exactly what i meant.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've only made one blade, but I own a bunch of them. And I've used a whole lot more than that... While you can speculate all you want, functionality is what it is.

I really like the look of DuEulear's work. To me it's beautiful.  I'd certainly carry it, and use it until, if ever, it proved to be non-functional.

Yes it has a partial tang about 1/2 tgrough the antler the pommel has a hidden pin drilled and solderd to the antler side of the brass that like the blade is attached only to the antler 

the hammermarks are intentional as i like the look

i have fully butchered two deer with a simular blade of mine without resharpening 

if a blade is sharp why would you halve to force it ?  Forcing a cut will cause you to be cut 

i can see that the hammer texture can be a stress riser but i don’t see the clenliness issue if the blade is clean it is fine to for food processing it dose not need to be sterilised for sugery.

in pratice a hunting knife dose not need to chop a 2x4 or stab through a car door   This might be a great test for a fighiting blade but tge handle on a skinner only needs to withstand the force of the cut through flesh and the occational drop on the concrete 

just my 2 centavos