Knives took more than a year

[Brokenolmarine]

I started these knives back in March of 2021.  I was working on them for Christmas presents for my daughter and Son in Law in Southern Oklahoma.  My daughter has the little knife she carried daily, but wanted a slightly bigger one for skinning goats, among other things.  Farm Gals, what cha gonna do?  So, one for her, one for him, and an extra Tanto for me.  I wanted it to match the Cocobolo grips on my Match .45.  I got as far as shaping with 100 grit when I fell working on the range and broke my wrist in two places requiring surgery.  The knives lay dormant on the bench for a year.

 

[Brokenolmarine]

So, surgery to have the wrist repaired and a metal prosthetic inserted.  Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.  A type of Nerve Damage.  No movement in the fingers at first, then limited range of motion.  Over a year later, I have about 85-90% of the range of motion back and about 40% of the strength back.  It can continue to improve for two years post surgery.  I have been in Physical Therapy for a year.  But, by February, I felt like starting work on the knives.

 

I installed the brass pins, cutting and fitting each individually from brass rod.  

 

[Brokenolmarine]

I then worked my way up thru the grits until the shape and finish was to my liking.  Then stained and waxed the knives and buffed them out.

[Brokenolmarine]

My daughter didn't receive the knife for Christmas obviously, since it wasn't completed until March of this year.  However it was still Her's and she chose a feather to accent the new sheath.  I hadn't done one yet, and didn't like the first attempt.  The second turned out better and she seemed happy with it.  I went back and reapplied the antique and added another coat of sealer prior to the second picture.  I was much happier with the sheath at that point.  She'll probably beat it to death, not oil it, and I'll make another in a year.

 

 

[tsunkasapa]

Very nice!

[chrisash]

Great job, one question what is the purpose or use of the notched part on the top of the blade often wondered

[Samalan]

Nice work !

[chuck123wapati]

thats some nice steel and nice leather glad you are getting healed up.

[PastorBob]

Nice  work.  glad you are on the mend.  PT works wonders, if the patient is willing.  Glad to see you are.

[Brokenolmarine]

  On 5/17/2022 at 7:05 AM, chrisash said:

Great job, one question what is the purpose or use of the notched part on the top of the blade often wondered

Expand  

As this is a skinner, the forefinger rests on those cutouts as the user guides the blade while skinning the deer, goat, rabbit.  As the hands are most likely "wet" this helps insure continued contact with / accurate control of the blade while separating the skin from the carcass.

[chrisash]

  On 5/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, Brokenolmarine said:

As this is a skinner, the forefinger rests on those cutouts as the user guides the blade while skinning the deer, goat, rabbit.  As the hands are most likely "wet" this helps insure continued contact with / accurate control of the blade while separating the skin from the carcass.

Expand  

Many Thanks

[Bert03241]

I'm familiar with wrist surgery I have 3 screws in my right wrist, plus a whole bunch metal in various other parts of my body Love the Blades and leather you do nice work

[Leescustomleather]

The notched part on the spine of the blade is called a choil, not that anyone asked.

[Brokenolmarine]

  On 5/18/2022 at 3:36 AM, Leescustomleather said:

The notched part on the spine of the blade is called a choil, not that anyone asked.

Expand  

Cool, new to knife making, did I explain the use correctly?

[fredk]

  On 5/18/2022 at 3:36 AM, Leescustomleather said:

The notched part on the spine of the blade is called a choil, not that anyone asked.

Expand  

The choil is on the edged side of the blade not the back

 

  On 5/18/2022 at 4:22 AM, Brokenolmarine said:

Cool, new to knife making, did I explain the use correctly?

Expand  

The back side notches are derived from older knives where the notches were deeper. They were called blade breakers. In double handed sword/knife fighting, called ;main gauche' fighting the knife is used defensively and you try to catch your opponents sword or knife in one of those notches and if you are skilled or just plain lucky a twist of your knife with the captured blade will break that blade [ I broke a few good sword blades in some fights doing this ]

More modern knives have more shallower notches which are often slightly sharp and they can be used for de-scaling fish, cleaning fat off the meat or skin of killed prey/food or even as a saw for cutting fire wood

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by fredk

[Brokenolmarine]

I have knives with the sharp saw teeth on the back, in fact we often carried one in flight vest with massive teeth on the back.  Those on the skinning knife are flat and dull and I do ride my finger there when cleaning.  Thanks for the input...

[chuck123wapati]

  On 5/18/2022 at 12:40 PM, Brokenolmarine said:

I have knives with the sharp saw teeth on the back, in fact we often carried one in flight vest with massive teeth on the back.  Those on the skinning knife are flat and dull and I do ride my finger there when cleaning.  Thanks for the input...

Expand  

they can be any of the four things a thumb rest usually rounded to fit the thumb, They can be really sharop and used for sawing lioke the ones on survival knives or as fred says there are knives made with the purpose of catching the blade and on some just decorations. on these i would have to say thumb rests.

 

  On 5/18/2022 at 5:55 AM, fredk said:

The choil is on the edged side of the blade not the back

 

The back side notches are derived from older knives where the notches were deeper. They were called blade breakers. In double handed sword/knife fighting, called ;main gauche' fighting the knife is used defensively and you try to catch your opponents sword or knife in one of those notches and if you are skilled or just plain lucky a twist of your knife with the captured blade will break that blade [ I broke a few good sword blades in some fights doing this ]

More modern knives have more shallower notches which are often slightly sharp and they can be used for de-scaling fish, cleaning fat off the meat or skin of killed prey/food or even as a saw for cutting fire wood

 

Expand  

 

  On 5/17/2022 at 12:51 PM, chrisash said:

Many Thanks

Expand  

they can be any of the four things a thumb rest usually rounded to fit the thumb, They can be really sharop and used for sawing lioke the ones on survival knives or as fred says there are knives made with the purpose of catching the blade and on some just decorations like these on mine. on these i would have to say thumb rests.