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Project: Corian experiments. Project: The Frenchy-Lisle Field knife or the DL1 for short. Project: The Shadow 01 Tool Steel field knife. Project: Nordic type stick tang hunting blades. Project: Leuku style knives - 5 blades now in stock (28/06/2008) Project: Knife Blades' in stock as at 07.09.08 Project: Wolsingham Show 6/7.09.08 - Miserable weather ruins my plans! Project: DL1 MKII is now in stock (as at 09.11.08)
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Experiments with Corian for knife handles.
A mate of mine has aroused my interest in using Corian for knife handles as it's supposed to be tough, finishes well and easy to maintain. Being rather traditionalist in my ways, I have been reluctant to use it even though I try and keep an open mind.
As luck would have it some Corian came my way unexpectedly and I figured that such material will lend itself to playing around with. As can be seen from the two knives below - one full tang and one stick tang - that's exactly what I did.
I must admit to being impressed with the results and as I have other Corian in different colours, there is still more scope for me to experiment. The final test of course is whether anyone would want a knife with a Corian handle in any of the various colours available. Time will tell and in the meantime I'll keep on experimenting whenever I fancy a change...
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The Frenchy-Lisle Field Knife (DL1)
I've decided to have some Bushcraft/Field type blades made from the rather special RWL-34 Swedish Powder Stainless Steel. The Blades are being made for me by a top Danish bladesmith/knife maker, who normally only makes blades for his own exclusive knife making activities. I'm referring to Jesper B Neilson or JBN as he's most commonly known. JBN makes knives for the Danish Crown Court and other highly esteemed clients.
I'm calling this knife 'The Davey Lisle Field Knife' or DL1 for short, in honour of my late best friend. The owner of one of these knives will be able to appreciate and feel privileged that he has something very special that he can fully confident be about and able to trust and rely on as he would his best friend - just like I could with my late best friend Davey Lisle.
The knife above is the prototype and the final shape will not be too dissimilar.
The knife specifications are as follows:
Blade is full tang made from Scandinavian RWL-34 Powdered Stainless steel.
Overall length of knife will be approximately 220mm, with a blade length of 110mm and a handle length of 110mm. The thickness of the blade is 3.5mm and 35mm at its widest point. The actual cutting edge is 100mm and 30mm at its widest point. the grind, a flat sided Scandi grind, is 10mm deep. (NB: These sizes are close, but approximate nevertheless!) The handle will have 3 pins as well as a lanyard hole slightly offset from the pinholes.
The first batch of 10 blades have been ordered and have now been received (as at 27.02/08). And here they are...
I've waited very very patiently for many months to get hold of these beauties.
Many a time I thought that the project was going to fall through, but patience and I persevered paid off in the end. I regarded this project especially important on account of the sentimental value attached to them - and now I'm very happy indeed!!!
As can be seen with my having re-numbered the serial numbers with a pen, "MINE 01" is exactly that - the first one is mine. All the blades have the serial numbers 01 to 10 and my initials (PF) stamped on them nice and small on the left side.
SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS ABOUT RWL-34 KNIFE MAKING STEEL
The Knife Blade steel:
RWL-34 is made in Sweden from powder steel, the composition of which is very precise and strictly controlled, thus making for absolute consistency. It features a very fine grain structure and with the appropriate heat treatment will make for an excellent quality knife with a super sharp cutting edge that will hold its fine cutting ability for considerably far longer than other knife steels.
RWL-34 has a fine grain structure that increases its cutting edge and holding capability. It is also worth noting that RWL-34 is a Stainless high alloy steel as well as having the superior qualities already referred to.
Although it can hold an excellent cutting edge, it does not make sharpening harder. Quite the contrary actually, as when it comes to sharpening the blade it’s fairly easy to do, which is of great value to the user at home as well when out and about. Takes and holds a good edge, while easy to sharpen when necessary – perfect for the user!
How the steel is made: RWL-34 steel is a ‘powder steel’ that has been melted and sprayed out in a vacuum. The resulting steel bar is put through a complicated process under very high heat and pressure. The precise steel composition, in combination with the whole process of producing Powder steels, makes for an inherently stronger knife blade than any other steel.
The Heat treating process: RWL-34 blades get a professional heat treatment in strictly controlled environments by Haustrup of Denmark. This company deals exclusively with heat treating steels for a variety of industrial tools and of course knives.
