I made a half head knife.

[dikman]

I've made a couple of head knives from a circular saw blade and while they work they're fairly big (plus I need to grind the bevels down a bit more). So I thought "why not make a smaller half head knife?". A guy on youtube called Red Beard made one and kindly made the pattern available so I pinched it. Looking around for a bit of steel I found a panel saw I'd bought for $2 but it wouldn't cut straight and I couldn't be bothered resetting and sharpening the teeth so I just hung it in the forge. I tried a centre punch on it, which it promptly blunted! Hmm, might have possibilities. I made an assumption that the Chinese factory would likely have used a simple carbon steel, with no differential hardening for the teeth, to make it cheaply. So I cut a little piece off annealed it and then heated it to non-magnetic and quenched in water. Bingo, the file skated across it, looked like I was on a winner. I cut the shape out with an angle grinder, annealed it and ground to shape on the belt grinder, then heated and quenched in oil. To temper it I ran a gas torch carefully along the edge to just get a tinge of colour, good enough for this experiment.

The deer antler proved problematic as when I started grinding it became apparent there was going to be a lot of pith showing. At that point I decided not try and make it perfect, just functional. I wanted it to rest against the palm of the hand so that ruled out fitting an end cap. The blade was carefully sharpened on the belt grinder, then a paper wheel and finally a strop. I have some leather from an old saddle so it's dirty and stiff but it cut it without too much trouble and breezed through softer veg tan.

There's still quite a bit of the saw left so I might have another go once I can figure out how to better utilise the antler that I have.

Edited Monday at 01:32 AM by dikman
gramma

[DieselTech]

Looks great. Nice craftsmanship.

[Gezzer]

That looks like it would fit the hand VERY NICELY !!!!!!!!!!!

[dikman]

Thanks guys. The craftmanship isn't that good on the handle  (fortunately you can't see it ) next time should be better as I'll give more thought to the antler. I wanted this to fit INTO the palm as it makes it easier to push and control, and with a stumpy handle I can also hold it like a stabbing implement and cut by pulling it towards me.

[TomE]

Looks like a handy knife for tight places. Keep us posted. 

[kgg]

10 hours ago, dikman said:

I've made a couple of head knives from a circular saw blade

Very nicely done and a great use for those old circular saw blades. What did you use to cut out the shape of the old saw blade?

kgg

[toxo]

10 hours ago, dikman said:

 

 

Showing some skills there dikman, well done.

I find the term "head knife" confusing. When following a pattern I find it difficult to use any knife that I have to drag apart from a fine pointed utility type because my hand seems to get in the way. I note that some people hold them like a dagger and drag them. Doesn't work for me. I do have a quarter round one that I quite like because it has quite a lot of blade after the curve so I can push it and still clearly see the line. Not so good in tight corners but I have other knives for that.

Well done again. I always think antler/bone/horn handles look great.

[SUP]

Wow! That looks appealing and fits so well in your hand. I'm sure it makes working with it much more comfortable! And love that handle.

Edited Monday at 01:13 PM by SUP

[chuck123wapati]

dandy lil knife!! I like it alot.

[Mulesaw]

Antler and copper rivets look SO good in my opinion, and the size and shape of the blade seems to really complement the entire knife.
Well done!!

[dikman]

9 hours ago, kgg said:

Very nicely done and a great use for those old circular saw blades. What did you use to cut out the shape of the old saw blade?

kgg

Angle grinder with a cut-off wheel.

Toxo, I agree, head knife seems an odd term, given the shape of the blade. I've also seen this particular shape referred to as a bird's-head knife, which seems more fitting. It's a funny thing to use as I thought it would work by pulling towards me and using the large curved part but it just doesn't like to cut using it like that, very strange. It works better by using the pointed section.

[jcuk]

11 hours ago, dikman said:

Angle grinder with a cut-off wheel.

Toxo, I agree, head knife seems an odd term, given the shape of the blade. I've also seen this particular shape referred to as a bird's-head knife, which seems more fitting. It's a funny thing to use as I thought it would work by pulling towards me and using the large curved part but it just doesn't like to cut using it like that, very strange. It works better by using the pointed section.

Nice work on your knife, its also called a single head knife which seems more apt to me when you look at a double head knife they are different to a round knife.

 

Hope this helps

JCUK

 

 

[dikman]

Single head knife - yeah, I can live with that.

[BruceGibson]

Very nice job!  I'm a bit of a round knife/head knife junkie, so I can read this stuff all day. 

[dikman]

Thanks mate, when I started leatherwork and came across head/round knives I thought what a strange shape for a knife. Then it slowly got weirder as I kept coming across all manner of variations in their design. Fascinating.