Tourist knife design??

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***Or you can learn to produce a real quality knife after several years of practice and still make a lot less money on this than buying the garbage Chinese knives. Your choice. ***

Or, he could make the quality forged knives he's making, sell them for what the market will bear. He'll have the satisfaction of having made the pieces, the minor financial incentive from selling them, and the pride of knowing that he's not a lying shill of a scam artist.

Life really isn't about money. Knife quality isn't simply in the blinding shine of a cheap piece of Chinese stainless.

J
 
There's something between buying cheap imitation knives and palming them off for maximum profit and spending a year apprenticing with Don Fogg to become the smith he has the potential to be in that short period of time.

There's no sin in optimizing the profit on your work as long as the sufficient quality is there. Many makers produce knives they can grind in their sleep. They don't enjoy making them because there's no challenge in them, but they produce them because they pay the bills to let them make less profitable pieces. Every maker has to find the balance for themselves with the guidance of mentors.
 
Nothing says "africa" more than a Khukri:
RL12%20khukri%20lg.jpg
 
Somehow I get the feeling that "pretend" isn't any part of our South African friend's plan.
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Now why would i do this? Good idea if i was going into mass production but not what im trying to achieve. I want to make the knives the best i can and get better. If i can sell one, every now and then to help be buy new/better tools, then bonus.

HSO, i did clean up some of the steel on the cutting edge of my carry knife, like you said. It does add a touch of class and sofistication. Ive taken some pics and will post when i get them on the PC. That was a great tip and ill do it from now on. I have a question for you or any one else. What is the best way to cut handle blanks from raw wood/a branch? I want to buy either a table saw or a band saw, the band saw would be more versatile but cost 2x as much. I looked at a ryobi 1500wat table saw(R1200) and a Scheppach barato1 band saw(R2600). I cannot afford to buy bigger than this and it will mainly be used for cutting handle blanks. What should i get?
 
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Finally, something I know a little bit about.

What is the best way to cut handle blanks from raw wood/a branch? I want to buy either a table saw or a band saw
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,

I use a table saw. new, or used they are resonable - be careful use push sticks -
For branches/raw wood make sure it is dry. or it will warp.
I have had sucess with discarded furniture, especially table legs.

Pay attention to the grain. An old timer ( older than me) taught me about quarter hewn milling. Basicly you cut a piece in half and then those in half, hence quartering. then slice slabs. Somewhat wasteful but produces beutiful grain. All with a table saw.

Now someone plese tell me how you etch your logos?
 
Cheaper still is a hand held electric jig saw or even a couple of woodworker's hand saws. One with a fine almost wire blade for profiling and a simple miter box with a good quality fine tooth hand saw.

That's how the old timers did it, the hand saws that is.

Here's a trick from Fuad, find a cheap palm sander and make a wooden clamp to hold it sanding side UP. The remove the foam pad and replace with leather or high density closed cell foam. Use various grits of paper on it and treat it like a powered "stone".
 
Here's a trick from Fuad, find a cheap palm sander and make a wooden clamp to hold it sanding side UP. The remove the foam pad and replace with leather or high density closed cell foam. Use various grits of paper on it and treat it like a powered "stone".
Click to expand...

Would this contraption be used for sanding wood slabs or polishing the blade? I have a small bench top belt sander, bench grinder, drill press, jigsaw, drill, angle grinder etc. Ive just payed for a Ryobi 1500 watt table saw, should get it on friday. Look forward to cutting my own handle slabs. Should be fun. Tried to sharpen the bowie on my arkansas stone, i see what you meen, very difficult with the "bent blade". I cannot find my diamond stick so tried it out. When i get my table saw, do i need to cut the blanks with the grain or can i cut it like a tree round then shape, is there a certain way to cut the wood/branch?
 