The method used is a specialised Quench and Draw one, the process of which is a well guarded trade secret.
The blades get hardened in a vacuum furnace at very high temperatures and are then cryogenically stress relieved at -196 °C (-385 °F).
The stress relief gives 3 benefits:
1. The wear resistance is greatly increased. 2. The knife is able to get a finer cutting edge that holds well. 3. The overall strength is greatly increased.
The final hardness of the blade is 58-59Rc, which is ideal for this type of knife.
Cost: When one considers the processes involved, it stands to reason that the costs involved would be far more than they would be for 0-1 tool steel for instance. In the case of RWL-34 however, the added cost is well justified on account that a well designed knife produced from this super steel will arguably be the best knife you could possibly ever have.
The knife blade making process: Using RWL-34 bar stock, each blade is made to as near the final design shape as possible. The blades are then sent for heat treatment to a specialised industrial heat treatment company in Denmark. There the blades undergo the heat treatment process. On their return, the blades are then given the final grind and polish in order to achieve the perfect design shape and surface finish.
I hope that I'll be able to have some more blades done, but bearing in mind the effort it took for me to get just the above 10 blades, I can't say for sure whether I'll be able to or not. Unlike most other steels, RWL-34 needs specialist heath treatment and this process is not cheap. As a consequence very much depends how many blades the maker has to send for the heat treatment. He needs to send a fair quantity at a time in order to make the exercise cost effective. Basically I could order and receive blades within 6 weeks or it could take 5 months as has already happened in with the above 10 blades...
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Project 5 - The 'Shadow' 01 Tool Steel Field knife
I've been asked, and even criticised, as to why I don't make knives from 01 Tool Steel. The primary reason was that I wanted to make knives from steels that most other knife makers in the UK were not working with - yes, I suppose I just wanted to be different. The other reason was that for a long time I was rather sceptical as to whether I could source quality stock from a reputable bladesmith at a reasonable cost. Well, things have changed somewhat lately as I've been fortunate enough to find a good source which I'm happy with. So, I've decided to start making knives based on 01 Tool Steel blades and hopefully things will work out fine for all concerned.
I've recently submitted my design and specifications for the type of knife blade I want to work with and expect to have the first batch of blades before the end of November. All I can say for now is that as I'm using 01 Tool Steel, I won't be opting for a radical design with this model. Instead I've chosen a basic traditional British Bushcraft type design and tweaked it in some important areas to my liking.
The blade is fairly standard Scandi grind Bushcraft type, but the handle is shaped somewhat, with hopefully, the right amount of contouring for a better, safer and more comfortable grip.
As can be seen in all my knives I attribute as much importance to the handle as I do to the blade. In my view a knife with an appropriately contoured handle to suit the individual is not only more comfortable in use, but safer too.
Well, here is the very first Shadow blade made up with Sambar Stag Antler
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New Blades for working with in early 2008
I'm always looking for nice quality blades to work with, or shall I say, experiment with. That's how I came to use Bearing steel blades, which have proven themselves an excellent choice for the purpose intended.
RWL-34 has caught my attention in a big way and hope that the D1 will prove popular with the highly discerning Bushcrafter. However, I've been thinking of the hunters' needs as well of late, with the emphasis of skinning and cutting of flesh as the primary end use. One can make do with the Talisman, but at 4mm thick some would find it it's a bit thick to use regularly for skinning and cutting. Having said that, I know a couple of people who are very happy using the Talisman for gralloching.
The knife blades shown below are all of stick tang construction in the Scandinavian fashion. I won't argue with the point that the stick tang handle configuration is reputed to be more comfortable in prolonged use, but I'm sure that a well designed full tang handle is just as comfortable. As to which is the strongest is debatable because if the knife is used properly I can't see how one can break either handle configuration if both are well built. The exception would be in the case of rat's Tail tang, which I don't rate for a hard working knife. As for me, I'm happy to use either handle configuration for the simple reason that both provide me with the scope of achieving the desired end result...
Three Blades in RWL-34 by Jesper B. Nielsen - the favourite Bladesmith of the Danish Crown Prince and Court.
Blade is appx. 110mm by 30mm by 3mm thick. It's hollow ground.
All these blades are spoken for... Whether I get any more of these blades is in the lap of the Nordic gods! JBN does not make blades for anyone but himself normally, but on rare occasions he overindulges himself and makes a few extra blades, which he makes available to selected clients.
