Custom Hoof knife

[jlpservicesinc]

Well, over the last few years I've been giving semi lessons over Facebook messenger to another guy..  He reached out to find out my method of forging a hoof knife.. 

Gave him (Brett M)a few lessons and such.. 

My original knife was pretty worn out at 5 years old and feeling not like making a new 1 I asked the guy for a new knife..  He sent me a knife and used it till the blade snapped in half.. I liked the knife but it had more flex then I like..  His handle design I really liked.. 

After the knife broke I was still working and carry a Hoop knife so just switched to that and used that until I was at a barn and a horse acted up and boom.. The knife disappeared.. 

I went and looked for a back up knife and it turns out over the last 7 or 8 years I have been giving away any of the factory made knives to customers..  

So, I had to break down and forge out a new Hoof knife in the design I like and prefer.   

I salvaged the handle that Brett M. knife had and it is a good fit for the blade. 

Forged out of Audi coil spring.  Works mint.. Have about 100 horses on it now. 

[1forgeur]

Looks good. Looks like it works on fingers too!?

[Frazer]

I don't know much about hoof pics, but out of curiosity what are the rough dimensions of the wood blanks you use for the handle? Judging by the picture (and assuming I got my scaling factor right) it looks like 7x2.25x7/8".... ish...?

P.S. I'm reading my tarot cards and I see a CNC plasma cutter in your future?

[jlpservicesinc]

9 hours ago, 1forgeur said:

Looks good. Looks like it works on fingers too!?

It will work on hoof, fingers, thighs, legs, arms..   LOL..  pretty nearly everything.. 

9 hours ago, Frazer said:

I don't know much about hoof pics, but out of curiosity what are the rough dimensions of the wood blanks you use for the handle? Judging by the picture (and assuming I got my scaling factor right) it looks like 7x2.25x7/8".... ish...?

P.S. I'm reading my tarot cards and I see a CNC plasma cutter in your future?

Without measuring I'd say your pretty close..  I can get you exact later..   Brett M's design and to lazy to make my own.. figured his handle and my blade would be a winning combo..  And yes, yes it is..   Had to fill in the holes with epoxy because he uses solid brass pins..  I use cutlers rivets.. 

I'd love to get a CNC plasma/router table setup and might at some point..  I have to see what the school turns into..   I know what I want to teach but not sure how receptive people out there will be.  Just have to see how things unfold..  

Once I am done with the building I won't be adding anything more to the shop and will actually start to sell off items that don't find a spot.  I have 3 tire benders that will go, a few anvils, etc, etc..   Once the school is running all the reinvestment will have to come from class tuition. 

[JmShrader]

Looks like it will serve you well.  I’m on my last Yukon Forge knife,I bought 4 of them back 2011 or so,I sharpen my knives on the buffer so knives last me an ungodly amount of time. I have a drawer full of handmade knives in my basement,Neal Baggetts,An original Dow Patterson loop knife from Australia to name a few.  I’ll try my hand at forging a hoof knife someday. 

[jlpservicesinc]

JmShrader.. I've been making my own for about 17 years. Because I could not find a pattern I like. I've tried all sorts.. 

I get about 3 or 4 years out of a single blade knife and about 5 to 8 years out of a loop knife.. 

I sharpen all mine with diamond hones for fix up between jobs and once a year the secondary edge from sharpening is taken back down and blade made thinner. 

I've made loop knives on more conventional designs but with hoof pick on the back..  I've started a new design which should work amazingly well.