Gerhard Gerber

Somebody with a small piece of meteorite asked me about this a while ago........I'm watching with more attention than usual......

I'm a relative beginner and I second you need nothing except this site and youtube.

That's a complicated build for a first knife

Knocked it out of the park as usual Gary!

Just a shot in the dark...... Was this perhaps prompted by a certain video of a rebar axe on Facebook......?

Well done Niels! I have a burning need to try this......

Red oxide primer went on the canopy I'm building. Realized that with the upcoming Easter weekend, there's very little chance of getting glass fitted to the rear door. No glass means the door can't be welded in place, which means the aluminium cladding can't go on......means the build is stalled for 2 or 3 weeks. Good news is since most of the nasty welding and grinding is done, I can uncover, clean up and see what is left alive of my knife making stuff.....and get back to that. I had a horrible realization that 2019 will likely be a low point in the number of knives I've managed to make per year. I have two cleavers that are still not done, two more on order. I have a 52100 blacksmith's knife and something like a Japanese style chopper on steroids that I badly want to get to, as well as two chef's knives in 14C28 that I have marked out but nothing else..... That could take the rest of my year.......

Great fit, clean lines.........very nice knives Joel. Do I remember correctly you mentioning making those bolsters your signature look?..........that would get my vote

That knife probably has a very thin thin blade, only way it'll work. 4mm or under. Before I open the can of worms, the Mora Bushcraft Black is my favourite and most used knife. I've often said if I can make a knife complete with sheath as good as that overall, I'd be doing well.... That said, I almost immediately put a micro bevel on it and don't bring it close to any vegetables.....except if you have no other knife. The way I see it "Scandi grind" is just a simple way to make a knife when you need nothing more that to work soft woods and slice apart reindeer

This aught to be good.....

OK, now we all wait for the magic to happen......because that's what it always feels like: some WIP photos, some magic, then a beautiful knife! Can't wait to see the end result Gary, I'm inspired but scared!

This part of the world.......took me months to find a stump....

Over here the answer to that would be "EISH"..... Edge up I've never even come close to sharp without cutting the belt or some other mischief.....I'm definitely missing a trick here....

If I'm not making too much noise....like sanding, Lord Huron for some strange reason is my new favourite working music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiwWgN5O3WQ

I'm assuming cutting edge down......just not managing that on the 2x72.....

That looks like something I want.......

Jake, that is exceedingly pretty, I want it! You guys and this forum set the bar very high, thank you for sharing!

I've known about "Yakut" knives thanks to somebody posting photos from a Kiev knives show few years ago on another forum, always found them fascinating. Very interesting to get some of the history, and learn about a country and people I never knew existed.... Sakha Republic @Conner Michaux if you asked me a week ago I'd regurgitate what I'd heard before, the fuller saves on steel. Now I think the truth might be much more than that.

I was under the impression they use 440C or something similar, but google "Moly-Vanadium stainless steel" and it might just be AUS-8. Looking at Muela's website the prices also seem higher than I seem to remeber, you might want to look at Cudeman (also Spanish) as well....

You need to watch some videos, since you're grinding freehand how you stand, where and how you move sideways also determines the result. Correction, 3rd image is my course knife. There's something else: muscle memory. I joke about learning to weld every time I do it because I don't do it enough. Broken record time......I'd done 6 or 8 bevels on mildsteel flat bar immediately before grinding that blade, so the jitters were gone and my hands knew the motions. You stopped too soon, the bevel is not big/wide to get that feeling when you're level with the belt.......you're taking little bites at a different angle each pass.

Strangely enough this has become a very real problem for me as things have progressed. Due to my equipment, knowledge and experience limitations I went from Scandivex to saber with convex zero edge to full flat with convex zero edge. This was mostly thanks to sharpening on a 400 grit 1x30 baby belt grinder. I'm a firm believer in FFG with a convex edge bevel, thickness behind the edge determined by the intended use of the blade (or sometimes by mistake ) Problem with that comes in when you start selling knives and you're not Bark River Knives I've tried to go a more conventional route since getting a 2x72, not mastered freehand sharpening on stones yet. The Lansky is an endless hassle, and I killed my Extra Coarse Diamond stone sharpening my first 14C28n blade.......it was a set of 2 steak knives so the second blade I gave a nasty recurve sharpening on the belt grinder...... .......and I always manage to cut myself when using the Lansky.......and drop, and try to catch knives This is very much an issue for me. I understand the process, I've gotten good results, comes down to equipment and experience that's lacking.

This was the grinder I used during the course I did, first one I ever touched, and it took 3 years before I could get my own grinder. First blade is my course knife in D6, a bitch of a steel. Second is an imperfectly flat piece of leafspring, took the chance to grind it while I had access to the grinder. These are my 2nd and 3rd knives. I suggest you forget about the heat treat, rent a German to glare at you and go back to the grinder!

Well, I like how 52100 moves, so that's not an issue....... I just made a quick phone call to the company where I buy knife steel and related stuff, they stock 304, and 316 mostly for the coast. According to my guy the 400-series is lower quality steel, which makes sense considering where and what I bought it for.... I would not have known were it not for this thread and a phone call.....that's why people say such mean things about assumptions!

Can't see it but that must be heart-breaking....stunning blade!

That is very cool @Alan Longmire! So "stainless steel cannot be forged" is also not true? As far as I know only 403 is readily available locally, but I have a piece I can afford to mess up