Salem Straub Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 (edited) Here’s my latest, a recurve fighter/bowie with 12” blade and overall length of about 17”. It is a second iteration of the last integral kukri I built. The blade has got a tall hollow grind, and is pretty light and fast for its size… balance point is about 1.5 inches before the guard. The clip grind aids in this. The construction is full integral, with the blade and guard in 6 bar explosion pattern weld. The handle is sculpted G10. A piece of steel, a handle block, and a pin- pretty simple knife. Here’s some pics and a vid, you don’t have to enjoy it but I hope you will! Thanks for looking. Edited March 9, 2017 by Salem Straub 3 Please come and waste some otherwise perfectly good time, looking at my knives! www.prometheanknives.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSchneider Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Wow that's just gorgeous! I love the explosion of the pattern. website: http://www.dancingotterforge.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Brewer Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Excellent work, as always from you.............. If ya can't be good don't git caught !! People who say stuff can't be done need to git the hell outta the way of people who do stuff !!! Show me a man who is called an expert by his peers And I will show you a good man to listen to ...... Show me a man who calls himself an expert and I will show you an egotistical asshole...............!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Lipinski Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 wow! That's just marvelous! Perfection in details! I love it man! lipinskimetalart.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Toneguzzo Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Now that is perfect. I love everything about this. Even without that mesmerising pattern it would be unreal. Exactly What a handcrafted blade is all about. Only criticism is I would be too frightened to touch it and ever leve a fingerprint on it. One question if I may, how many hours would be invested in this? "Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes" - Tom HALL - Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karim Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 oooh how nice... all of the above, the perfect finish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Detrick Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 (edited) Never cease to impress Salem. The devil is always in the details and you certainly have that covered. Gorgeous work, and something to look up to. Thanks for sharing! Edited March 10, 2017 by Wes Detrick “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." -Albert Camus http://www.krakenforge.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Salem, that steel is just awesome. It is up there with JDs work in some ways. Truly, that kicks ass. I am really impressed. The forge-welded bolsters are a great idea. please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Craft Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Great work Salem! I have been watching your work since I first meant you on another forum and you are really turning out some top shelf work!!! Two thumbs up!!! C Craft Customs ~~~ With every custom knife I build I try to accomplish three things. I want that knife to look so good you just have to pick it up, feel so good in your hand you can't wait to try it, and once you use it, you never want to put it down ! If I capture those three factors in each knife I build, I am assured the knife will become a piece that is used and treasured by its owner! ~~~ C Craft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Thanks everyone for the encouraging feedback! Rob, IDK, I kinda lose track on these. Somewhere from 30-40 hours perhaps? Please come and waste some otherwise perfectly good time, looking at my knives! www.prometheanknives.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Pierce Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Beautiful knife!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Miller Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Absolutely mind blowing, The pattern I can't even begin to describe, simply amazing. “If you trust in yourself. . . believe in your dreams. . . and follow your star. . . you will still get beaten by the people who have spent their time working hard and learning things, the people who weren't so lazy.” ~ Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Higson Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 MAD pattern and beautiful fit and finish. An inspiration as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Amazing work dude. I'll never look at these integrals the same way after your WIP on the last one. (I mean that in a good way!) Is this the knife you showed after parkerizing in the "What did you do in your shop" sub-forum? If so, I assume this is as opposed to a typical FeCl etch? -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Brian, it is the same knife. Actually, the parkerizing is in addition to the ferric chloride etch. The ferric etch should be deep enough that topography is readily felt. Then it's neutralized and scrubbed off with an old toothbrush and some water. Wiped dry, and then snaded lightly across the tops with 2000 grit. This helps the phosphate not bite into the high shiny 15n20 layers, while the low layers remain in a nicely prepped state from the etch, yet without much loose oxide sitting on the surface. If you don't do this step, finish polishing will show a rather muddy contrast, with smudging of the high layers. After the pre-sanding, it gets parkerized, and then wet sanded until high contrast, then dry-sanded very lightly to blend, then oil, then a very light buff with pink or green. After this the contrast should be brilliant shiny layers with little to no grain, and jet black lows with no oxide coming off when wiped with oil. 1 Please come and waste some otherwise perfectly good time, looking at my knives! www.prometheanknives.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 That is just amazing, in every sense of the word! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 Thanks guys! I should add, regarding parkerizing, that I do it for two main reasons... uniform, highly durable, black layers, that don't lighten when sanding the shiny bits- and, the knife above is not hardened in the guard or spine up to the clip, yet the finish is still uniform rather than having that distinct change in finish and etch where the steel is still non-hardened. This allow me to make complex things and not worry about odd geometries in the quench, and also be able to file things to shape after heat treat. I really like that. Please come and waste some otherwise perfectly good time, looking at my knives! www.prometheanknives.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Mitchell Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Just incredible!! The detail from butt to tip is gorgeous! Thanks for commenting on your etching methods! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal Plezia Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Very impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertMunford Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Salem just one question? Are we allowed to drool as we look at the pics and video. Beautiful job even a newbie can see that. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Stephens Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Wow. I've been buried at the job so I've been missing a lot over the last six months. This is awesome. I love the lines. I love the pattern. I love the precision. Damn, damn nice work. Dave -----------------------------------------------"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly." -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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