Christmas Blade

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Eric C
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Christmas Blade

Post by Eric C »

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... b77eeac84c

Okay, I'm not getting along with Photobucket at the moment, so I'm linking to my forge page on FB. Anyway, this is my first annual Christmas Blade that I spoke of here: http://www.ranger.budgetauthenticity.or ... f=5&t=1879 .
STATS:
OAL: 10 3/8"
Blade length: 5 5/8"
Blade Width: 1 1/4"
Forged from 3/16" sawblade steel.
Fittings:
Handle: Mahogany with several coats of Tung Oil and finished off with paste wax.
Fittings: Silver-bearing alloy cast in place. This is too soft for any pounding but it is sturdy. The whole assembly si held together with a brass pin through the tang and the pommel is cast around it.

The casting is new to me. I still need to work on it some, but I kind of like the way it came out for a first attempt. Hopefully I am going to be turning out some long overdue knives now. Maybe I'm out of my slump.

Anyway, the price is $150 plus shipping, CONUS. This would make a nice Christmas present.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
sgainbrachta
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by sgainbrachta »

The cast-in-place pewter thing is great isn't it? Makes a very strong piece, and has a wonderful look, too. I make dirks and sgaindubhs in that manner- it's a great way to do so.

Love the blade shape, it looks well proportioned- and that saw blade steel is wonderous stuff!

Robert
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Ringulf
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by Ringulf »

It looks great Eric and you have me very curious, can you explain more about the casting in place method you are using?
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
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Eric C
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by Eric C »

Give me a minute and I'll find you a video.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
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Eric C
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by Eric C »

Okay, here's a link to a video by Ben Potter. He posted this over on Don Fogg's site. There is another How-to on making fittings for a tomahawk over there. I'd have to look around for it though.

Sgian: It is really easy to learn. I'm still playing with it to make everything cleaner than on this blade, but overall, I was pleased with the way it came out. I have worked almost exclusively with sawblade steel. But now I am using some 10xx series stuff. I'll hopefully be posting some of those soon, but at the moment they are all spoken for. Thanks for the comments. Both you guys do very good work yourselves.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
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Eric C
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by Eric C »

Just noticed that the link didn't post for some reason. Wonder why? Hmm. So let's see if I can give you a link to the thread: http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=24708

Anyway, I'm thinking of pulling this one off the "for sale" line for the time being until I work on a little issue that isn't setting well with me. Evidently it bothers other folks as well since I've had zero interest in this knife.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
sgainbrachta
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Re: Christmas Blade

Post by sgainbrachta »

Yeah- I've seen that one before. It's a well-done, and very clear video.

When I do it, it's almost exactly the same, except I just use 4-6 layers of the masking tape, rather than the cardboard. I've done both, and the cardboard is generally a smoother finish- so you get better penetration around the pour, but the tape is faster, so is generally my method. I'm a lazy, lazy man, after all! That said- I really DO like the crenelation and carving he did!

Another thing I do that he didn't is to make an undercut for the pewter to lock into. Basically- I create a mechanical hold for the pewter onto the wood, and usually on the tang of the blade. Sometimes for the pommel- I'll bend the tang into an "L" shape o a small ring- and cast the pewter completely over it, so as to form a smooth pommel with an excellent "lock" to the tang.

The other thing is that I buy lead less pewter from Jas Townsend (www.jastown.com), as it casts very well. For the over-informed materials geeks, the alloy they use is called "brittanic" and it is a mostly tin alloy, and flows very well. Like him, however- a thrift store ladle is perfect for this stuff!

Thanks for posting that video link!
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