Pocket Knives ?

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Quick question, what can be used to etch steel when knife making, besides FeCl3??

Edited February 9, 2021 by Steven Knoetze (sk27)

[Rob Mortimer]

Quick question, what can be used to etch steel when knife making, besides FeCl3??

 

I have only ever used Ferric chloride but have read that these also work fairly reliably:

• Instant coffee - some swear by hot water and others say warm water is sufficient
• Apple cider vinegar warmed up first

[DJR]

Look what ended up on the desk of a colleague...........lucky man..............the most exquisite little carbon fibre scaled folder. Made by Des Horn, who is better known for much more exotic and expensive knives. This little beauty is special precisely because it is so simple and minimalistic. I was green with envy.

[johnson]

This is a late birthday gift from me to me. And since this fred is still here...........

Spyderco Police 4 FRN (lightweight). The standard version has black handle scales and VG-10 blade steel.

This version was recently released with blue handle scales and uses Bohler K390 tool steel for the blade.

This is a BIG knife ! For reference, the cylinder bore of the engine block it is lying on is 105mm.     

[Hairy]

The knife makers guild is doing an expo at the Fruit and Veg in Sunningdale (Cape Town for those up country).

Tomorrow is the final day from 9am - 2pm .... ranging from materials to make knives and then some really really great looking knives.

[DJR]

I had a horrid time deciding what to give my youngest D for his 21st. I built the older one a special ss art bike, that went down extremely well, and that set a pretty high standard. Luckily for me, Covid prevented my favourite no.1 knife maker, Des Horn,  from traveling overseas and that gave him the time to make D a very special knife. The design is by Des and the combination of materials, is what my wife and I came up with for a unique knife for D.

It is a small pocket locker folder from Damasteel (a modern stainless damaskus). The ball release and folding mechanism is more like a swiss watch than a knife. The liners are blue anodised titanium and the scales recycled old 1930s piano key ivory (yes, yes, I know, but I think it honours the elephant better than throwing it in a bin). The pouch is buffalo leather. 

To say that D was over the moon is a serious understatement.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

22 hours ago, DJR said:

I had a horrid time deciding what to give my youngest D for his 21st. I built the older one a special ss art bike, that went down extremely well, and that set a pretty high standard. Luckily for me, Covid prevented my favourite no.1 knife maker, Des Horn,  from traveling overseas and that gave him the time to make D a very special knife. The design is by Des and the combination of materials, is what my wife and I came up with for a unique knife for D.

It is a small pocket locker folder from Damasteel (a modern stainless damaskus). The ball release and folding mechanism is more like a swiss watch than a knife. The liners are blue anodised titanium and the scales recycled old 1930s piano key ivory (yes, yes, I know, but I think it honours the elephant better than throwing it in a bin). The pouch is buffalo leather. 

To say that D was over the moon is a serious understatement.

Do you maybe have a picture of it folded? Looks really good, the Damasteel is probably less maintenance to prevent surface corrossion. Not a fan of horn scales personally but it is done nicely.

[DJR]

My hope was that D would actually USE the folder and for that reason we kept it as plain as we could. For instance, it has no decorative filing of the liners on the spine and everything is highly corrosion resistant. It is a valuable thing, and something that can last for generations, but I would find it sad if it only ever lives in a safe, so I'll keep encouraging him to bring it along on some of our adventures..

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

14 hours ago, DJR said:

My hope was that D would actually USE the folder and for that reason we kept it as plain as we could. For instance, it has no decorative filing of the liners on the spine and everything is highly corrosion resistant. It is a valuable thing, and something that can last for generations, but I would find it sad if it only ever lives in a safe, so I'll keep encouraging him to bring it along on some of our adventures..

A belt clip would be handy, makes it even more of an EDC.
May I ask what it cost? You can even PM me.

[Hairy]

31 minutes ago, Steven Knoetze (sk27) said:

A belt clip would be handy, makes it even more of an EDC.
May I ask what it cost? You can even PM me.

http://www.deshorn.com/portfolio

[mazambaan]

On 3/28/2022 at 5:53 PM, DJR said:

My hope was that D would actually USE the folder and for that reason we kept it as plain as we could. For instance, it has no decorative filing of the liners on the spine and everything is highly corrosion resistant. It is a valuable thing, and something that can last for generations, but I would find it sad if it only ever lives in a safe, so I'll keep encouraging him to bring it along on some of our adventures..

Do not let him (ha ha) forget it in his pocket or bag when going on a commercial flight!

[DJR]

2 hours ago, mazambaan said:

Do not let him (ha ha) forget it in his pocket or bag when going on a commercial flight!

My most sneaky plan is that if he ever leaves the country, which is likely, then I'll have to look after it for him. He says he'll get a certificate saying it is Mammoth or Hippo.🤪 

Edited March 30, 2022 by DJR

[geomark]

2 hours ago, DJR said:

My most sneaky plan is that if he ever leaves the country, which is likely, then I'll have to look after it for him. He says he'll get a certificate saying it is Mammoth or Hippo.🤪 

Depending on how old the ivory is and where you were going could get an exemption I think

[Hairy]

Hello long dead thread

So this is not a pocket knife, but a knife I found in a heap of supposed trash that was being set aside after my mother cleared out my recently deceased Granny's house.

Now my Grandfather passed away when I was still rather young, but I can still see and smell his workshop that he had. Besides him being an ex. engineer from the Navy in his younger years, he was also a champion Orchid cultivator. 

When he passed away, people being people just simply raided his workshop and personal good, and I never had anything from him that would remind me of him till in my later years as a father myself, my Granny found a old pocket knife of his that I have shown on this thread before.

Now the newly discovered knife looks like a knife he made himself, with a matching leather sheath. Unfortunately someone abused the knife (I have a strong suspicion of who it was) and broke off the tip of the knife.
Next project for me would be to clean her up and reshape the tip as indicated on the poor quality pics below.

 

[Hairy]

I should add that I gave the leather a wipe down and some leather cream that brought a tremendously dry sheath back to life.

Will clean it all off again and then reapply the treatment once more.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

9 hours ago, Hairy said:

Hello long dead thread

So this is not a pocket knife, but a knife I found in a heap of supposed trash that was being set aside after my mother cleared out my recently deceased Granny's house.

Now my Grandfather passed away when I was still rather young, but I can still see and smell his workshop that he had. Besides him being an ex. engineer from the Navy in his younger years, he was also a champion Orchid cultivator. 

When he passed away, people being people just simply raided his workshop and personal good, and I never had anything from him that would remind me of him till in my later years as a father myself, my Granny found a old pocket knife of his that I have shown on this thread before.

Now the newly discovered knife looks like a knife he made himself, with a matching leather sheath. Unfortunately someone abused the knife (I have a strong suspicion of who it was) and broke off the tip of the knife.
Next project for me would be to clean her up and reshape the tip as indicated on the poor quality pics below.

 

It is not my favourite style, but I have a tanto EDC and it is useful.
That could work for this knife's reprofiling.