Made from a truck coil spring. Blade is 5" handle is 4 1/2" and made of osage. Heat treated by taking the blade to critical and quenching in heated vegetable oil. My goal was a camp knife with a rough, forged mountain man look.
Bob Urban

looks like a good knife. Handle looks great. Never tried quenching in veggie oil b4 though.

Looks nice. I like your file work on the spine.
Finnr

Nice !! I really like the burned/scaled look where it is not ground.
I have always been a fan of the rough forged look.

Thanks guys - i am also working on my first pattern welded blade and it is looking good. What type, and where can I get the acid you use to etch your blades? This is a mix of lawnmower blade steel, bandsaw blade and banding strap. I am hand sanding the scraches out of the blade now and when I leave it in vinagar for an hour or so it looks pretty good but does not last?

vinegar etch is slower than other acids but I have seen blades done that way that are very nice. I use muratic acid that I pick up at the local Menards. Etches fast , so you need to keep an eye on it. I wash the blade in a baking powder solution after the etch.
Finnr

Blades etch best after heat treat, If you have done that already nevermind....!

Nice job. I prefer an as forged finish myself.

Nice job. I prefer a forged finish myself.

Below is a copy of a post on my forum that you may find interesting.

The blade is approximatly 3/32 of an inch thick and no handle scales added.
I really like the plain tang handle, you can see in one of the pictures how easy it is to hold like a pencil while doing fine work, yet enough "Heft" for full use.

Otter Bob

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Here is a knife I forged for my wife back in the late summer of 2007
{ looks like I use it more then she does. }

I like a blade thin in thickness, a full tang, a drop point, and high carbon steel.

I forged the knife from a piece of automotive coil spring, it will take an edge sharp enough to skin the tail, hold the edge long enough to finish a skinning job, and still be sharp enough to do the butchering if needed.

Otter Bob

Photos of a red fox being skinned have been removed.

Edited August 15, 200817 yr by otterbob
checking sig

Nice work I also like the file work on the back.

otterbob, you were right. I do like it.