Please critique before assembly

[YAMAMA]

I am in the process of putting together this skinner. This is my first forged blade. It is rough sanded and there is a lot of work yet to be done. The handle is mule deer altler and is just sitting on top of the blade tang. I wanted to get your opinions on the shape and flow before I assembled it up. This is the first time I will be using antler so any tips will be much appreciated. What do I do with the prickley spines on the antler? Do I just file them down a bit until they become flush while leaving the sub flush impressions? Please let me know what you think.

[Hank]

I take it your thinking Hidden Tang...

Usually with a crown piece like this I fade the antler into the guard by sanding.

If you are going hidden tang here's a couple of tips.

With the pin holes already in the tang. And the crown piece routed out....

Dry fit the guard on the blade.
Lay the assembly along side the piece. Check the angle of the blade with the face.
If it doesn't look right sand the face to whatever angle until the blade is in position.
Now that the blade is at the right angle to the face.
Mark the pin holes on one side "ONLY"
Drill these holes down into the cavity "Only"
Insert the blade and double check the alignment with the first set of holes.
Holding the blade tight against the face and a good grip on the crown. The drill press is running I drill down through (by pushing up against the bit) the predrilled holes and let the bit exit the other side. (Watch your finger placement)

Even then you'll feel a little slop when you assemble the blade.

For the final fit up I do two things that brings it all together.
I insert a (usually .30 cause that's what I have) spacer between the guard and the face of the crown (where there were none before)
I sharpen my pins so they'll pass through the other side (your dealing with a small amount of misalignment..but that's a good thing)
Double check the aligment.. the holes in the blade should be just forward of the handle holes.
I mix up the epoxy and fill the cavity (don't forget to put a pinch of masking tape over the pin holes..keeps the epoxy in)
I insert the blade, guard and spacer assembly
start tapping the pins in. The offset will pull the blade down tight against the face.

Hope that helps...

[YAMAMA]

Interesting technique Hank. Yes, I will be doing a hidden tang. I was also thinking of doing a guard and some spacers so I will have to give your technique a try.

I got the hole for the tang reammed out last night and it fits in very well. Combination of drilling and heating the tang and inserting it. Thought it might be cool to try some leather spacers.

Should I sand down the nubbies on the handle area?

[Hank]

Entirely your choice. You can get a Headspinner from a supplier.

Or you can flatten the antler. I prefer to work it both ways. The pin close to the guard I usually work into the fade.

A word of caution though, watch the thickness of your antler piece. I try to not get too aggressive with the grinder in this area. Just enough to make a clean transistion.

The back (close to the crown end) pin can be hidden (sort of) by rounding the head. It kind of depends on wether or not the pin comes out on top of a ridge or in a groove. If it comes out on top of a ridge I'll more than likely file it flush, or use a dremel to blend it.

I've had some knives I've made with 3/16 and 1/4" pins. I've even mimicked the grooves of the antler into the pins.

As a general rule I like to see an antler piece go from something manufactured into something natural. By that I mean I like a clean look up front by the blade and try to leave the rest of it alone. Other than some cleaning of the crown piece and possibly some decorative touches.

One I use is a deer print in the crown. It's pretty easy with dremel and some small ball routers. I have even scrimshawed some.

[YAMAMA]

geezzz, 200+ views on my post and only Hank replies??...

Hank,
You have given me some good tips.

Do you guys think this is a functional blade design?

[doublearrow]

I'm a newbie and one of my first two knives that I posted a while back was that blade design. Antler handle with nickel silver guard and leather spacers. I think it's a functional blade design in fact my dad wont' skin anything unless he has a bull nose blade. don't know why?! About the only thing i did different was I made kind of a transition from guard to leather to antler i sanded it all down and kinda kept going up the antler to where it from smooth slowly to natural rough antler.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bil...2001/my_photos

[Hank]

Glad I could help....I'll be looking for your pics when your done...

I should be able to get some pics of some blades I've done soon'

My site is under construction,....Oh well a little patience...

[stoneman]

Jerid, that knife is coming along great!
How did you like forging as opposed to stock removal?
I haven't tried forging, only stock removal, but I bet it is addicting.
I think that the shape of the blade is complemented by the antler, and I bet it will be a sweet knife when you are finished.

[YAMAMA]

Thanks guys..

The reason I ask about the functionality of the blade design is because I have never skinned anything larger than a rattlesnake before. My brother in law requested a deep belly skinner with antler which he supplied from a prior hunt. He wanted the blade to "flow" with the natural curve of the antler.

As far as forging vs. stock removal... Let me tell you a little story.
Last saturday I got up early and went surfing with some bros. I dont surf too often so I was a bit out of shape for all the paddling. Woke up Sunday a bit stiff from the surfing and headed out to the smithy (my garage ) and fired up the forge threw in some O1 and started banging away. After having some trouble shaping in the point I decided to wack off the corner of the steel to speed up the process and reduce the number of heat cycles I would have had to do. Worked great. Also decided to rough out the tang with the angle grinder as well. I then forged the tang and shoulders. I was very pleased how I was able to curve the tang to fit down the center of the antler. I was pleased how the blade tapered both from the spine to the edge as well as from the ricasso to the tip (distal taper?). I never really had accomplished that from the stock removal process before. Well I woke up Monday morning for work and could hardly get out of bed. My right shoulder hurt like a bitch. I thought I slept on it wrong or was still sore from surfing. I could not believe I had so much pain in one shoulder from surfing. Then, at about noon that day I realized it was from the forging . The problem I have is that my "anvil" is a small area on the back of my bench vice which is WAY too high to be lifting a forging hammer for any length of time. Not to mention that all kinds of crap was falling off the workbench as I hammered away. I am excited to continue forging. I need to get some steel that is not so expensive as O1. I will be interested to see how this blade turns out after HT. I definetly spent less time at the grinder. When all is said and done will I have saved time overall? Probably not. At least not yet. I could see where you could knock out quite a few blades in a short time with some experience.

My forge seems to work pretty good. I think I can make a few tweaks to it but overall it did the job very well.

Just need to get a real anvil. My uncle said he was going to send me one he had so I need to follow up on his offer.

Cheers,
Jerid

[YAMAMA]

This blade is finished. Pic posted in the Display Case:

http://ckdforums.com/showthread.php?...627#post140627