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Day-dreaming as I write.

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hmmmm damn hmmmmmmm

can you make sheaths/holsters too?

Sheaths, I have only made a few, none leather. I made a few from thin PVC, kind of like a "tactical" style, but white... I can do leather work though, just dont have tools/material, so if you buy, I will make.

Full tang only so far, dont see a reason to have a smaller tang, really.

The one I just finished is my first heat treated knife, but I have made a few from scratch before... 7 or 8 maybe? This one is what I would call a survival knife/camp knife. 9.5" length, 3/16" thickness, 1 3/8" wide at the guard.


Drop point design, convex/axe grind, compound grind angle for stronger tip geometry.


Full tang, wide pommel with lanyard hole. Handle wrapped in 12' of 550lb. test paracord.


Rounded finger groove for choking up & doing fine work, also protects hand from grip slide when stabbing.


Rounded spine with ridges for thumb grip & comfort.


Spine near tip flat ground for large surface to baton, as well as sparking ferro rods. Also strengthens tip.


And she is pretty sharp-


Edge retention has not been tested, but a quality file skips off the edge like a flat rock on water, so it is plenty hard. I am trying to send this one to a big shot knife guy to review... more later on that.

Here is the heat treat-

I only have light & dark green, but I can get other colors no problem... I can do wood to, I get flooring samples fairly cheap and use those... pretty cheap way to get semi-exotic woods.

For that one (or a similar one), with the either dark or light green cord, $30... for a different color cord or wood, $35.

By the way, these need to stay oiled or they will rust (trade off for the stronger/harder steel), except for the handles, which are painted under the cord... Woden handles would only need oil on the edges where the metal shows...

Or the whole knife can be painted, this keeps it rust free, BUT the paint rubs off when used, so it will have wear spots quickly, which may rust but usually not too bad since these would be spots that get worn & the wear keeps the rust down.

If anyone wonders, why the rust? It is the high carbon content of the steel, which is needed for strength/edge retention... Think about your car's break rotors & how they rust after a rain & a day sitting in the driveway, or bridge steel that needs constant painting to keep from rusting. The strongest steels usually rust.

What about stainless steel? It has much less carbon, and added nickle, so it doesn't rust easy. But this makes it weaker, though it still has pretty good abraision resistance... Stainless is good for stuff you cant keep oiled, have to throw in a dishwasher, put on a boat, etc. But it is a compromise that makes it lose an edge quickly under rough use & bend when over stressed.

High carbon steel is stronger off the bat, and once heat treated, is much harder and a little more wear resistant than stainless. The way i heat treated this blade is called differential heat treat, meaning I hardened the edge of the blade more than the spine. This helps it keep an edge but not get brittle on the rest of the knife. The handle is not treated at all, so it retains the original flexibility. Then I tempered the steel by puting it in a regular oven, at 400 for an hour, then let it cool in the oven, without opening, for another two hours. This removes some of the stresses in the metal and keeps it from cracking when dropped/banged into something.

I would have to make a real forge, and get an anvil, to straighten the steel... Might be cheaper to buy a long bar or tool or other good steel, that is flat & cut it from that. But I will look into the spring steel... maybe flat pieces can be found...


Looking into making my own micarta (sp?) as well... In a new way *wink*

Just finished this little jabber yesterday. Kind of a bush knife/Mora, but thicker kind of deal. Heat treated, medium carbon steel (pry bar)... The thing I like best is the handle material, it's basically micarta, but wrapped instead of made into plates/scales. About 5 courses of nylon cord, with resin applied between each, then sanded to shape after it dired.













It's a prize for a contest on the zombie squad forum, so sorry, you no can have!