New Knives

[Blackoak]

I just finished 2 knives that I made from files just doing stock removal. Both have copper trim with brass rivets. I used contrasting brass with copper rivets where I hold the belt loop on.



The handle on this one is red deer. The handle has been buffed with bees was.
The blade is about 4.5" long.





Uric

[Blackoak]

This one has a 7" blade.





I tried a little bit of carving on this one. It will be a gift for my knight this weekend at our Kingdom's Fifth Year event. His device bears a cross and crescent.



Not the greatest picture but you get the idea.

Uric

[Wulfgar]

On the second sheath how do you get the leather to stretch in to a curve so it fits smoothly around the angled point of the seax?

I'm guessint that you somehow have to stretch it? Can you give me a bit of a guide?

[Eirik]

Beautiful work man. Absolutely beautiful

[Blackoak]

On the second sheath how do you get the leather to stretch in to a curve so it fits smoothly around the angled point of the seax?

I'm guessint that you somehow have to stretch it? Can you give me a bit of a guide?

Yup I stretch it. I wet the leather and form it over the knife. At this point I still have extra leather at the tip.

I take 2 small wooden planks and clamp them over the blade. Then I pull the end of the leather down while it is in the clamps. That make sense?

After it dries I go back and trim it, cutting off the excess.

Thanks Eirik!

Uric

[Hrolfr]

Nice work, Sir!

[Wulfgar]

On the second sheath how do you get the leather to stretch in to a curve so it fits smoothly around the angled point of the seax?

I'm guessint that you somehow have to stretch it? Can you give me a bit of a guide?

Yup I stretch it. I wet the leather and form it over the knife. At this point I still have extra leather at the tip.

I take 2 small wooden planks and clamp them over the blade. Then I pull the end of the leather down while it is in the clamps. That make sense?

After it dries I go back and trim it, cutting off the excess.

Thanks Eirik!

Uric

I think I understand but I'm not 100% on the process.

Do you start off with a rectangular piece ove leather and then clamp it with thin pieces of wood clamping it at the side that will be joined?

So the knife is then in the sheath and you pull it between the the slats of wood to form it over the blade?

Do you have any pics of your process?

Thanks,

Wulfgar

[Gryffinclaw]

Great work

[Doorman]

Beautiful.

How did you attach the blades to the handles?

[Blackoak]

Wulfgar, I don't have progress pics, sorry. I start with a rectangular shape and wet it, then fold it over the blade. I sandwich the blade with 2 wooden slats. So it is wood, leather, blade, leather, wood.

I put clamps on it. At the tip of the blade, I take the excess leather and pull it down so it takes the shape of the point. I usually let it dry over night.

Doorman, I drill out the antler and use a 2 part epoxy to set the blades.

Uric

[Wulfgar]

Ok I think I've got it now. Thanks for taking the time to explain it again.

[Doorman]

Doorman, I drill out the antler and use a 2 part epoxy to set the blades.

Uric

Thank you. I have a couple of old files laying around gathering a layer of surface rust I might have to repurpose. I just need to locate some antler or bone. Anyone have any tips on where to acquire? Would a Dremel be sufficient to grind down the files or would I need to spend some time at my dads workshop on the bench grinder?

[Patrick]

A dremel tool will take you a year or so to grind down a file into a knife.

Advice: Put the file in the oven at 450 degrees for two hours. Let it cool in the oven (other tempering methods exist, but this one does work). The file is so hard it will chip on the edge as you try to cut things. Ask me how I know...

Using a grinder, do it barehanded and dip into water every time the steel gets too hot to be comfortable in your hands.

Wear good lung protection and eye protection. Those bench grinders will kick up some dust and once in a while a wheel will break. You want your eyes and lungs protected. Cheap insurance.

Ask anyone you know who hunts if you can have some old antlers. Surprising how often you can find a rack that never got mounted. Alternatively, wood is a very period and appropriate material. I like maple, myself.

Knives are a lot of fun. I've been making them for just about 20 years now and they are still fun. In fact, I have to get my shop cleaned up so I can work on a couple I started a while back. I like those saxes.

-Patrick

[Doorman]

Thank you Patrick. I believe I know where I will be spending my weekend Gonna have me some new knives for War of Wings. How well do file born blades hold up? Will I have to sharpen every other day?

[Patrick]

Any good steel will hold up well. Remember that files are made for cutting steel. No kidding! But being that hard, they are too hard for the sideways stresses of a good knife. Bake it at 450 for two hours (some people like to take it out and let it air cool at the one hour mark, then do the second hour, but I've not been able to tell a difference) and don't overheat it when you grind it down and you should have a knife that holds a good edge for a long time.

In essence, you will get a knife that should hold an edge better than any commercial knife under about $50 and at least as well as half of those over $100. The one thing to deal with is rust. So, keep it clean and dry. No big deal.

Very few stainless steels will hold as good an edge as properly treated simple high-carbon steels. Any good file is going to be a simple carbon steel, as a rule. Some of the high-priced tool steels can put the file steel to shame, but the prices are rather prohibitive.

I like to buy new barstock for my steel. I know what's in it, it comes soft to begin with, and I can heat-treat it myself. That said, my current favorite knife was made from an old saw blade (rusty circular saw blade) and I rehardened it and tempered it at 425. It is a whittling knife, but it just keeps on cutting anything I put it to. I've been using it for about 3 years and I'm glad I have so many of these old saw blades. Got plans for more knife fun when winter comes.

-Patrick

[Doorman]

Awesome. Tempered the file last night. going this weekend to grind it and to a friends house to see about some antler. Any suggestions on how to mount the copper trim?

[Blackoak]

Awesome. Tempered the file last night. going this weekend to grind it and to a friends house to see about some antler. Any suggestions on how to mount the copper trim?

The blade sandwiches it to the antler, with the epoxy holding it in place. I use a smaller drill bit and make 2 holes next to each other. Then I use small files to fit it to the knife tang.

I grind the edges for the final shape.

Uric

[Doorman]

Awesome. Tempered the file last night. going this weekend to grind it and to a friends house to see about some antler. Any suggestions on how to mount the copper trim?

The blade sandwiches it to the antler, with the epoxy holding it in place. I use a smaller drill bit and make 2 holes next to each other. Then I use small files to fit it to the knife tang.

I grind the edges for the final shape.

Uric

Thanks. I think I might break out the Dremel for that little bit. I love my Dremel, my wife bought it for me for christmas and I use it for so many projects its not even funny

I posted this question in another section, but am going to ask it here too. Do you know of any historic precedent for antler hilts being carved into animal shapes (dragon, like the prow of viking boats)? I am thinking it would look awesome if I carved the pommel to be similar to the oseburg prow but would like some verification of historical accuracy.