Probably have made more than a couple years normal knife production while tryin to fill time staying mostly at home. Here's a picture of most of them and I've given four away that I remember. Now let's see if I can post a photo with IMGUR as I haven't used photobucket in years

https://imgur.com/SvPIbkf

Well, that photo post didn't seem to work...

Suggestions from some who are more adept??

The photo worked for me, some fine looking knives!

Very nice work.

quote:

Here's a picture of most of them and I've given four away that I remember.

WOW! Simply outstanding! If you're in the giving mood, give one my way!

I was talking to an old friend tonight about how his retirement was going. He built a workshop several years ago awaiting his retirement + now it is in full swing. He says he is in his shop 10 hrs every day + when he's not fixing things for the family he has built up a trip hammer to work knife blades + working on a sander. Keeps him out of the house + constant wife company. A man REALLY needs a workshop. In my parents + Grandparents say it was a given fact.

One of the reasons I'm getting quite q bit of latitude for spending a lot of time working on knives is that I suggested there should be plenty of time to build another boat. That didn't pass muster on the home front...

Also thought about attempting my own damascus. I built a small forge heated by two map torches that I use for heat treating my Damascus, and I've test run that hot enough to weld some small pieces. Realistically the needed hammering would cause too much noise to expect neighbors to tolerate.

Funny you mention the noise factor. When I 1st met John Turner (dead now) an old gunsmith + builder about 35 years ago he was living in South Austin in town in the suburbs. I wanted him to chamber a rifle of mine into 30 Gibbs. After chambering he stepped out his back door (his shop was in the back of his house) + calmly fired a round into the ground. He said he has no trouble these days. At 1st some neighbor woman heard him fire off a round + called the APD. When they got there + saw that he was a gunsmith everything changed. He was now the fair-haired boy + that stupid woman was told to mind her own business + not bother good citizens. I liked that story.

Beautiful work!

Do you make the Damascus yourself?

No, I don't make my own Damascus. I buy billets that that I hack saw into rough shapes then use stock removal grinding to shape blades. I heat treat my carbon Damascus blades and I've had a lot of them RC hardness checked and they have all been in the 58-60 range. The stainless (and few stainless Damascus) that I've made I have commercially heat treated - they test out in the same range.

As this slowdown continues, I am seriously considering experimenting with my own damascus. The small refractory brick map gas I built for heat treating seems to get hot enough for welding and if it doesn't, I can break out an old coal/charcoal forge with a hair dryer that I know will get hot enough! Noise in the neighborhood is probably the only reason I haven't tried that already.

Actually this question might be just the prompt that I needed... ;-)

Thanks, and good hunting,

It's a fascinating process! I wish you best luck with the experiments.

My brother is a professional knife-maker who has been experimenting with making damascus for the last couple of years. I built him a power hammer to make the process a little bit faster.

All very nice but #1 and #4 for me.

#1 is out of 154CM with a 3 1/2" blade. Handle from a nice old Axis I shot maybe 15 years ago. Think that's the one going to make an Arizona Elk hunt with me in late November.

#4 has a lighter Damascus blade and a Tulip wood handle from a chunk of wood I bought in Kansas City 45 years ago. Have probably used that for half a dozen handles and have enough left for at least that many more. Still has the $1.00 chalk price on it from Paxton Lumber Company's scrap barrel...