His and Hers Utility Knives (My First Build)

[25cschaefer]

I just got finished with a week long, NRA, knife making class at TSJC. I made two simple knives for my wife and I to take to Vegas later in the summer and I am pretty happy with them.

We used mostly hand tools, the bevels were all filed by hand; mine is a saber grind and the one I made for my wife is a flat grind.

The blades a 440C stainless, brass bolsters/pins, and Diamondwood walnut scales. My instructor suggested that if you learn on 440C, O1 will be a cake walk (I hope so). I am not one for shiny knives so after a quick (I was running short on time) 220 polish, I buffed the wood and bead blasted the metal.

The only flare would be the red liners on my wife's.

 

[Texan Scott]

Congrats!... and very, very nice. I'm actually a bit partial to your wife's... like the blade style. Classy.

 

[Sam1911]

Those are really great! Somebody was a very good soldering teacher!

 

[25cschaefer]

I originally had both as drop points but my wife thought it was too bulky so I pretty much reversed it.

I made sure to clean all the surfaces with acetone before riveting the bolsters on and then used a very good flux (can't remember which).
Clean
Good flux
Patience
It helps to have an instructor who has tried everything. I did everything just like in his demo and it went great; though I wish I had cleaned my wife's up a little more before blasting.

 

[hso]

Nice job.

I'm afraid you'll find that lovely arc to the guard will be too gradual because your index finger will be pushed back from the ricasso.

 

[jbkebert]

Good looking pair of knives. The red liners really make the handle of your wifes knife stand out. How many knives have you made in the past?

 

[25cschaefer]

These are my first two, I was a little ahead of the rest of the class so I finished two and started a third. These could have been better but with the time constraints and the fact that after a week straight of filing and sanding I was ready to be done, they turned out how they turned out.

 

[jbkebert]

I would be very proud of those as your first two knives or your 200th. The look nice have pretty clean lines and a very usable blade shape. My hats off to you good job.

 

[Valkman]

Those are incredible for your first knives! Yes they have flaws but you should see my first one! What a joke that thing was! I'd dump it but the wife won't let me.

 

[rcmodel]

Most excellent work for your first two knives.
Far far better then anyone would expect for a first timer!

I made my first two knives in 1955 when I was 11 on my old mans belt driven, babbitt bearing, low speed, vibrating and bouncing, homemade bench grinder.
I'd put in a half hour or so every night after school & chores were done.

I had never seen a custom knife, or had a clue what a handmade knife should look like.



I got in some very serious trouble, because I plum wore out his v-shape mower sickle stone grinding down his last two old files.

And it was about time to cut hay again, with nothing left to sharpen the mower sickle blades with!

rc

 

[kBob]

Pretty. I like them.

-kBob

 

[JimStC]

Very impressive. Wow, your first two knives!

Jim

 

[25cschaefer]

Thanks guys

rc, that had to have taken forever to grind old files down, glad to see you still have them.

 

[heron]

A couple of real beauties there for a first-timer, 25c. At first glance, they look like the work of a seasoned pro. Ya done good!