Second Finished Knife

[Mason_Stoney]

Hey Yall!

I finally got around to finishing my second knife and I would love some feedback!

It is leaf spring steel from my old jeep with paper micarta scales and brass pins. 

If anyone knows of a good way to treat the micarta please let me know, when i finished shaping it had a weird dirty look, so i hit in on the polisher and it just made the scales really slick. So if you have a good way of finishing those let me know!

[ThomasPowers]

Depends on what you like. Some folks bead blast them to give a matte finish with some tooth to it.

[rhitee93]

I can't give you any advice on micarta as I don't mess with it much, but I wanted to say your knife shows a lot of promise.

One suggestion, and take it for what it's worth, is to take your bevels up much higher.  I would have run the bevel up a little more than twice as high as you did at the heel and run it out perpendicular to the plunge line until it broke out on the spine of the knife.  (Ok, that probably isn't as clear to you after you read it as it is in my head when I wrote it )

My opinion is worth exactly what you are paying for it, but I feel that gives you a better performing knife as well as a better looking one.

Keep it up!  That level of fit and finish on a second knife is rather rare, and shows that you are not afraid to put in the work it takes to get good at this.

[Buzzkill]

My experience with DIY micarta using fiberglass resin is that the higher you go in sanding grit, the darker it appears and the more slippery it becomes.  I usually use a paper towel or clean cloth and rubbing alcohol to clean up the scales at the end of the shaping and sanding.   I have a knife where the handle is a bit slicker than I'd like and I plan to use a triangular file or hacksaw blade to cut a shallow checker pattern into the scales for more grip.  I'll try to remember to report back here afterwards, but it may be a few days before I can get to it.

[Mason_Stoney]

That’s a solid idea! Just to add some grooves to make it easier to hold onto. I may try that on this blade but I’m rather happy with it and would hate to mess it up! Chances are though I’ll make a few more knives! 
thanks!

3 hours ago, rhitee93 said:

I can't give you any advice on micarta at this.

Well thank you! It means a lot, this stuff is hard and it’s great to get some help. I totally understand what u mean about the bevels. This is probably the fourth time I’ve actually attempted bevels so I was more concerned with actually getting an edge. I agree though and wish I took it up higher as there is still a lot of meat on the spine. 
thanks again! 

[Latticino]

Now that is the way to take constructive criticism! I predict you will do well at this.

A checkering file is a significant investment,  but is just the tool to put the right amount of tooth on your handle

[SLAG]

M-S, &  Latt.,

Woodcraft tools sells two sets of checkering files. (one set has more tools than the other.).

I am certain some of the other woodworking tool sellers also have them.

They are not cheap but they are,  also,  not wildly expensive.

They are a lot easier to use than several different standard files used on edge or diamond,  (cross-section), files.

And it makes sense to acquire them if you are going to make many knives.

SLAG.

[Latticino]

Slag,

You got me excited, but the tools pictured don't look like checkering files.  It is some kind of set:

  

What I'm used to using is a file like these:   

Have you used the woodcraft style set?

[ThomasPowers]

Curved surface work?

[Latticino]

Not sure what you are asking Thomas.  To date I've only used mine to coin a couple of spacers, so I guess it worked great on a curved surface for me.  I'm sure the woodcraft set works, I just have trouble picturing how based on the image on their website.

OK, I found a video.  Wow that sure is a lot of work to get a complicated, curved surface cleanly checkered...  Makes sense now.

[Frosty]

Latticino: The file picture you posted has a tooth pattern that sure looks like a thread file. I have thread files and a couple reject knife scales. Hmmmmm.

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

We used both types of checkering files in the gunsmithing shop. The individual ones with the handle are for wood stocks, and the curved designs used on them.  The flat one was used for metal items like the bolt release on a K98 Mauser.

[Chris C]

The first picture Latticino posted is for wood and would work with Micarta.  The second picture is what I use on the backs of a target front sight to cut down on reflections.  It would work fine for "coining" work, but as BIGGUNDOCTOR indicated, it would really "shine" for things  like the bolt release knob on a Mauser.  But I don't see why it couldn't be pressed into duty to work on that knife handle.

Chris

[BartW]

Very nice knife actually. I would take the grind up higher too; for cutting performance and looks. 

How did you harden / temper it ? You also did a great job on the surface finish; you must have spent hours on that. Well done.

As for the micarta; depending on which kind, and if you don't have access to sandblasting equipement; but you could also use a rotary steel brush on a bench grinder on it; in some micarta's it gives a nice finish ( like an orange peel texture - less slippery yet stil fairly dark).