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1080/15N20 forged by maker, eyed crushed W's with stainless fittings and a Walrus handle.

Just finished this up to end the year, 52100/ 420SS San Mai hunter in Tiger G10

Don, someone told me it was carbon migration from the 52100 into the 420SS, I am not a metallurgist so I will leave that up to the experts. I know it does not happen when you use a 300 series SS. That is what makes this so interesting, it is an exact mirror image of how the 52100 is offset in the 420 SS with a shiny 420 SS line of separation.

52100 /420SS San Mai with dovetailed stainless bolster and G10 handle.

52100 core with 420SS sides,dovetailed bolster and an Ironwood handle.

Here is the process I have been using for years. When I first started making sheaths the stitching was so ugly the knives wanted out of them. You will have to use your imagination a bit because i do not have a sheath on the go that i am making so I will show you the jigs and the finished sheath. First of all my sheaths are glued together with drilled holes for stitching. I use a number 55 drill bit ( .055 )inches to drill the holes and spin it quite fast in the drill. I also use a couple of jigs to hold the sheath in place and at 90 degrees to the drill bit. h

RPM is good it might be a little short on HP @1/3 ,however I have seen disk grinders guys have made from old furnace motors that are 1/4 HP. Mine are 1200 RPM and 1/2 HP.

1080/15N20 twisted crushed W's ,stainless dovetailed bolster.

Alan it will be as flat as flat can be using the 1 degree. Most people can't hold anything with even pressure and get it flat even on a flat surface. I agree, theoretically in a perfect world it will have a very slight concave but unless you are using sophisticated instrumentation you will never measure it let alone see it.

Gerhard there will be no bump in the paper. This is the disk that Beaumont makes and it has a 1 degree bevel. Read their description.

Just a couple of things to mention. The disk face should be machined with a 1 degree angle on it. This prevents a blade that is longer than the radius of the disk from getting stuck in the disk on the opposite side of center. A flat disk is an accident waiting to happen,get the tip of a blade stuck into it and you wake up REAL fast. Most people glue cork on the face of the disk, I find that it wears out and does not last. I contact cement on a piece of rubber gasket material about 1/8 inch thick to the disk face and it last for years.

Alex you are right, that is the only way to get them. Here are a few picture to show how it is done.

Gerhard, I love my disk grinders and have a number of them in my shop....... could not make a knife without them. Here are a few pictures to give you some ideas. Motor speed (1/2 HP)on my grinders is 1200 rmp , which is a bit fast on the 12 inch wheel. The horizontal grinder came from a metallurgical lab in a steel mill where a friend of mine worked. It is variable speed and has a water drip for the grinding disk.

Only three layers, 52100 core and 420 SS on each side. The other two (appearing to be layers) on the spine are in fact the transition zone that is seen in the side view of the blade. Sharp eyes ...!!!!! , most people would miss that.

A little San Mai 52100 / 420 SS skinner with maroon Micarta scales