Fighter/Hunter in 1095 finished 7/3/11

[BRad704]

All I am lacking on this knife is etching my mark and sharpening it. The sheath will be either black or grey kydex, or maybe a combination of the two.

Aldo's 1095 with scotchbrite finish
~9" overall
~4.25" blade
long swedge that could be sharpened if legal/desired
black linen micarta over white, blue and black G10 (0.030" layers)
SS corby bolts
Very lightly tapered tang
and a glass breaker on the bottom in case you need to bonk somebo... errr... break a window out of a car to free a trapped person...

 

[jbkebert]

Good looking blade. Nice work.

 

[Valkman]

I like it!

 

[BRad704]

Thanks guys!

 

[hso]

Nice work, Brad!

You've really come along as a maker.

Break those hard edges just a a little with emory cloth and that would be a knife I'd be pleased to try on the farm.

 

[JShirley]

Yeah, the basic form of the handle is very nice. Listen to hso.

 

[lemaymiami]

First rate, very nice. Love to see it in finished form.

 

[bikerdoc]

Real good work.

 

[Jeb21]

Excellent job!

 

[BRad704]

Thanks everybody...

HSO and John... I'd love to round the edges more, but don't want to get into the G10 layers with the sculpting. As it is now, the handle is comfortable enough for "use it and put it away tasks", but I will look at softly rounding the corners to provide better comfort for this to be a viable utility blade...

 

[BRad704]

I spent a few minutes last night rounding the edges by hand with some 320gr. I was able to know the "edge" down and I can feel a difference.

I also built my kydex press out of 2 thick cabinet doors and got the sheath formed. I'm debating on how to do the loop/clip, so I haven't gone past this point until I have a solid plan.

 

[NMBrian]

Looks Professional, I could easily see this for sale behind the counter at an outdoor store.

Well done sir.

 

[Sam1911]

Very nice! Good form. Should be quite a user!

If I may ask, how are you handling heat-treating?

 

[BRad704]

Thanks guys... I have had several people tell me that my slipjoints "look just like the ones from the store" and I take that as a great compliment to my fit and finish.

Heat treating on 1095 is very similar to 5160, which I have been doing more than anything else. I have a single hollowed out fire brick that I use for heat treating, along with a propane torch. I can get a much more even heat using the brick, and once i get to non magnetic, I am quenching in slightly warm, light oil. I'm also flash tempering to the very lightest dull red and allowing to air cool. So far this has given me the results I am looking for, so I can't justify paying for HT yet. Once I am "selling" knives... I may send out all blades for professional and documented HT.

 

[Sam1911]

Cool! That sounds very workable. I love "old" tech that works!

 

[Effigy]

Nicely done. I like the layered look on the handle especially. Good blade shape.

 

[BRad704]

Thanks effigy... and Sam, if you love "old tech", I am finishing something right now that you might like... I'll make a thread in just a bit...

 

[BRad704]

I got the sheath finished last night and the belt clip done today. It can be swapped from IWB to OWB and is easily covered with your untucked shirt. The plus to being IWB is that you don't see the bottom of the sheath as you move or reach.

Blade length is just over 4", so I can't even carry this in TN...

 

[hso]

So make another in 4"!

 

[Sam1911]

WOOOHOOO! I'm not the only nut who makes up IWB rigs for large knives! LOL!

Nice looking work, too!

 

[BRad704]

I have 2 more profiled already, one is a tanto and the other is another drop point and they are both the same size as this one. I DEFINITELY will be making a few with a 3 7/8" blade (to the guard).

And I think this is about the only way to carry something this size. OWB lets you see the bottom of the sheath, and horizontal makes weird near-obscene looking places in your shirt...

 

[Sam1911]

Yes. I've tried horizontal at the request of someone else. It turned out to be about as useless as I'd feared.

I like the IWB style, as I like having a decently-sized knife available, but the guys I know personally who carry a large sheath knife openly ... well ... do it for reasons I can't endorse. I'd rather NOT scare the local suburbanites.

 

[JVoutilainen]

BRad704,

Once I am "selling" knives... I may send out all blades for professional and documented HT.

Then again, it is worth considering that if you want to delve deeper into the Art of knife making it might be wise to keep on learning more about heat treating - a key aspect of the entire manufacturing process. In my view it is the pressure of possible failure that forces us to evolve. Furthermore, maybe it is a cultural issue, but I would be hesitant, or even unwilling, to give my guarantee to a knife if someone else, even someone whose professionalism and skill I respected, was responsible for the heat treat.

 

[xjsnake]

Wow, very nice. That's something I would be proud to carry. Hopefully I'm still creeping around the southeast when you get to the point of selling those. I'd love one

 

[BRad704]

Thanks guys...

and JV... I am certainly going to keep doing my own oil-quenched heat treating, but when it comes to the stainless steels, I am just not in a position to buy all the equipment necessary. (Yet... )