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OK, y'all have woken me up.......


Walker570
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Thanks Ben. Yes, etched the other side today and still a secret till OF gets it, anyway it is now all ready for me to solder the bolster in, got the gap so tight this time I will have a job persuading it to run in there .... must have beeen one of my better filing days:yes: For the non knife makers, getting the gap from blade to bolster as tight as possible, is very important, must be waterproof.  Thought through all sorts of ideas for the handle but at this moment it looks like the original mesquite wood, 1/4 inch decorative pins and red and white liners. Then a good polish with boiled linseed oil finish because they is easy to keep topped up as the knife gets used.  Maybe a bit of wax on the bronze to stop it going green if not used much.

Then onto the sheath.

First job there is to make a wooden model of the knife but very slightly larger. Then two half female formers which fit over this model. The rear most being slightly deeper and to include a section where the handle will fit.  Two suitable pieces of heavy leather making sure there is some to spare soak in some warm water with just a touch of washing up liquid ..I find this lets the leather slide in the former better rather than rubbing a mark on any tight corners. one piece of leather over the bottom former, then place the wooden model so it will be directly over where you want it to go when the pressure is put on. Then the other piece of leather and the second former. This is where you need four hands.  Once clammped together up to the vice which hopefully has been opened wide enough to take the package. Check all is in line and slowly tighten up adding g clamps if necessary. Take it as tight as you can. Then forget about it for at least 48hrs maybe much more if the weather is cold. The longer the better.  Eventually release the pressure and with luck and a following wind you should have two perfectly boxed sides for your sheath with enough overlap to trim and run your stitching around.  The front piece can be slightly shallower than the back or in some cases flat. At this point you can then emboss or decorate the leather before stitching up.  I have a wood wheel about 1 1/2 inch wide on my grinder which I use to 'finish' the edges, polish them. Rub some brown boot polish on the edge and then work it over with the high speed wooden wheel. Makes a tidy finish.  I stitch by hand and pre drill all the holes. Laying the leather in the formers makes this easy if your careful.

P1010085 (800x600).jpg

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56 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Thanks Ben. Yes, etched the other side today and still a secret till OF gets it, anyway it is now all ready for me to solder the bolster in, got the gap so tight this time I will have a job persuading it to run in there .... must have beeen one of my better filing days For the non knife makers, getting the gap from blade to bolster as tight as possible, is very important, must be waterproof.  Thought through all sorts of ideas for the handle but at this moment it looks like the original mesquite wood, 1/4 inch decorative pins and red and white liners. Then a good polish with boiled linseed oil finish because they is easy to keep topped up as the knife gets used.  Maybe a bit of wax on the bronze to stop it going green if not used much.

Then onto the sheath.

First job there is to make a wooden model of the knife but very slightly larger. Then two half female formers which fit over this model. The rear most being slightly deeper and to include a section where the handle will fit.  Two suitable pieces of heavy leather making sure there is some to spare soak in some warm water with just a touch of washing up liquid ..I find this lets the leather slide in the former better rather than rubbing a mark on any tight corners. one piece of leather over the bottom former, then place the wooden model so it will be directly over where you want it to go when the pressure is put on. Then the other piece of leather and the second former. This is where you need four hands.  Once clammped together up to the vice which hopefully has been opened wide enough to take the package. Check all is in line and slowly tighten up adding g clamps if necessary. Take it as tight as you can. Then forget about it for at least 48hrs maybe much more if the weather is cold. The longer the better.  Eventually release the pressure and with luck and a following wind you should have two perfectly boxed sides for your sheath with enough overlap to trim and run your stitching around.  The front piece can be slightly shallower than the back or in some cases flat. At this point you can then emboss or decorate the leather before stitching up.  I have a wood wheel about 1 1/2 inch wide on my grinder which I use to 'finish' the edges, polish them. Rub some brown boot polish on the edge and then work it over with the high speed wooden wheel. Makes a tidy finish.  I stitch by hand and pre drill all the holes. Laying the leather in the formers makes this easy if your careful.

P1010085 (800x600).jpg

A very interesting and informative read Walker.

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I was surprised by the number of people into making knives. I knew of a few real top guys and purchased from one, made to meassure, which is now still stuck in the ground somewhere in Wiltshire:no:.  The number of times I have done that but mostly I can go back and find it still there. It really isn't rocket science. Don't get me wrong you can get deep into it with differing metals hardening etc etc. but for a simple working knife, it ain't that hard. Fancy machinery helps but again by shear muscle power you can fettle up a knife from a bit of spring steel.

Old Landie springs are case in point.  A vice , a hacksaw, a couple of files and a drill, plus some emery paper will start you off.

 

Fancy pins have arrived so might get the handle on this weekend or early next week.

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2 hours ago, Mice! said:

caught part of this afternoons escape to the country, in the peak district, showed some guy making knives bespoke, turned out there were three guys making a living from it, didn't realise it was such big business.

He had a very strange way of trying to sharpern a knife .

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