Gary Mulkey Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 This one is going to be a traditional Arkansas Toothpick. [I know there is a lot of debate as to what is a "toothpick" but to me they were ALWAYS double edged like a dagger.] The blade is a mosaic. The handle will be a straight fluted blackwood with 416 fittings. (I included a close-up of the octagonal pommel as it didn't show very well in the overall photo.) The tang will get some allthread welded to the back of it for a pommel nut. Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C-S Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Like the shape of that pommel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lester Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I know. There's just about as much debate on what constitutes an Arkansas toothpick as there is about what constitutes a bowie. Be interested in seeing the finished product though. Doug HELP...I'm a twenty year old trapped in the body of an old man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Nice! Are you using dies to forge the guard terminals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Hi Allen, I made the guard from some1/2" round 416. I turned the ends first on a lathe and then forged between them. Gary Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Keyes Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 How do you estimate the stock you need for the guard, between the turned ends? That is going to be cool. Geoff "The worst day smithing is better than the best day working for someone else." I said that. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. - - -G. K. Chesterton So, just for the record: the fact that it does work still should not be taken as definitive proof that you are not crazy. Grant Sarver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Simon Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Nice, love it all. Very inspiring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Geoff Keyes said: How do you estimate the stock you need for the guard, between the turned ends? That is going to be cool. Geoff That's pretty subjective but I usually will allow whatever looks balanced with the width of the ricasso on the blade. Usually it doesn't gain a lot in length as you forge. Most of the movement is sideways. Some will depend on whether or not I want to make it straight or an "S". It makes it easier if you leave at least 2" between the ball tips. This way I can forge on my Uncle Al press which has dies 2" wide. Also this allows me to grind on my KMG (2" x72") without touching the ball tips. Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 (edited) I got the blackwood flutes roughed in today and the front washer/spacer roughed out. I gave this handle 16 straight flutes as I wanted to have more than the facets of the octagonal pommel. I've got another half-day of hand sanding to round over the top of the flutes but at least I have them roughed in. I thought about doing some filework on the front spacer but changed my mind thinking that the hilt was probably "busy" enough already. The guard is in the annealing oven. Usually 416 doesn't harden that much during forging but this piece did. I couldn't slot it as is so that will have to come tomorrow. I think that I've got a little too much length in the hilt as is. (I'll probably shorten the blackwood tomorrow.) This may require me to do some more carving on the flutes but we'll see. Maybe I'll get lucky and what I have will work. Here's what the blade looked like after a rough grind & before H/T: ("W" mosaic with accordion cut) Edited March 28, 2017 by Gary Mulkey Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C-S Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I am eagerly awaiting the final product on this one. Being so new to smithing means i tend to get really excited about ... well, everything i guess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) Here's the first dry fit-up. There's still a couple of days of sanding, polishing, & etching to do. I need to even up the flutes in the blackwood as well. I'll probably use a combination of a scraper and then sandpaper. (I tried using a chisel earlier and found that the blackwood wanted to splinter a little due to uneven grain but a scraper provided an even cut with a uniform curl coming off.) Edited March 29, 2017 by Gary Mulkey 2 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 that is one fine dagger. all of the components are just right. The time you spend getting the handle dialed in will be worth it. great work kd 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...
Chris C-S Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I find myself leaning closer to the screen as if it will make the picture any bigger, clearer or in fact multiply into many others. LOL. Cant wait to see me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Here's the knife ready for final assembly: I hope that you enjoyed the trip through the progress of this one. Gary 1 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Detrick Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I think that knife might be calling out for some pro pictures Gary. Damn that's nice. 2 “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...
Chris C-S Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 +1 @Wes Detrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Simon Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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