WIP - Gandknife the Grey

as the title indicates, this knife will have a grey theme. Also a Gandalf theme, though I haven't figure out just how. The handle scales are buckeye burl and the rest of the deer antler. The profile matches my first full tang western but this time in 1095 steel and double quenched in water/salt brine and then veg oil. Blade got a decent curve in it but I was able to straighten it out.

OMFG shut up and take my money, this is going to be insane.

was looking through some old photos at the previous full tang and realized Gandknife will be much longer and pointier. The attached photo shows the previous FT compared to my 7.5" Neeman. The design of the first full tang was meant to correct what I saw as too much belly in the Neeman. Gandknife will be closer to 8.5", pointier and with a slightly smaller handle and only one pin.

Godslayer said:

OMFG shut up and take my money, this is going to be insane.

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We shall see. Each one builds on the last as i try new techniques. This time it was brine quenching. Was worried the blade would snap. Wont get back to this until next wednesday. I need to come up with another pin design, this one from all aluminum, maybe brass. one pin to rule them all, there, just introduced a Gandalf theme. Nailed it.

I am really curios how will this one turn out

Salt water quench is the way to go. A quick etch to find the hamon uncoverd some neat patterns. Like the flames of Mordor!

Jess that looks really cool :doublethumbsup:

Can't wait for more pics

Gave her the old in-out.




Up to 600 grit sanding now. Will contie through to 2000 grit then car polish and maybe a final dip for grey effect. We'll see.

Some mothers car polish

That hamon looks aweseom, but the blade would deserve to have a few more scratces removed .. :angel2: (I have spent several hours of hand sanding from 120 to 2500 grit in recent days working on one knife - I am seeing scratches in my nightmares)

Depends on which lines you're seeing. Anything running perpendicular to the edge might be a scratch but anything running parrallel is likely a streak mark or residue from the polish. I'm seeing if alternating dips in ferric chloride then polish can remove the finer scratches.

Looking forward to the handles

Clamps clamps and more clamps.

Waiting for epoxy to cure so i made a block print stamp for my touch mark.

Haha, wow, now seeing that stamp I finally realize what the symbol is off... I feel like a dunce.

malexthekid said:

Haha, wow, now seeing that stamp I finally realize what the symbol is off... I feel like a dunce.

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Just learned a new word, thanks I really like your mark. Does it have some particular meaning?

It's a JF with a bit of stank on it.

a bit of shaping



and then the first tube goes in before I remove too much wood.

Just finished watching how other people make mosaic pins and wow, they make it look complicated. If you need to make bunch for production purposes then i can see making a single long tube at once saving time. So far ive made a unique pin for each knife and it's one of the simplest tasks out of the whole knife making process. However you glue them together, finding the materials is likely the hardest part.

Gotta let some oil dry.

Gandknife is feeling fat and sassy.





Couldnt get a decent shot of the hamon in this light except from a back angle.

That is a work of art

Jess, that looks absolutely fantastic. It makes my palms all itchy, bu I must wait nearly two more weeks as I am on a vacation in a safe distance from my workshop

Looks freaking amazing! Love the subtleness of the hamon.

thanks gents. one thing I like but at the same time don't, is the pin. If you zoom in on the picture I've got the aluminum outer, then brass, then steel pins, then inner aluminum, then a centre of brass. I don't like that the steel pin diameter didn't fill the entire void. That in itself isn't a big issue if you can space the pins, but this materials was so small the space between would have been really small, like less than a hair. Mind you, this pin is only 5mm in diameter and I do like the contrast is colour.

Jess, I understand your concern about the pin, but it still looks very nice. I really like the design of the pin.

I might be able to find a tuicker walled brass tube and just ream out the ID to make a better fit. Next time perhaps.

Looks fantastic. Don't worry about the pin. All the attention will be on the stunning blade and groovy, comfortable handle, neither of which you need a magnified image to see clearly

Great job. You should be very happy with how it turned out.

J

Yeah the handle it self i really like. Promotes a pinch grip above all others but still feels comfortable in a club grip. I laid it out against my hidden tang and the John Neeman for comparison. The short comings of the neeman started this all.