A Trio of New Knives

[BrokenOlMarine]

As promised, I am starting a new knife build.  This time, due to the ease of multiple builds, I will be building three at once.  This way, the setups are not wasted.  When I cut, I cut three.  When I epoxy, I epoxy three.  When I use the belt sander, I use the 60 grit on all three, switch over to 80, three, 120, three.  Etc.  I got started this afternoon, and have laid out  a pair of drop points, one with cocobolo scales, and one with lacewood.  Then another Tanto with dark, rich, heavily figured cocobolo.

If anyone is interested in taking the trip again, I will take the time to take the pictures and post the ride.  If not, I won't take the extra time and effort.  Let me know.  I'll take pics of the layout waiting in the shop in the morning. Just in case.   


*  Originally posted in off topic because I'm old.

[Bill Holt]

I enjoy all build-a-longs.

[Aram]

If anyone is interested in taking the trip again, I will take the time to take the pictures and post the ride.  If not, I won't take the extra time and effort.  Let me know.  I'll take pics of the layout waiting in the shop in the morning. Just in case.   

Yes, please do that!

[BpB123]

Yes, please do that!

Yes, please ^2

I really enjoyed your last knife build!

[BrokenOlMarine]

Here are the pics from last night's prep work.  Sorry, my phone was dead last night, so I had to wait until this morning to take the shots.  The Lacewood scales I cut before I left VA and they got packed up when we put the farm on the market.  Cheating I know, but I think they are going to turn out great.  The other two are going to rock as well.  I hope.

Here is the first of the two drop points, with the Lacewood standing tall beside them.  This will be an extra, not spoken for yet.  I will make these things and have them in my collection.  I'll find a friend or family member to give them to or a charity needing an auction item. 
   If you look closely at this picture, you may be able to see the curve at the front of the blank where I'll round off the front edge of the scales rather than follow the lines of the design.  An aesthetic choice on my part.


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Next up would be the other drop point for my Daughter.  She has been using the smaller knife I made her years ago, it's a part of her morning routine to put it on the belt on her jeans.  It has seen everyday use.  She asked if I would make her a slightly larger knife for Christmas this year to use for actual skinning duty, and chose this blank, then went thru the wood in the "scales" drawer and chose the material... I chose this SIDE of the 3 inch wide piece she had chosen and will make sure the flames point in the same direction on both sides of the knife. 



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Last up, MY Tanto to go with the Cocobolo grips on my Colt.  I bookmatched the piece I had chosen and was really happy with the center of the chunk I had cut out.  I will of course select the highly figured edges for the scales.  Hopefully this turns out as nice as I think it will.  No matter, these three should fill my next two weeks. 
  Let's party.


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We'll all learn something together.  

Watching late night YouTube, I saw a piece on Kingman Turquoise.  I sent them an email asking for prices.  I might try and buy a couple pieces of Real, nice quality Turquoise.  If that happens, I'll actually try to make a knife with Turquoise inlaid in the scales.  How bout them apples.  All I can do is fail, learn, and start over. 

[clovishound]

After making one of the Zhen kits for my buddy for Christmas, he announced the other day that he was getting a pair of "mini cleavers" and wanted me to finish them with one for me and one for him. They came in the other day and I have one partially finished in the shop right now. The double bolster is more of a challenge than the single, and this kit requires more prep work on the tang. I'll find out later today if I nailed the fit or not. Won't know until I take it down to the bolster.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Got out in the shop for an afternoon session.  Had to wait.  Our guy came to spray for the spring bugs this morning and whew wee, the Oh Dear had to dissipate. 




Anywho.... the first step was to cut the lacewood block in half.  I did that after carefully measuring the thickness, marking down the center and then bookmatching that puppy on the bandsaw.  Pucker factor was high. 
  Then I cut the rounded nose off the scales, holding them tightly together, going slowly and letting the saw do the work so pushing didn't cause them to move apart.

They came out very nice.  The number one pair is cut, and I used one scale from that pair to mark the cocobolo for the second pair for cutting.

** Yup, I know the cut edges aren't perfect and smooth and the lines don't exactly flow, they are cut oversized, I will shape and sand them to fit.... no need to try for perfection on the bandsaw.  I SHOOT for oversize.


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I took my time on the first cut, then used the blank from the first cut to mark the second scale.  I scratched my head a lot, figuring out exactly how to make the grain (flame) face the right direction and get the sides facing UP correctly.  I couldn't get it wrong.  I have MORE wood but THIS is the piece the kid chose.  You don't want to disappoint the kids.  I think they came out fine, and keep in mind I am looking MOSTLY at the pattern of the grains, as I cut them oversized to allow for shaping.  The GRAIN's the thing here.


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Now comes the good part.  I am cutting the darker cocobolo for the Tanto I plan to keep.  This is supposed to match my grips on my .45.  Or not.  Anywho, I found the darker wood and got lucky with some great grain here.  Again, layout was key.  Hopefully when I start shaping, the grain stays good all the way thru.


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After the individual pics, I told them to line it up for a group shots.  They all thought THEY were the ONE but I told them to shut it, and line up.
They did.  Here is the group shot.  The wife likes the Lacewood the best, right now.  I like it as well, but I think the Tanto is going to Kill it at the end.
Do y'all have a favorite so far. Yeah, yeah, I know it's early, but you may as well get involved.


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Tomorrow's first task will be to tape all the blanks back together and round the front edges prior to starting the assembly by epoxying the one panel in place so I can drill through using the blank as a reference.  As I said during the last build... this is where the multi build pays off.  I set up the sander with the various grits and sand all three before changing.  I mix epoxy for three rather than just one.  Win/Win.

[arthropod98]

very cool!  i like these build-alongs too.

are those woodriver kits by any chance??  i've got a few of the sarge ones that are decent.

i did one small folding knife, and that was a ROYAL pain.  

[BrokenOlMarine]

very cool!  i like these build-alongs too.

are those woodriver kits by any chance??  i've got a few of the sarge ones that are decent.

i did one small folding knife, and that was a ROYAL pain.  

Yup, I bought a half dozen when Woodcraft put them on sale months ago. Then packed the shop, and moved 1300 miles.  Just started working on my knife and leather work again eighteen months later. 
. They have several going on sale again April 1st.  Time to stock up. 

[arthropod98]

Yup, I bought a half dozen when Woodcraft put them on sale months ago. Then packed the shop, and moved 1300 miles.  Just started working on my knife and leather work again eighteen months later. 
. They have several going on sale again April 1st.  Time to stock up. 

oh, thanks for that . . . might be doing some ordering myself!