Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Neo-Tribal Bowie and work knives for sale
Three knives that I made are up for sale. Everything on the knives is either recycled or natural material, non-toxic, and made by an American craftsman. They ship shaving sharp.
1. A socket handled camp knife in what I term my Walkabout Bowie pattern. Forged from a truck spring, differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle is wrapped in hemp cord sealed in amber shellac, with a cotton cord double Turk's head knot sealed in black shellac. Blade is approximately 9" long, spine is a hair over 1/4" thick at its thickest point, and blade is 1 11/16" wide at the widest point. The profile and multiple distal tapers put the widest, thickest part of the blade right above the chopping sweet spot and the overal profile of the knife has an elongated sine wave to it, which makes for a powerful chopper. The socket handle is very strong and comfortable.
Price: $200 plus $10 shipping and handling in continental US.
2. Neo-tribal work knife. Forged from brand new 5160 drop from a spring shop. Differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle wrapped in hemp cord sealed in amber shellac, single Turk's head knots in cotton cord at either end. Blade approximately 4 1/2" inches long, 9" overall.
Price: $100 plus $7 shipping and handling in continental US.
3. Neo-tribal work knife. Forged from brand new 5160 drop from a spring shop. Differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle wrapped in hemp cord sealed in black shellac, single Turk's head knots in cotton cord at the butt end, double Turk's head up front. Blade approximately 4 5/16" long, 9 5/16" overall.
Price: $100 plus $7 shipping and handling in continental US.
1. A socket handled camp knife in what I term my Walkabout Bowie pattern. Forged from a truck spring, differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle is wrapped in hemp cord sealed in amber shellac, with a cotton cord double Turk's head knot sealed in black shellac. Blade is approximately 9" long, spine is a hair over 1/4" thick at its thickest point, and blade is 1 11/16" wide at the widest point. The profile and multiple distal tapers put the widest, thickest part of the blade right above the chopping sweet spot and the overal profile of the knife has an elongated sine wave to it, which makes for a powerful chopper. The socket handle is very strong and comfortable.
Price: $200 plus $10 shipping and handling in continental US.
2. Neo-tribal work knife. Forged from brand new 5160 drop from a spring shop. Differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle wrapped in hemp cord sealed in amber shellac, single Turk's head knots in cotton cord at either end. Blade approximately 4 1/2" inches long, 9" overall.
Price: $100 plus $7 shipping and handling in continental US.
3. Neo-tribal work knife. Forged from brand new 5160 drop from a spring shop. Differentially heat treated, multiple quenched in veggie oil. Handle wrapped in hemp cord sealed in black shellac, single Turk's head knots in cotton cord at the butt end, double Turk's head up front. Blade approximately 4 5/16" long, 9 5/16" overall.
Price: $100 plus $7 shipping and handling in continental US.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Power hammer tooling and texture samples
I made some texturing tools for my home-brewed hammer this week, and used them to help provide some samples to an architect for a potential upcoming job.
The first tool was made from a dome-headed bolt used to hold sections of railroad track together. I found it mostly buried in the dirt near the tracks that run by my shop, heavily corroded and pitted by rust. I cut the head off, welded it to the end of a length of thin mild steel strap, bent the strap to make a spring, and had my tool:
It fits into the auxilliary tool holder on my hammer's quick-change die holder. The bottom die is just a scrap piece of 1" plate, which rests even with the top of my die holder. I need to make an actual completely flat bottom, but mostly just to make it fit in the holder better since this scrap is a bit smaller than the holder. Works really well for using tools, upsetting, etc.
Then I used the tool to make another tool. I took a couple of scrap pieces of 1"x3" mild steel bar, welded on rebar handles, got them hot, and passed them under the bolt head tool, and now had the texture transferred to the flat bar.
After rounding the edges off, I welded these two onto a piece of wide, thin strap, bent it into a U, welded on a shank to fit the auxilliary tool holder, and had a spring texturing swage. When I have my main flat dies completed, which have tool-holding holes drilled in them (don't know if there is a name for that system of holding tooling on), I'll cut them off of the spring and turn them into die-cap tools. As is, it does a very nice job on 1" round.
I love this texture!
I also used the bolt head tool to texture some 1/4" plate before cutting out topographic shapes and plug welding them together. The plate began to cup upwards under the hammer, so I flattened it back out with my press after texturing.
I see the bolt already starting to flatten out some, so I think my next step will be to use it to make a die out of some truck axle that I can harden and use to make new texturing dies as needed.
The samples as delivered to the architect yesterday:
All of the samples not made on the new texture dies were made using my combination dies torched out of a section of railroad track. The octagonal one reminds me of rock formations like Devil's Tower and the Giant's Causeway, so I didn't try to make the faces all even, just smooth. The look for the ironwork is supposed to be raw and primal anyway. The two with the "Dark Tower of Barad-dur" textures are only slightly different from each other. They were the ones the architect liked best.
