Recent content by John N

@gregfisk - this is the resin I use, readily available in the UK, your source may vary. https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-repair/fillers-and-preparation/davids-fastglas-resin-1l-363991.html In a couple of years, when all the cool kids are using it will I get any recognition? ;)...

@gregfisk yes, you can just buy the resin and hardener without the fiberglass mat! I only know of a few makers using it, which I put onto it ! (im an engineer, so dont follow the herd and work out the easy way of doing things!) - Ill find a link for the stuff i use in a min.!

I mix the fibreglass resin in an aerosol can plastic cap (lid), you can 'pinch' the edge of the cap to make a little pouring spout! when the excess resin goes off in the cap, you can knock it out as a solid lump and re-use the lid. Ive been using the same lid for the last 50 knives or so :)

I use 'fastglas' resin, its the 2 part you get with a fiberglass repair kit from a car repair place. Its very liquid, takes about 20 mins to go off, so you have plenty of working time. It does not shrink, its cheap, its virtually indestructable. cant believe more makers dont use it! - The day...

If your steel is in an unknown condition, just lop it with a 1mm cutting disc in a 4.5" angle grinder. Very ecconomical, very very quick.

you are probably not pushing hard enough! ceramics like to be really battered to fracture the grit and keep them cutting.

This is the last one I finished, Bit thinner behind edge than I normally go - this was about .1mm , not sharpened in the photo, quite a flat profile to the grind. Daft as it sounds, when you are taking a choil shot, turn your phone upside down, so the carmea lense is closest to the handle. You...

I am usually about .2 - .3 mm off the (water cooled) grinding wheel at the very edge. Stone finishing (or paper sanding) brings it a bit thinner before sharpening. You have to be very careful not to toast a thin edge with heat when grinding, and be aware you have *no* margin for error. It is...

@ForeverLearning - I have hook and loop on sander no.1, it was a cheap from ebay, and im not sure I like it, its a bit 'spongey' so it does not sand flat unless you alter pressure. I have since seen that you can get 'short' hook velcro, which might be better. I will try that next. It is still a...

ahhh, just recognised who you are on Instagram! ( im @non_jic ) The first handles you posted, as you have realised look pretty crap (too blocky) the batch you made later looks nice though :) Its a lot easier to make a handle when you know what blade it is going on. A couple of mm off here and...

Looking good ! thats a level of dedication to blade finishing I will never be able to achieve :)

@Oui Chef Thanks! it was my first try at a 'D' handle. Im sure its not right in many respects, but was comfy enough :)

Ive been quite productive in the run up to Cristmas, These are the last 3 finished. The 2 with bog oak handles are wrought iron damascus cladding over blue2 core steel, with pure Ni barrier. The one with the WA handle is 240 x 50, the other 220 x 55. The oddball one in Zebrano handle is a sort...

Knife looks great! - we need to have some knives and stuff to chop next time we meet up! (john @massey btw :) )

The ones I have done have been tempered in a tube of hot marquenching oil.