San Mai and Black Maple hunter

[kbaknife]

Well, here's that blade finished out.
Think it works well with that stabilized "Black Maple"?

 

 

 

[TheBigRedArcher]

Now that's pretty right there.

[Rusty Snuffers]

I think it works quite well.  Mighty fine, sir!  

[jonathan creason]

I don't know, there's just something about it that I don't quite like.  Oh yeah, I see it now.........it's not mine.

Mighty fine work, Karl.

[David Yukon]

Pretty indeed! Good looking knife!

[akaboomer]

Great job Karl. I like the Black Maple better than I would Ebony or African Blackwood.

Now when will we see this type blade on a Bowie?  
Chris

[Kevin Evans]

Nicely Done.
I like the shape of the handle,
looks like it would feel good.

[2treks]

Nice!

[Lin Rhea]

Great knife Karl. It's one to be proud of.

[Arrowest]

Very well done.  Now to match it up with a classy black sheath with just the right amount of tooling on it.

[Steve Nuckels]

I like it alot!  

Very unique!

Steve
--------
Potomac Forge
ABS Apprentice

[gables]

Did you get the maple died black during stabilization ?

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by gables:
Did you get the maple died black during stabilization ?

It's a two step process - first they have to pressure/vacuum dye it, let that dry for about a week, and then stabilize it.

[Montauks]

yeah! what everybody else said...

[caleb0100]

Awesome!! I really like the darker handle with that new blade.

[rjackson]

very nice.

Randy

[Jim Jackson]

Gracious, that is a beautiful combination.  

Out of curiosity, what are the differences between San Mai and Mokume Gane techniques?.  I've seen knives and rings made through both techniques that look very similar in their patterns but I don't know enough about the history of both processes to be educated.

[kbaknife]

Andrew, I would venture to say that the basic difference is that the San Mai procedure as used here is a simple three piece affair which creates a stainless jacket around a tool steel core which is not all that different from the Scandinavian laminated steels using the same basic process.
Mokume Gane often uses many dissimilar layers to create patterning as described in the definition:"......is a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns. Translating as burl metal, the name was borrowed from one type of pattern created in the forging of swords and other edged weapons."

[Bladepeek]

Karl, was that blade blued and the stainless just didn't "blue", or did you have to treat the surface of the stainless? That matt finish on the stainless looks great. Much nicer than polished.
Ron

[kbaknife]

I simply etched the blade in FeCl two times at one minute each.
The 1095 etched out black, and the stainless was made satin.
I like things simple.