When i get my table saw, do i need to cut the blanks with the grain or can i cut it like a tree round then shape, is there a certain way to cut the wood/branch?
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See what I said above about quartering.
With the grain will get you more slabs.
never tried the tree round, might get some good grain, but be careful of splintering when finishing.

Just be careful and use push sticks.
 
Go for it! TIP: when finishing give the edges a small chamfer to prevent chipping.
will post some pics of a quartered oak scale I made soon, beautiful grain!
 
Please do. Ive kinda got the blade story(still need lots of practice though) but am not to clued up on the handles.

Started making a sheath for my Bowie, looking good so far. Ive got a few pics to put up, just need to sort them out.

Bikerdoc, when are you going to start another blade? The first one was good, you should definately keep at it, im keen to see more of your work (i feel we are in the same boat, we both need to learn but im really keen to see some stuff from someone on the same level).
 
Mokwepa,

here is #2

Still trying to make a stencil for my logo

took an old 1095 butcher knive and made this. the scales are oak I quartered. #3 on the drawing board.

Making sheaths is time consuming and tedious. I got to get better at that too.

First I got to learn etching.

View attachment 435073
 
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That's a neat fellow there, Doc!

Funny what you say 'bout sheaths.... I've found 'em to be quick and easy. I make this style in about a half hour. Dead simple, not the prettiest on earth, but they work very well....

jasonsEDC.jpg
100_3715Small.jpg
100_3717Small.jpg
100_3590a.jpg

J
 
Biker
I etch using a electric chemical etching, "Personalizer". I got it from Jantz Supply. It is the simplest. It cost about about 150.00 to set up. The stencils you can type on typewriter. You can buy more detailed stencils for 35.00 for sheet which I do. They are very durable.
You can get a stamp about 150.00. It cost a little more to set up.
 
The problem with using "green" uncured wood is that it will change shape as it dries. Make sure to use old wood or wood that your air cure yourself if you want to avoid splitting and cracking.

The wood is less likely to split if it "oily".

Stabilizing can be done with thinned cyanoacrylic "Super Glue".
 
Nice knife Bikerdoc! In response to your query on rivets. I guess the best ones are those that you make your self because they are cheapest. I use 1/8" brass rod for mine. I just pick up a 24" rod at the local Ace and anneal the pieces as I use them by heating them to red and quenching in water. That makes them very soft and easily peen-ed. Find out the length of pin you need and add another 1/4". Then take the pin and clamp in a vise with1/8" protruding. Now take a small headed, preferably a ball-peen hammer and using the rounded head start tapping the pin in a circular motion until you have upset enough brass to form the size head you need. Your next step will now be to get your handle material all ready for glue up, shaped, sanded etc. etc. Remember to countersink your handle material a little to allow room for the rivet head. When I glue up me handles I just insert the pins and let the clamps hold the slabs on. When all has hardened then I peen over the other end. Simply rest the opposite head of the pin on a hard surface(anvil, vise, chunk of steel)and repeat what you did to the opposite side. Your pins will be upset now so that they cannot be removed unless you grind off the head of the pin. Sometimes I leave the rivet/pin with the hammer marks on them, looks more rustic. Now there are also commercially available cutlery rivets that you can try that don't require hammering. The Corby and the Loveless style work well but they require a step drill and cost a little more. Good luck!:)
 
Guys, Very exciting!

Found an old post on British Blades, during my research about electro-etching.

Requires 9 v battery, wires, allegator clips. cotton swabs, and salt solution

Use nail polish on blade, scratch out, or trace logo. Hook up juice. + to blade. Neg. wrapped around swab. Apply swab soaked in solution, Presto! Logo

Practicing on scrap, having trouble with stencil, when I get it right pics of logo on above knive to follow.
 
Oh man, i must post some pics of my recent sheaths, for the bowie and for my Hippo bone knives. Far far easier than making the knife. I think im really getting the hang of leather work. Started a new thread, im going to post all my stuff there including pics of the sheaths, hope to see you all there:)
 
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