Originally Posted by jplinville
Thanks. I consider it both art and useful tool. I would hate for any of them that I sell to sit and collect dust. The blanks I use are 440C stainless steel that have been hardened and cryogenically treated to make them strong and durable, without chipping out the cut edge. I want these to be used, and used often. The handles are stabilized wood, which means that they wont absorb fluids like oils, sweat, or blood.
Future knives will be made with different handle material, as I come across it. I've got a chunk of cottonwood that I stabilized, as well as more maple, walnut, and some fruit woods that I found. I'll likely add bone to the list in the future, as soon as I find a decent supplier of jigged bone that doesn't break the bank.
I'm searching for a source for some customizable sheaths, that I can wet form to fit each knife. The one shown in the last picture is a nice sheath, but has welting sewn in, preventing a nice wet fit. They're good sheaths, just not what I'm looking for. I may buy material and see if my wife has any luck in making them. I've tried leather work in the past, and didn't do very well. I've got a number of punches to customize the sheaths, so I may as well see if the wife and make them.
I'm sitting on orders or 6 blades, 3 of them to be of my choosing. As soon as I can get the new area together with my tools, I'll be back at it. My cousin has offered the use of her garage, which is only 2 blocks from my new place in Dayton. The garage on that house is too small to hold vehicles and a small shop. She's giving me an entire bay, when all I really need is about 100 square foot. The room in the Pittsburgh home is only 65 square, and while cramped, served me well enough to make these.
I hope to have the new shop up and working after the first of the year. I ordered a knifemaker's 2X72 belt grinder, complete with attachments, wheels and stand...I just need to look around a bit more for a motor to power it. It should be delivered to my cousin's house sometime in the next two weeks. The seller is waiting on the stand to be completed before shipping it.
It looks like a hobby is turning into a way to make a few bucks again...
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