Tool'n Knife Builds

[Bill]

That is beautiful! Nice work

Sure is.

 

[Tree Spud]

To better answer your question about Stainless. Stainless is a another beast when it comes to heat treat and tempering. High Carbon steels like 1095 which I use are relatively easy. The process I use is they are brought up to austenite state (non magnetic) and then air cooled. Then its do it again 3 times. Then it brought up to temp again and held there for just a few minutes and it goes into a oil quench with preheated oil. It stay in the oil for 20 seconds or so. The steel is now in martensite state which is VERY brittle. To remove the brittleness It goes into a tempering oven for 2, 1 hour cycles. Temp range between 400 - 450 depending on the hardness you want. Temps are fairly critical.

Stainless is totally different. Heat treat the temps are a lot higher and the blade needs to be held at that temp for long periods of time. Depending on the stainless used temps range in the 2000+ range and the hold times can be up to an hour. Some you even need to hold at lower temps for 45 minutes to an hour, cool it and do it again with a higher temp. Some take several cycles of this. The temp are VERY critical for heat treating. To get these temps and hold for that period of time one would need a heat treat oven/kiln. These start at the 2K range and that's more than this retired guy can afford. I'd love to have one but then I'd have to be selling knives in the 400-500 dollar range. I believe I am better off sticking with what I'm doing with high carbon. Also high carbon is a lot tougher than Stainless but yes they do require a little more care. I did run across a stainless from Sweden that I believe I can heat treat and temper with the Eq. I currently have. But I've been busy getting inventory ready for local shows and orders. Once caught up I'm going to give the stainless a try. This is the short answer believe me I don't know it all and there are so many different methods and opinions on how it's done, but all agree stainless isn't easy.

We use an old stove in our machine shop to heat treat stainless.

 

[tooln]

I'm kind of a do it yourself type guy. I made a knife not long ago with oak handle pins and it went over really good and sold fast. The only thing I didn't like is the oak pin was with a locust scale. It looked ok but I think if the pin would have been the same wood as the scale it would have looked even nicer. I use several different woods for handle scales but finding dowels made of the same wood is either impossible or really expensive. So I started digging and found a way to make my own dowels. I put together a prototype this AM and tested it out. Here's a short video of it in action.

 

[tooln]

New back drop for my test videos.

 

[tooln]

I have some leftovers from knife handles and displays. Put them to use and made some bottle openers. I'm setting up a table this weekend at a show. Maybe they'll sell.

 

[tooln]

Quality control test in progress .

 

[Buckly]

How’s it taste? Kind of nutty, LOL

 

[tooln]

How’s it taste? Kind of nutty, LOL

It was really good. Kind of hard to say the exact taste. It's been many years since I've had a beer. Whiskey is my go too, but I had to test the opener and I always keep some beer on hand for friend who don't like whiskey.

 

[tooln]

Getting ready for today's show. Added bottle openers.

 

[Kdog]

Interested in two of these.

 

[Tree Spud]

Good luck at the show!

 

[tooln]

Interested in two of these.





Pm me if your serious.

 

[tooln]

Good luck at the show!







It did turn out pretty good. Sold 1, and got a order for a custom build, a few tire kickers but if they get back to me I'm not holding my breath. Had a 1 guy call, said he was at the show and wanted one but didn't bring enough cash. He wanted to stop in since he found out I was local. He actually showed up today and bought 1. Yesterday afternoon my wife sold 1 from a FB contact. She's tickled pink as she's getting the $$ from that one.

 

[tooln]

Made up some homemade leather conditioner today.

 

[tooln]

I have a show this weekend. Here are a couple that I just finished.
This one has a Red Oak handle with brass pins.
This on has a Locust handle with Red Oak pins, tooled sheath and HD bar & Shield etch. Kind of hoping this one doesn't sell as I really love this one.

I also have some stuff on order to try making handle scales. A super clear epoxy which I will embed items into the epoxy. If it turns out as expected it will really look nice.

 

[tooln]

Been busy with build's & shows. Had to video this and post as it's very different. I did a 2nd temp at a higher temp with the blade sandwiched between 2 pieces of aluminum. The blade it still as strong & hard but now has a very unique color.

 

[Bill]

That’s cool!

 

[Brian662]

Beautiful blade. Shoutout to the tie dye shirt Brother

 

[tooln]

I had a customer stop in today and pick up his custom build. To start the build he picked the handle and blade profile, we then sized his hand. He had a few different woods that he dropped of for handle material. The prettiest piece was a maple burl that wasn't large enough for a handle scale. I really wanted to use that burl, so I made each side of the handle a 3 piece scale. between the 2 burls pieces is a piece of antler. The knife turned out great and fit his hand prefect.

 

[Catscratch]

Beautiful!!!