HT 2025 Trail Cam Contest Prize Build

[tooln]

I am again honored that Bill has asked me to build another knife as the contest prize. I've a few ideas bouncing around in my head, but am open to suggestions. Follow along, enter your pics & good luck. As always I will have no part in the voting which is hard for me to do as there are so many great pics.

 

[tooln]

I had some time today so I sat down and drew these up. So unless something changed these will be the 2025 prize knives. The ULU will have a stainless blade, the skinner Damascus. Handle material for each has not yet been determined.

 

[tooln]

Steel for the prize knifes is here. AEB-L stainless & 416 layer Damascus made 15n20, 5160& Ni200.

 

[tooln]

Took some time today to transfer the drawings a heavier stock. I cut them out and glued to the metal. At times I use patterns and layout fluid. I scribe the pattern this way if the pattern lifts I still have a line to follow.

 

[tooln]

Did some work on the ULU today. It's starting to look like something. Stay tuned and don't forget to enter.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

That Damascus steel looks incredible. 416 layers takes some work! Can't wait to see what you craft with those blanks.

 

[tooln]

That Damascus steel looks incredible. 416 layers takes some work! Can't wait to see what you craft with those blanks.

Every year I try to make something better than the year before for the prize knife. You guys really need to thank or blame Bill. He's the one who asked me to build something and it's grown and I also appreciate it.

 

[tooln]

I did the heat treat on the ULU today. It gets wrapped in a stainless foil to keep oxygen from the blade. I heat it to 1540 degrees and hold for 10 minutes. Then run it up to 1940 and hold for 15 minutes. When pulled from the oven you can see the outline of the blade through the foil. Then as fast as I can it gets put between aluminum plates for quench that are 1" thick and air is blown between the plate to cool to touch. Then the blade is cryogenic treated in the deep freeze over night. Tomorrow the blade gets tempered.