So here’s this knife. I made it.
That funny looking blade is a high carbon steel core with a stainless steel skin forge-welded on. Handle is micarta with stainless tubes.
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Tubes are cool.
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Hey, congrats Nick!
Here’s one I just finished for my friend Dudley out in Topeka. It’s loosely based on the Little Grunt I made for my paratrooper buddy Nick but with handle scales instead of a cord wrap.
Dudley asked for green micarta handle scales with red liners, so that’s what I used. I have to admit, I really like that combination – those red liners really set off the olive green micarta. The blade on this one is 1084, which I’ve become really fond of for small / medium using knives. This steel just takes a wicked edge and seems to hold it forever. The blade is fully hardened and drawn back at the spine, tang, and ricasso for toughness.
The outer profile of the blade and tang were filed by hand (as opposed to being ground down on a belt grinder), and then cold blued. This allowed me to leave some texture on the outer edges of the steel and also give the tang and spine a slightly rounded shape. The bluing also gave it some nice contrast, better rust resistance, and sex appeal. I call this look “Blue Steel,” which was incidentally also the name of my signature look back when I was a male model.
Now here’s a little detail you may not have known about me: before I became a bladesmith I was an internationally celebrated male runway model, and even served as the inspiration for the main character in the movie Zoolander. However, as much as I enjoyed the many contributions I made to society by modelling men’s fashions, I felt there was more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking, so I left the runway for a new life in the workshop. My friends now call me “Derelicte.”*
Anyway, the Little Green Grunt has a full tapered tang to reduce weight and improve balance, and the handle scales are held on by three slightly flared stainless steel thong hole tubes. What do you think of that, Hansel?
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*In case you didn’t pick up on it, that whole thing about me being a male model was all in jest. The part about me being really really ridiculously good looking, however, is completely true. As is the part about my friends calling me Derelicte.
After a few minor setbacks SGT H.’s knife is done and shipped out. Unfortunately after I had just about completed the handle I noticed a few areas of soft, punky, weaker wood – always a risk with spalted maple – which I feared would chip out and compromise the handle strength. Even though the wood was stabilized, it was still weak in some spots. This of course is unaccaptable on a knife – especially one that may end up being carried into a warzone! So I decided to scrap it. It’s never fun to throw out a piece of wood that you’ve spend a decent amount of money and effort on, but sometimes it has to be done. I spoke to SGT H. about our little setback, sent him a photo of some possible replacements, and we settled on a nice piece of desert ironwood. In the end, I think it turned out great.
I also like how the guard came out. The contrast between the etched and blued wrought iron and the shiny stainless steel and phosphor bronze spacers adds a nice visual touch.
I was also very happy with the piece of ironwood we chose for the handle. It had a beautiful, nicely figured grain and some rich, warm color tones that worked really well with the rough forged look of the blade and guard.
The sheath worked out too. Nice, snug fit. They’re now en-route to SGT H and should be in his hands in a few days. And I’m en-route to the shop again, to work on a few more knives for soldiers…
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By the way, I documented the build of this knife right here on dicksworkshop.com. Just click on The Shop and go to Techniques to check it out.
I just finished putting the final edge on this little backpacker’s knife. I forged this one out of that high manganese 1084 carbon steel I’ve been using lately (I really like this stuff). After I forged, ground, and heat treated the blade I drew back the tang and spine with a torch, hand rubbed the flats to an 800 grit satin finish, and slapped on a nice set of sambar stag scales.
The handle scales are held on with a thin layer of epoxy and some stainless steel pins that I peened over slightly to keep things nice and tight. I also put in a stainless steel lined thong hole at the heel. The blade on this knife is a hair over 5 inches and the overall length is about 10 inches. Next, I’ll need to make a leather sheath to carry it in.
Meanwhile, I have several other knives in various stages of completion cluttering up my workbench, and hopefully I’ll get a few more completed soon.
More to come soon… I hope
The men and women of our Armed Forces don’t have it easy. They are sent to inhospitable, dangerous places and are asked to risk their own safety and wellbeing in order to protect ours. They do so without hesitation, and step forward to face our enemies so that we don’t have to.
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For generations, they’ve protected this great nation, and it is because of them that we can continue to enjoy our safety and freedom today. So on this Veterans’ Day, as we take a few moments to honor their courage and sacrifice, I would also like to give a little something back.
I will donate this hand forged knife to an active member of our military – one who is currently or soon to be deployed – in a drawing to be held at 9 pm Saturday. All you need to do is email me at my Yahoo address (my handle is dickwulf) to be eligible. If you are not active military you may enter the drawing on behalf of a close friend or relative who is. All I ask is for the winner to provide me with some kind of proof that the recipient is in fact active military. Also, if it’s not asking too much, I would very much like for the recipient to send me a photo of himself with the knife after he receives it.
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Now a bit about the knife – the blade is forged from quarter inch 1084FG (Aldo’s own fine grained, high manganese steel – this stuff get’s crazy hard). I triple normalized and triple quenched it in Parks 50, then tempered it twice and drew back the tang, ricasso and spine to a spring temper with a torch. The blade is a bit over 7 inches long from tip to choil and the overall length of the knife is 12 ¾”. The blade has a rough, fresh from the forge finish on the flats and a simple belt finish on the bevels, and the handle is wrapped with good old 550 cord.
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This knife is not much to look at, and lacks most customary refinements and accoutrements, but hey, warriors aren’t out there to look pretty either. The important thing is that it’s very sharp and built to perform. I tested it out a bit and I’m confident that it will handle some seriously hard use.
The sheath is a simple concealex rig outfitted with a MOLLE clip so it can be easily attached to a pack or a chest rig.
To me, as a bladesmith, there is not greater honor than to have my knives used and relied upon by soldiers. They are both the toughest and worthiest of customers. So it will give me great pleasure to give this knife to a soldier today.
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To all those who serve, and all those who have served, thank you.
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UPDATE – Congratulations to the happy new owner of this knife, SGT JZH of the 340th Psychological Operations Company.
