King Dozer-First in Pride Series

[liontribe]

this is number one in a limited series of neo-tribal designs i am doing in the next few months. i have had these designs rattling around in my head for a while and had to get them out. some of you guys know what i mean. this one is 10" overall and is from forged 5160 spring steel. handle is forged wrapped copper and leather lace sealed in resin. working on an antelope leather sheath for this one right now. here are the obligatory bad pics.

liontribe

 

[Double_J]

I do like it, very tribal design, and LOVE the sheath with the beadwork. I think this is one of the finer pieces you have shown us. Someone will be very lucky to have that added to his collection.

 

[Sam Cade]

forged 5160 spring steel

Interesting. What does the preform for that blade shape look like?

 

[Sol]

Primitive, rugged and weathered.

I see aspects of myself in that knife.

Once I start personifying objects, the wallet tends to open.

 

[liontribe]

thanks, fellas. Sam, my pop makes many of the forged blanks that i use. he has a larger forge and hammer. most of the 5160 comes from old leaf springs, he cuts them into chunks/billets and brings them down into roughly 1/4" by 12" bar blanks for me. he only does this from time to time, so i take advantage of his work. he is the one who taught me the basics back in the stone age when i was 14. many trial and error moments with heat treating unknown steels that i had scrounged. screw ups are the best teachers, some times.

liontribe

 

[Sam Cade]

he cuts them into chunks/billets and brings them down into roughly 1/4" by 12" bar blanks for me

So it is a stock removal knife made from a flattened leaf spring?

Acid etch finish?

 

[liontribe]

well, when you take a piece of steel and change it's shape and size with fire and force, that is called forging. was it completely forged to final size and shape, no. not many people do that. kudos to those that do. i get the distinct feeling that you just don't care for me or my work. almost every thread i start you seem to want to pick at a nit. that is fine, i will refrain from posting here in the future. i don't have to justify every thing i do and every phrase i use to any one. i have much better uses for my time. sorry if this offends anyone, just seems rather silly and childish to me.

liontribe

 

[horsemen61]

I like it

 

[Sam Cade]

well, when you take a piece of steel and change it's shape and size with fire and force, that is called forging.

Ok, fair enough. All bar steel is forged to shape at the mill, so all knives are made from forged steel.

When you say that a knife "is from forged 5160 spring steel" the expectation is that the knife is forged to shape by hand. This coupled with your rough acid etch could very easily lead someone to think that this knife was actually forged and not stock removal.

i get the distinct feeling that you just don't care for me or my work.

Well, that is two different things isn't it?

I don't know you. I'm sure we could be great friends.

In my opinion as a THR member (because Staff are also members) I think most of your knives are gimmicky and have questionable (at best) ergonomics.

almost every thread i start you seem to want to pick at a nit.

I think you might have me confused with someone else. Or THR with a different forum.

THR is a discussion forum. Expect discussion. Especially if you are cross-posting to other forums to drum up sales.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...8#q=King+Dozer-First+in+Pride+Series&safe=off

that is fine, i will refrain from posting here in the future. i don't have to justify every thing i do and every phrase i use to any one. i have much better uses for my time. sorry if this offends anyone, just seems rather silly and childish to me.

Oh no.
Don't take your ball and go home.

 

[JShirley]

liontribe, there are common, accepted terms for the two common methods of knife manufacture. Using these terms accurately is in no way "silly and childish", any more than using accurate terms to correctly describe firearms.

 

[hso]

Sorry, I've been offline while Charter had to collect their hamsters and get them all back in the proper wheels.

that is called forging.

I'll clear up any lingering confusion anyone might have.

As an American Bladesmith Society member for a few years as well as a National Knife Collectors Association member for much longer I've dealt with terms and definitions and their nuances for a while when it comes to characterizing blades and the process of crafting them. A forged blade only comes from forging the blade to shape and not from stock reduction of a billet forged to working thickness.

The King Dozer knife isn't a forged knife because it wasn't forged to shape, liontribe did say it wasn't forged to shape, regardless of whether the billet was forged down to a working thickness by hand or machine. It is a nifty stock reduction knife, taking nothing away from the craft and appeal of it other than the question over the terminology. A lot of smiths will tell you that forging a blade will improve grain properties and I've heard the discussions of whether just forging the billets before forging the blade will produce some of the same benefits. The general consensus is that it will not produce all the desirable results (edge packing, grain refinement, ...), but it will produce alignment/refinement enough to have a benefit.

There aren't as many smiths forging blades as there are knifemakers that grind from the start, but there are quite a few in the ABS and even more that aren't affiliated. At least in this part of the country we have plenty, but it takes all the equipment of any knifemaker PLUS the gear and space for it of forge, anvil, tools, etc. for bladesmithing.

Hope that clears up any lingering doubts.

 

[Field Tester]

well, when you take a piece of steel and change it's shape and size with fire and force, that is called forging. was it completely forged to final size and shape, no. not many people do that. kudos to those that do. i get the distinct feeling that you just don't care for me or my work. almost every thread i start you seem to want to pick at a nit. that is fine, i will refrain from posting here in the future. i don't have to justify every thing i do and every phrase i use to any one. i have much better uses for my time. sorry if this offends anyone, just seems rather silly and childish to me.

liontribe

I just went through a bunch of your threads and I see quite the opposite. I see many people complimenting and asking more about your products. I also see peers in the same field of work asking about your process to see if your free advertised product on a site they moderate, will hold up in the field. I also see someone attempting to clarify a misused term and perhaps teach and prevent further embarrassment.
I however do not see any of this being done maliciously. And this is coming from a guy who's not too happy with the mods right now for his own reasons.

Take it or leave it. My opinion is worth about as much as you paid for it. Just a friendly observation.

 

[GLOOB]

Well, guys. That doesn't look like an acid etch to me. It looks like the sides of the knife are showing the results of the forging that was done on the billet and the scale.

The thing that is bothering me the most about the knife is the little swedge grind on the back. To me a swedge is the epitomy of modern. Not just modern, but modern tacticool. I don't like it on that knife, at all. Not that I like a swedge on any knife. I can forgive the hollow grind. It's functional and goes along with the combination of modern materials, e.g. the resin imbedded leather. But the swedge annoys me.

 

[Sam Cade]

Well, guys. That doesn't look like an acid etch to me. It looks like the sides of the knife are showing the results of the forging that was done on the billet.

This is what a hammer and forge flattened leaf spring looks like.

Note the roughness on the right side. I didn't do that. Leaf springs are often rolled out rough.

This is liontribes "Relic" etched finish:

 

[Brin]

Liontribe, As I have said before, I really like your work. You have an eye for lines that flow. But hey, what do I know, I am just a guy who makes knives out of ball bearings.

 

[Valkman]

I like liontribe's work and yes it's stock removal what he does but I don't see where it's gimmicky at all. Makers have to make what they like and I think he does a great job on them. If people buy 'em, just keep making them - you're never going to please everyone so don't even try.

 

[hso]

As important is the expression of the personal aesthetic of the craftsman. Liontribe's style is very clear in his work and very attractive. His work isn't crude or unfinished even when there's studied rusticness displayed.

 

[JShirley]

I've always given him style points. Not usually my style, but very dramatic.

Flip side is negative points for apparent comfort and genuine usability...so I guess it all depends on what one wants in a knife