Please do not attempt to repeat this. This was done for testing and fun purposes.

My first test reached 82.75 kg (182 lbs), and the weak point was the stop-bar.

This second test revealed another weak point that I can improve to get even better results.

Test results:

Scale reading: 154.9 kg / 341.5 lbs
Distance from pivot: 50 mm / 1.97 in
Torque: 75.95 N·m / 672.2 in-lb
Blade thickness: 4.5 mm / 0.177 in
Lock-bar thickness: 4.4 mm / 0.173 in

Hi!

180mm Gyuto I made as a custom order.

The etching was done by hand using electrolysis, mimicking a san mai line, featuring my logo and the client's initials.

Kept it simple this time around, but I think it turned out cleaner and more elegant. I'm really happy with the result—hope you guys like it too!

1095 steel, 40” in total length, 31” in blade length. 2lbs 10oz so far. Double sided fuller.

I will do oak scales with leather wrapping and a hand guard, and pommel depending on the balance point.

I have a 24 inch forge but this sword is 40 inches - nervous about heat treat and tempering. Any tips or tricks?

I have a thermometer gun and a 48” quench tank.

Hi guys, building this antler Bowie and the core of my antler is pretty large and I can deform it quite easily. I’m guessing I need to drill out all the pith and fill with epoxy to get this to work? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated 🫡

I had an extended hospital stay recently (last minute bowel cancer operation) and had some people house sitting. When I got back, I noticed a paring knife that I made a few years ago had had the tip bent. They did get a cleaner in, nobody’s claiming they know about it, never mind, they were doing me a favour last minute, these things happen. It does have sentimental value for me however, so I‘d like to fix it up as well as possible.

It doesn’t have any kind of crack, and it seems to be bent rather than twisted, so I’m hoping I can maybe just mechanically correct it. I don’t know heat treating facilities in my current forge so I’d really prefer to avoid anything that might necessitate that if at all possible.

does anyone have any advice on the best way to tackle this? Cheers

The knife is made from random 4mm flat bar I found, so it’s a surprise that it processed an entire nutria without sustaining any damage.

Field dressing was fine. Butchering meat was more difficult due to the thickness of the blade. Slicing meat for burgers was fine. Fleshing a hide was tiring; a different tool is better for that. It worked well for cutting tanned leather. 5/10

Had a piece of scrap 15N20 laying around that was already slightly axe shaped and I thought, why not? Lol

Differentially h/t 1/8” ‘sheffcut’
Green canvas Micarta
Domed nickel silver pin

What I've done for the last 3 knives I've made is grind the secondary cutting edge bevel until it's close to the center line on both sides. I then heat treat.

I will then angle my jig to grind off a line just slightly above my original bevel. This is how I start my primary bevel. I keep grinding at this angle until it lies flat with my original bevel. Then I pull back on the angle and do a new row right above the last bevel line. I grind at this angle until it meets flat with the 2 original grind lines. I do this until I get to the height up the spine that I want or both sides. I this use a sharpening stone to grind the cutting edge on both sides until they meet.

The problem with this method for me is my jig doesn't have an angle indicator. Since I keep changing my angle to shallower and shallower angles as I move closer to the spine, a lot can go wrong. One side is a different angle than the other. The cutting edge might be center in relation to the spine but not to the primary bevels. The grind lines might go a little higher on one side because the jig was set a little too shallow etc.

I just saw another method where you just set your angle however close you want the grind to be to the spine. Then keep grinding at that angle, equal passes on both sides. Heat treat before it gets too thin, then continue grinding at the same angle until the edge gets narrow enough to make the secondary cutting-edge bevel. Then you change your angle to lean the edge closer to the belt and grind the final cutting edge bevel.

I've included pics. Also I'm aware my secondary bevels and clip point edge aren't even. I'm trying to figure out how to get the clip point edge right. Any tips on that haha?

Years back, a great client of mine made up a small batch of burlap micarta and sent it to me out of nowhere.

So of course, I had to make him a piece wearing his work. Used micarta pins and lanyard tube to keep the theme. Not my preferred color scheme, but he loved it.

Loosely based on the Loveless Caper Finn. Tapered tang, hand finished, 52100.

66 layer Damascus, but I'm having difficulties etching it. Polishing them and coffee next. Handle cleanup required.

Cracked my first blade tonight. Was doing differential heat treatments on a few 1095 blades. Noticed the cracks after tempering. Definitely a bummer, but I had concerns about that knife in particular. I got a little carried away with my pre-ht grinding. Definitely thinner than intended.

0.43mm at the edge, full flat grind, 1/8” stock, edge quenched into parks 50, atp anti scale coating.

I might give it clean up anyway to see if the hamon turned out. After that… break it to bits and see what that ht is lookin like!

How do you prevent a knife made from a saw blade to rust after use?

Over the weekend I exhibited at the Cape Town Knife Show for the second time and won “Best Fighting Knife” in the novice division.

Here’s a look at the knife. I’m almost certain it’s the first Pikal that’s ever won in a South African show, and I’m so glad the judges can recognize designs that aren’t the typical traditional fighter. Judging was done by Des Horn and Alan Mitchel, so that makes it meaningful to me.

Got an email from my kickstarted account on this new sharper system, and its jmo, but I think it looks pretty nice and sought. Thinking about taking a chance on it, for $69 i think you’re getting a lot, and since you can use other stones that makes it much more appealing. Thoughts?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1859024211/korvan-the-tool-free-precision-knife-sharpening-system?ref=6bln44

9KhS, Soviet chromium-vanadium high carbon steel blade, Caucasian Walnut handle, Brass inlay, guard and butt, Textolite spacers

Customer unfortunately just wanted a cord wrap but still came out pretty sweet I think.

My father in law is a retired dentist who is spending his twilight years looking to get into jewelry and knife making. What do you think of this? Any criticism or pointers are highly welcome! He doesn’t have an account but wants to get better and will take any criticism he can. It’s stainless hrl 60 over vg10 steelcore if that makes a difference. Elk antler handle with copper and turquoise. It’s nearly 8 inches. The vegetables kind of push when I chop them.