Today I forged out a quick sample of half a door pull from 1 5/8" round. The amount of offset, the shape of the flattened portion, and the exact texture aren't necessarily what the final would look like, but they give an idea of what can be done. Most of the forging was done on my hammer, and the rest with the press.
Having a power hammer is sure a game changer! Even if it looks a bit rough.
The first tool was made from a dome-headed bolt used to hold sections of railroad track together. I found it mostly buried in the dirt near the tracks that run by my shop, heavily corroded and pitted by rust. I cut the head off, welded it to the end of a length of thin mild steel strap, bent the strap to make a spring, and had my tool:
It fits into the auxilliary tool holder on my hammer's quick-change die holder. The bottom die is just a scrap piece of 1" plate, which rests even with the top of my die holder. I need to make an actual completely flat bottom, but mostly just to make it fit in the holder better since this scrap is a bit smaller than the holder. Works really well for using tools, upsetting, etc.
Then I used the tool to make another tool. I took a couple of scrap pieces of 1"x3" mild steel bar, welded on rebar handles, got them hot, and passed them under the bolt head tool, and now had the texture transferred to the flat bar.
After rounding the edges off, I welded these two onto a piece of wide, thin strap, bent it into a U, welded on a shank to fit the auxilliary tool holder, and had a spring texturing swage. When I have my main flat dies completed, which have tool-holding holes drilled in them (don't know if there is a name for that system of holding tooling on), I'll cut them off of the spring and turn them into die-cap tools. As is, it does a very nice job on 1" round.
I love this texture!
I also used the bolt head tool to texture some 1/4" plate before cutting out topographic shapes and plug welding them together. The plate began to cup upwards under the hammer, so I flattened it back out with my press after texturing.
I see the bolt already starting to flatten out some, so I think my next step will be to use it to make a die out of some truck axle that I can harden and use to make new texturing dies as needed.
The samples as delivered to the architect yesterday:
All of the samples not made on the new texture dies were made using my combination dies torched out of a section of railroad track. The octagonal one reminds me of rock formations like Devil's Tower and the Giant's Causeway, so I didn't try to make the faces all even, just smooth. The look for the ironwork is supposed to be raw and primal anyway. The two with the "Dark Tower of Barad-dur" textures are only slightly different from each other. They were the ones the architect liked best.
Today I forged out a quick sample of half a door pull from 1 5/8" round. The amount of offset, the shape of the flattened portion, and the exact texture aren't necessarily what the final would look like, but they give an idea of what can be done. Most of the forging was done on my hammer, and the rest with the press.
Having a power hammer is sure a game changer! Even if it looks a bit rough.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tobin Hill Art Fair
For those of you in the San Antonio area, I will have my first booth at an art fair this Saturday. It is the First Annual Tobin Hill Art Fair, located at the Josephine Theatre at 339 W Josephine Street from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. I'll have roses, candle holders, blades, sculpture, and some nifty gardening and barbecuing gear as well. Hope to see y'all there!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Bouquet of Steel Roses
This was a commission that fell in my lap right at the last minute, Saturday afternoon prior to Valentine's Day on Monday. A man who was touring the Hausmann Millworks where my shop is located saw some of my steel roses and ordered a dozen of them, to be finished on Valentine's Day. It took about all I could do and a bit of help from a friend, but I managed to get them completed on time.
Altogether the bouquet weighs around twelve pounds. The customer reported that his wife loved them. I didn't have time to take any pictures before they left my shop, so he kindly took these pictures of them in his home for me.
Altogether the bouquet weighs around twelve pounds. The customer reported that his wife loved them. I didn't have time to take any pictures before they left my shop, so he kindly took these pictures of them in his home for me.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Test run of an unsharpened custom machete
This short machete/large camp knife got called into service before it had gotten to see a whet rock. I think it did really well. I had a Cold Steel Latin machete and a Norlund Hudson Bay pattern ax (that's a good ax!) that could use its edge touched up and the handle better fit. My machete did better than either and consequently, I used it almost exclusively.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxq1q5LfSnE
Now for a scabbard and sharpening! More footage after that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxq1q5LfSnE
Now for a scabbard and sharpening! More footage after that.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Neo-Tribal blade for a KITH
This is a little blade I banged out as a demonstration peice for a buddy of mine. I'd show him the steps on my knife, then he'd follow with his. I then used it to demonstrate filing and heat treatment for a student. I decided it would make a good entry for a Knife in the Hat exchange on the Hoodlums forum, so I threw my name in the hat.
The steel is differentially heat treated 5160 triple hardened in veggie oil. The handle is hemp cord for the main wrap, cotton cord for the Turk's head knot, and amber shellac to seal it. It's shaving sharp and ready to ship. :)
I took pics of it in a local park (second oldest public park in the U.S.) and tried three different backgrounds. Which makes for the best photo?
The steel is differentially heat treated 5160 triple hardened in veggie oil. The handle is hemp cord for the main wrap, cotton cord for the Turk's head knot, and amber shellac to seal it. It's shaving sharp and ready to ship. :)
I took pics of it in a local park (second oldest public park in the U.S.) and tried three different backgrounds. Which makes for the best photo?
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