GEzell

Nice one Alan, I've always liked these dedicated weapon type hawks. Not made for utilitarian tasks, you either partake of the peaceful end or the less friendly end....

I do like it, the forged finger platform, wire wrap, and seax style sheath, somehow they work together.

I for one would be delighted to have 1/4" or even 3/8" 15n20, I too think it would be an excellent steel for a chopper. Do it......:)

I've always loved that design, even with it's faults it has a certain elegance to it. Beefing up the tang, making the handle cross-section oval, and tweaking the blade geometries makes this the knife the original wanted to be... Well done man.

Awesome work so far! I know the pain of 'third time's a charm' well, it looks like you got a few good blades out of it, and succeeded in the end. Good to see your inlay method, it's on my list of things to do so it's very helpful.

Impressive work sir.

It's interesting that Stacey, the moderator at bladeforum, suggested quenching after tempering or between tempers. I pressed him on this, and it was said there is a miniscule advantage to it, though things got very technical at that point and I pressed no further. I started quenching between tempering cycles, and the one difference I've been able to discern is it is quicker... Pull the blade out of the oven, quench, stick it right back in for another round. Other than that, I can't see any difference, good or bad.

Fantastic... I like the lighter coloured handle, and beautiful carving.

I swore I'd never make another, then this guy offered me money... San-mai beast hunter, 1084, 15n20, and cruforgev core, almost ready to heat-treat. The grinds on this thing are quite tricky when you suck at grinding as badly as I do.

Very nice!

I imagine Cocobolo is not the easiest wood to carve! It looks very good.

I love the long points and simple, graceful handles. Both are lovely, and classic examples of the type.

Joshua, I am still hoping Peter will chime in, as this doesn't seem to be one of the langsaxes covered in Untersuchungen an Langsaxen aus niederländischen Sammlungen... Perhaps you could send him a private message, as he's had the opportunity to take measurements. The only issue I have with your measurements is that seems like more taper than is typical, this might be due to foreshortening from the photo being taken from a slight angle. Langsaxes typically have around 1/8 inch taper, give or take 1/16th...

You still have the mojo...

With the 1084/15n20 mix, these two steels seem to want to weld together, so it is a great mix to start with. It also makes for a good blade, and good contrast. Once you have worked with this mix for awhile and build up your confidence (the single most important thing for getting good welds, IMO), then you can try other mixes that may not play together quite as well.

Yes, the key is starting with the tang off center, so that when the bevel is Forged in it will cause it to become centered. It is very similar to this method of forging a puuko... https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=12330

I've always loved that particular sax, it's great to see you picking this project up again.

I'm just going to throw some ideas out there... I've often noticed a subtle similarity between puukos and some Japanese blades, mostly in geometry and blade shape. With that in mind, I've wondered about crossbreeding a puuko with a kwaiken, I think the results would be interesting, and would appeal to the tactical and bushcraft crowds if done right. I don't think I'll ever capitalize on the idea, but you may be able to use it. The Japanese style is over-represented in post modern blades, IMO. I've wondered how well classic Persian designs (kard, jambiya, etc) might translate over to the modern treatment, especially if the unique blade geometries could be capitalized on... I don't recall ever seeing it done, and someone should. I would if I had the time, but lately I've been going in a very different direction. But just imagine a curvy Indian-style khanjar in natural g10... I think it would work. I've always wondered why brut de forge one-piece knives have never been marketed to the tactical crowd. If you want indestructible that is a good way to get there. Just rust-blue it and dress it in kydex....

There are two ways to define tactical, as it applies to knives and gear. I once carried a two ft section of shovel handle in my truck, it was useful for many things... I drilled a thong hole in one end, wrapped it with black electrical tape, and it was thereafter referred to as 'the tactical stick'. Most knives that were called tactical were simply black. In a way it harkens back to the ninja craze of the 1980's, it's just a pair of numchucks, but if they're black they instantly became ninja chucks, and cost $5 more. The other way, and I think best way to define it is a no frills workhorse, a soldier's knife plain and simple. A durable steel, a durable finish, a durable handle, and a durable sheath, with practicality and low maintenance in mind. It doesn't have to be black, but it doesn't need to be shiny either. It needs to be stronger than it needs to be, if you catch my drift. Overbuilt, but not ridiculously so. A knife that you'd not only feel confident taking into battle, but also would be comfortable carrying on a day long hike. Easy and fast one-hand access is a must.

I love it!

That steel almost looks alive... Magnificent.

1. Brian Dougherty 2. Timothy Artymko 3. Doug Crawford 4. JJ Simon 5. Scott Wright 6. Wesley Alberson 7. Robert Dowse 8. Kevin Hopkins 9. George Ezell

By far my best last year....

I hope so, I've already started...

Just to add to what Caleb said, I have seen a chape cut out of sheet, wrapped and shaped around a metal form, trimmed, then carefully torch-welded closed. They even welded a little ball on the end. The same could be done by soldering or brazing if you're not a master with a torch like that guy... I'm not either.