Five Scandi type Damascus blades from G L of the USA. These blades are 3mm thick and have a slightly deeper scandi grind to facilitate easier cutting of skin and flesh.
I find that far too many people tend not to use their Damascus knives just because they look so good when finished. The thing is that as long as they are properly looked after they'll perform as good if not better than many an other plain steel knife!
These three blades are made by Robert Mattsson from laminated steel. These blades are hand forged, three layer laminated with a core of UHB26C (high carbon 1.25%) steel. Excellent proven outdoor and hunting blades. All blade are tapered, i e thinner toward the tip starting from 4 mm at the base. Outer steel is UHB20c and 15N20.
These blades come in 85mm, 100mm and 120mm lengths. Shown are the 100 and 120mm ones.
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I've jus had a delivery of 5 Leuku style blades (as at 28/06/08).
This can be made up on their own or as part of the Guardian set, examples of which are on the appropriate page.
Please bear in mind that these blades are hand forged from Bearing steel balls/rollers and are appx. 4.5mm thick, so there is plenty of toughness and cutting/chopping power when needed.
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The Blades I have to play with as at 07/09/08
Of late I've been somewhat busy and taking stock of what blades I had was not one of my priorities. But, as I was preparing to attend the Wolsingham Show on 6th and 7th September, I got myself sorted hence the photo above. The blades shown are top drawer stuff and all will make for fine quality knives for the outdoorsman, hunter, bushcrafter etc.
Above are some very nice Carbon Leuku and Puukko blades that will make into fine working sets. As for the Bearing Steel Leukus, they can be used alone or combined with a Guardian for anyone who wants s super set.
Above are a number of Damascus blades that I've collected and kept stashed away as I've not had the chance to mess about with. The sharpened ones are of very good quality, but the photo does not do them justice as they do stand out from ordinary Asian imports. As for the unsharpened ones, although they look nice enough, I'd be reluctant to offer them as a fully working knife to anyone. They'll take a good edge alright, but keeping it is another matter! All the blades above will make into some very nice knives, whether one chooses the sharpened ones to work with or the unsharpened ones for display purposes.
If you want a knife made up from any of the above blanks, just contact me and I'll be happy to discuss the details with you.
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WOLSINGHAM SHOW DISASTER THROUGH BAD WEATHER - 6/7.09.08
I was due to attend the Wolsingham Show near Durham on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September. But the weather was pretty foul and I never made it on either of the two days.
I had spent quite some time the previous few months preparing goodies to take to the show, including some of my own knives for display purposes, a range of 440c knives and a few nice Sticks - all of which can be seen in the above photos.
Well, I have two choices now to get some of my outlay back; I either keep the stock until next year and hope the weather is kinder or, put some of the stuff on e-Bay. How one posts Walking Sticks I have yet to find out as they're full shank ones, ready to cut to size at the show.
I know it's not normal for me to work with Stainless steel blades, but 440c is pretty good and inexpensive to make knives from. My idea was to keep prices down and still serve up something a bit nicer than the average stainless steel knives for sale. I had a similar pricing plan for the Sticks, knowing quite well how much similar sticks sell for normally. I'm going to have to hide the Sticks as it often happens that visitors tend to admire any Stick I've got lying about and more often than not, the Stick goes walkies for free - now I can't keep doing that forever and a day can I?!
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440c Blades
Some 440c blades that I have yet to make up or finish off.
All of these blades are sourced from the USA and to date I've not been disappointed.
They're ideal for a cheaper alternative working blade and of course, they don't rust!
The top left knife is a 'Grizzly' skinner with a Black Palm handle - an absolute gem of a knife.
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DL1 MKII - RWL-34 Steel
At last, after a long wait, the first Batch of MKII DL1's have arrived. As can be seen for the above photo, the MKII is slimmer in profile and is also slimmer on width. The deatils are as follows: Overall length: 215mm Blade Length 105mm Handle length 110mm Blade thickness: 3mm Blade width: 30mm at finger stop. 28mm at back end of blade. Depth of grind: 7mm
The main reason for the changes is because I've been asked for a slimmer knife overall and yet still strong enough to be able to do the normal Bushcraft type jobs. The MKII fits the descritption perfectly.
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Here
are the first five Shadow blades in 01 Tool Steel. The dimensions are:
218mm overall and 3.5mm thick and 29mm at its broadest. The cutting
edge is 113mm long.
