Hunter under way

[Lin Rhea]

The blade is 5160 and the guard and butt cap are Damascus. Working on it.

 

[tomsm44]

I like where this is going.  Thought it was going to be a clip point when I first looked at the top picture.

Matt

[kbaknife]

Exciting!!

[Lin Rhea]

Here the guard is etched and slid on loosely.

 

[D.Ellis]

Looking good. Are you edge quenching to get the heat treat line like that?
Darcy  

[Thadbow]

Looks great Lin!

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks.

Darcy, I get done with all of my thermo cycling and then use a brazing tip on the torch to gently heat the edge to critical temp then quench the blade.

[Doug Campbell]

   

[Lin Rhea]

 

[gudspelr]

Oh, man... That's such a great blade shape for a useful little hunter. I keep trying to emulate that kind of pattern and size when forging, but somehow always manage to blow it. I either have too much and it ends up too big, or something else and don't seem to end up with it where I wanted. I'm continually impressed by your forging abilities, obviously with the blades, but also with your fittings.  

By the way, are those grooves on the spine from a 10 tpi checkering file? Think I'm finally going to pull the trigger and just get one.


Jeremy

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks Jeremy. I had a target length for this blade so I had to check close during the forging to make sure I got real close. I actually forged another that was just a little short and ground it and this one more or less side by side to save a little time on it. It saves changing settings and belts and such.

Yes, that is the file.

I should get a little farther along this afternoon. BTW, I am using the smaller end of the stag, cutting away the thick end. This will have the Silver Dogwood flower on a Damascus butt cap.

[gudspelr]

Thanks, Lin. And I've really come to like that dogwood cap you put on the end. The one time I tried peening a tang over a cap (fire poker, not knife), it was a bit of a disaster... Someday I may get up the nerve to try a method like yours, but will need to plan better. I really like the looks and the mechanical fastening it provides.


Jeremy

[Lin Rhea]

I got the stag glued on. I filled the front half of the handle with Acra glass and let it set. Now I have the tang pin centered and the back half filled up flush. By working it in stages I can concentrate on one thing at a time. I don't do all this way but it is helpful when using stag.

I have to get the back of the stag flat and ready for the butt cap before I do any gluing since the tang pin prevents access to it.

[just_a_hunter]

 

Todd

[2Tim215]

Very nice. You guys are lucky to be able to get stag like that.

[Crotalus]

Thanks for the progress pics Lin,
This is gonna be a great knife, love it.

LP

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks Lance.

I got the butt cap shaped and etched last night but there was not enough light for a picture. I should finish it by Sunday afternoon. Have to work in Little Rock Saturday in the blacksmith shop.

[Lin Rhea]

I do have this one of the butt cap being scribed to shape to the stag. I used a sharpie to blacken the inside of the butt cap. Since that picture was taken I have recessed the back of the butt cap all around the tang pin out far enough that the edge is all that is bearing. This makes flattening much easier and better. Yes, I removed the pith of the stag but this one had thick walls.
   

[Lin Rhea]

[kbaknife]

Slick!
I spent the entire day doing pretty much the same thing.
I love your butt............cap.