I had a customer who inherited the Old family farm along the Mississippi river between Illinois and Missouri.
The family decided to tear down the old farm buildings and divide the place up into rentable camp sites.
During the destruction, they unearthed a few ancient files and an almost-rusted-away splitting wedge.
They cut up some of the barn timbers, which I went through to get enough of a piece of old oak to send off and get stabilized.
The file used here was an old "Arcade" with a logo like a horse shoe.
I didn't etch the blade but the hamon in that file blade is phenominal. I just thought it would clash with the file teeth.
Now maybe I can get busy with the Blade Show!

Very very cool!

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IN GOD WE TRUST

Ditto! Love the use of the old stuff!

Nery nice Karl  

As always, excellent knife Karl!!!

       

       

Now that's a Custom Knife! It's great see ones like this. Lin

Thats a good looking knife and a great story to go with it.bd

Karl,  Looks great!  How did you test out your temper.  A couple that I've done have hardened/quenched out fine with rockwells around 59-60 but getting the right temper without burr formation on sharpened edge has been my problem.  Guess I get to used to using known 5160     Jeff

Very nice!

Karl, thats my favorite

QuoteOriginally posted by tippit:
Karl,  Looks great!  How did you test out your temper.  A couple that I've done have hardened/quenched out fine with rockwells around 59-60 but getting the right temper without burr formation on sharpened edge has been my problem.  Guess I get to used to using known 5160         Jeff

Knowing a good place to start helps. With 5160 I would start at 350 and some higher carbon blades I might start at 375 or 400 if I know what I have.
On this one I started at 375.
Grind to an infinite edge.
Edge flex on a round bar. A lot of guys use brass, I use an old sharpening steel with the grooves smoothed off.
Flex the edge over the bar and while still pressing down, drag the flexed edge along the bar. If all has gone right, you'll experience some small chipping the first time.
Go back to the oven for another temper and raise the temp 25 degrees.
Re-grind to remove the first steel that was flexed and grind to a NEW infinite edge.
Edge flex/Test again.
If you don't chip, leave it as-is.
If it still chips, back to the oven +25 degrees again.
I might also chop on some old deer antler and hope for chipping.
Re-temper +25 degrees.
It depends on what you're going to do with that knife as well.
A big Bowie you might want to temper so that you can do some heavy chopping and have no edge chip.
A hunter that you know is not going to be abused is OK to leave a little bit "CHIPPY" because you want it SCARRY hard to hold a fine edge.
but, if you are selling the knife to someone you don't know and have no idea the abuse the knife will get, temper it high enough so you KNOW they won't be chipping the edge!

Wow, Great question and good information and clear explanation!  Thanks

Thanks Karl,  I was getting chipping guess I should have kept going up on the temper.  So much easier going with steel I know.

I'm looking at your queston again - and you WANT some burr when you sharpen.
If I read that right.....

AWESOME!!!! I bet the new owner is super proud! That is a knife with true "history" behind it!