stock removal knife
Hi everyone,
First off, thanks for having this group up, it's really cool to look over some of your amazing projects. =)
By way of introduction, I'm an apartment dweller, no next to nothing about metal, and have next to no equipment.
So there's the disclaimers. I'm a bit of a pud, but I'm willing to do some study and spend time in books as necessary.
One thing I'd like to do is make a simple knife. Fixed blade, tanto point. Simple. I've decided that in lieu of scales, I'll simply do a cord wrap handle, and in lieu of finding a forge, welding gear etc, (and spending the years to learn to do this right :( ) I'll come up with a simple stock removal design that requires no hardware be fitted.
I started on paper and sketched out a few designs I like. 2 simple one sided knives, and one double sided, all under 10 inches long and only one over an inch wide at it's widest point (and that under 1.5) and I've since made cardboard mockups of the same.
Now I THINK I'm getting ready to break out a jigsaw with metal blade and cut some blanks, and ye old file to start bringing them down to a generaly knife shaped object...
So, my questions to you are:
1.) first off a general call for comment... Anything you want to say goes, even flames greatfully accepted solong as they have something I can learn from in them.
2.) more specificly. I know how to take care of a knife, and I don't need stainless, but I'd like something that will keep an edge. If this works out ok, I'll be making a sheath and keep this with me while I'm sailing and climbing and I'd like it to be able to go through rope if necessary. What metals should I look at using and where is a good place to find them?
3.) processing. I know there is a processess to tempering steal, and I also know that I live in an appartment and hence I'm willing to bring them to someone else to do.
3.a) Preferably I'd love to do the whole processes myself EVENTUALLY so if someone could point me at information on tempering, (that is what you do to harden a blade right? if not, what am I looking for?) so I can learn about it and theoretically do it in the future.
3.b) can anyone recommend a shop in the greater Los Angeles area where I could bring a knife to be treated?
Thank you all very much for your help, and I look forward to watching more of your beautiful work and hopefully eventually having some of my own to show off.
:)
-- James
First off, thanks for having this group up, it's really cool to look over some of your amazing projects. =)
By way of introduction, I'm an apartment dweller, no next to nothing about metal, and have next to no equipment.
So there's the disclaimers. I'm a bit of a pud, but I'm willing to do some study and spend time in books as necessary.
One thing I'd like to do is make a simple knife. Fixed blade, tanto point. Simple. I've decided that in lieu of scales, I'll simply do a cord wrap handle, and in lieu of finding a forge, welding gear etc, (and spending the years to learn to do this right :( ) I'll come up with a simple stock removal design that requires no hardware be fitted.
I started on paper and sketched out a few designs I like. 2 simple one sided knives, and one double sided, all under 10 inches long and only one over an inch wide at it's widest point (and that under 1.5) and I've since made cardboard mockups of the same.
Now I THINK I'm getting ready to break out a jigsaw with metal blade and cut some blanks, and ye old file to start bringing them down to a generaly knife shaped object...
So, my questions to you are:
1.) first off a general call for comment... Anything you want to say goes, even flames greatfully accepted solong as they have something I can learn from in them.
2.) more specificly. I know how to take care of a knife, and I don't need stainless, but I'd like something that will keep an edge. If this works out ok, I'll be making a sheath and keep this with me while I'm sailing and climbing and I'd like it to be able to go through rope if necessary. What metals should I look at using and where is a good place to find them?
3.) processing. I know there is a processess to tempering steal, and I also know that I live in an appartment and hence I'm willing to bring them to someone else to do.
3.a) Preferably I'd love to do the whole processes myself EVENTUALLY so if someone could point me at information on tempering, (that is what you do to harden a blade right? if not, what am I looking for?) so I can learn about it and theoretically do it in the future.
3.b) can anyone recommend a shop in the greater Los Angeles area where I could bring a knife to be treated?
Thank you all very much for your help, and I look forward to watching more of your beautiful work and hopefully eventually having some of my own to show off.
:)
-- James