The Sam Cade Thread of Knifey Goodness

[blarby]

And you have to give bonus points to anyone who grinds serious business in All-Stars with orange laces.

THATS SO FANTASTIC, IT SHOULD BE A FRIGGIN COMMERCIAL.

 

[Sam Cade]

I couldn't stop if I wanted to. I'm too far gone folks and the madness has me.

Here in the next few days I'm going to have a "Buy Sam a New Grinder" sale.

I'm finally to the point where I think my 2x42 craftsman is holding me back and I could really benefit from a more powerful grinder.

Keep in mind that I've made just shy of a hundred knives and sharpened countless other tools with it. Not bad for a cheap woodworking tool.

 

[Sam Cade]

bonus points

How many do I get for the silk Hawaiian shirt with checkered cargo shorts ensemble?

 

[blarby]

2

 

[Sam Cade]

Forging.

97 deg F ambient temperature is really cutting down on the fun factor.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

It all looks good.

 

[Sam Cade]

Since the weather has cooled off a bit I semi-forged a sharp clipped nessmuk today.

Sketched out the tang shape and punched some holes.

It only took a couple minutes to grind out the tang. I had to finish up the forefinger groove with a half round file since I don't have the clearance to get the edge of the belt around that radius.

I use heat, selective application of brute force and a nominal amount of cursing to gently coax the primary bevel into the blade and give it a nice fat belly.

Chop the tip, drill the tang, and grind.

Easy peasy. Knife.

 

[Sam Cade]

Since the bevel was forged in so closely there was very little grinding to be done on this knife.

 

[Derry 1946]

Consistently impressive, Sam!

 

[Sam Cade]

Thanks. I appreciate the compliment.

I'm really a beginner at forging but even at my very modest level of skill I can do things that just aren't feasible (or prohibitively work intensive) in a purely stock removal knife like tapering tangs or adding distal taper to a blade.

As a quick observation, the knife in post 282 would have required a piece of steel twice as wide (and twice the cost), and at least triple the grinding time if it was purely stock removal.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Solid work sam.

 

[Derry 1946]

Looks like alchemy to me.

 

[Sam Cade]

This one is a bit like a fur trade knife,

It is forged down from a 1/16" thick bar of 15n20. Should be super slicey.

I'll probably put rams horn scales on it in keeping with the rustic theme.


And there is the grind. Nice and thin.

Look at that haze.
SO hot, so humid.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Good work Sam.

 

[Sam Cade]

....and with scales:

 

[Deltaboy1984]

....and with scales:

Solid looking Knife.

 

[Sam Cade]

This was a fun one.

Forged from a flat Wilton 5/8" wrench.

Handle is an epoxy saturated hemp cord wrap.

 

[JShirley]

Make the handle 2.5x as large, and the blade 3.5x, and that will be an amazing piece.

Reduce the curve a bit, if you decide to make a sword version.

 

[Sam Cade]

That would take a mighty big wrench John


I broke a 1 and 1/4" on a dozer a few weeks ago that would make a great big sucker if it was forged down to about 1/4" thickness.

 

[JShirley]

Dibs.

Was thinking on my way home from work that I should try try a sword with the sisal/epoxy treatment.

 

[jerkface11]

You should make it a thrusting sword!

 

[JShirley]

Nope.

 

[Sam Cade]

sisal/epoxy treatment.

The more of them I do, the better I like it as a handling method. Provided you don't need a lot of volume in the grip it is very efficient and has a great texture.


I've got a Martindale machete with extended .25" poo-brown paper micarta scales (pinned but not epoxied) on it with the intention of doing a sisal/epoxy overwrap to bring the grip to proper size. Should be an interesting experiment.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Good job on the 5/8 wrench and the 1 inch one would make a matchete.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I do a jute and glue wrap grip on some of the self bows that I make. I use TB3, slightly thinned ,for the glue and they are holding up well. I think I'll try your epoxy trick when I make a spliced handle bow Sam. Should work well for some added strength.
It sure looks good on your knives and I can't wait to see what you make out of that big wrench...