Dirk - Not Scottish

[Crex]

Hope this works. Wild Rose (Chuck) is trying to help me out with be able to post pictures so here goes.

This should be a picture of a dirk I recently finished as a prototype (the blade that is) for a Scottish Dirk a friend has requested. It's obviously non traditional but it came out
well and tested exceptionally well. The blood groove was a bit easier than I thought.
It's forged from an industrial grade lawn mower blade. Triple edge quenched (look close). I did a double leaf climbing vine pattern on the spine. Handle is curly maple from an old pick handle. Nickle silver guard and butt cap with a lavender sapphire cab on butt. Blade is approx. 10" and OAL is 14.5" (don't have the knife any more so going by memory).
Mr. Costa sold it for me before I could get tired of it sitting on my fireplace mantle. Guess I'll have to make another one (actually 3 on order plus the promised Scottish, folks seemed to like it).
Guess I'd better get my new forge finished. (Made a bigger dragon this time)
Carl Rx

[cactusforge]

I like it, I really like the handle, how did you finish it? what did you die it with? is it stabilized. Blade isn't bad either. Gib

[john costa]

Carl, I hope they realise what a classey knife they got. Very well done.----------jc

[Jan Dox]

Nice One,

The lines between dirks and seaxes and bowies get narrow sometimes and I love that.

Jan


PS. My son has a beautifull piece of maple like that but he wouldn't let me cut it out of his violin.

[whv]

nice job, carl.

curly maple from an old pick handle

man - wish i could find tools like that. all i seem to find are hickory, and straight grained at that.

[Chuck Burrows]

Considering how many Hielanders were shipped to the Americas during the Clearances of the 18th century, I think this is a neat example of what might be called a transitional Hieland/Frontiersman Dirk. The use of the New World material curly maple for the grip in conjuction with the traditional Old World style blade is what a newcomer would most likely do. Great concept and excellent execution. A marriage made in heaven!

Hey Carl maybe you invented a new Genre!

Chuck

[Crex]

I guess I'd better fess up before I get called on it. The "Curly Maple" is a typo (loose key between the ears) it is curly hickory, still from a pick handle though. I hope I didn't cause any confusion with that.
Thanks for all the kind complements. I think one of the best I got was when someone picked it up and just said "that fits". It did have a good feel in the hand, just ask John.
Gib - Surprizingly hickory takes a good set with chromic trioxide.
I then soaked it in Minwax hardner for a couple of days (hickory will really suck it up) and finished with several worked in coatings of tung oil and burnished with brown paper sack.
John - I hope so too, thanks again.
Jan - You know, I think the Little Rascals said it well "Dogs is Dogs". It's a knife, what can I say? It started out with a loosely formed idea and sort of evolved from there. All I know for sure is it finished well, for me.
whv - Stuff like that sort of jumps out at me (formal training is forestry, but majored in wildlife biology) but my mind and eye have a radar for that kind of stuff, same with artifacts such as arrowheads, an precious stones ( I picked the sapphire up out of a river bottom in Franklin, NC).
Chuck - Or you could go the other direction - no solid planning, hodgepodge of materials, and a lot of luck - came out not looking like anything in particular but still looking ok, sorta like me.
>new genre.......you're killing me< Thanks.
Carl Rx

[Coutel]

Nice looking knife Crex. Someone mentioned a cross over from a Seax to a Dirk which I agre with. I have been asked to make a Dirk for a friend and seeing yours has given me some direction.
A couple of questions.

I can see three hamon lines...When you triple quenched I am guessing you did the three different depths...Do you start with the deepest quench first of shallowist?

How did you get such a good blood groove.....was it dremeled?...

The blade looks like it has been blued....or is it the camera angle?

Good work.
Kevin.

[Will]

That looks realy cool! I would have sworn the handle was curly maple! Hickory, who'd thunk it?

The blade shape realy grabs my attention, nicely done!

[Crex]

Hey Kevin,
Yes there are three distinct quench lines but I never changed the depth of my restricter plate. Two things that I know changed during the quench process: #1 - the temp of the quench (modified Goddard's Goop) started at 120 deg F and got warmer each quench (doing multiple blades). This in turn caused #2 - the depth of quench above the restrictor plate increased with heat expansion. I think both had influence on the quench lines.
Blood groove - Not as tricky as you'd think. I used a dremel to get the channel started and lined up then made me a scraper out of a piece of O1 rod ground to the appropiate shape with a slight bevel (taken to top hard) and used it to scrape the channel to shape. In the annealed state the blade responded like very dense wood and control was pretty easy.
Finish - I was just going for the vinegar etch: Took the finish to 2000 grit, etched then polished with 0000 steel wool (did this 5 - 6 times). It just got shinnier and shinnier. Finished with a good coating of stock wax. It's got a purpulish hew in some areas that I know are not due to heat. Maybe some impurities in my vinegar vat or something.
Will - thanks, I'm really starting to like the results I'm getting with the curly hickory, it's rather surprising. I always prowl the handle material at any hardware store or flea market for the good stuff.

Carl Rx

[Coutel]

Thanks Crex. I was thinking how you got those multiple quench lines and I couldnt understand why the second and consequent heating and quenchings wouldnt wash out the previous ones.

Its a great looking knife.....
Kevin.

[Crex]

No problem Kevin. As I said I believe those factors to be the cause and will be testing the process again (hopefully several succesful times) paying closer attention to these and other influences. I now have four confirmed orders for similar knives.
Here's a pic of the dirk with it's sheath. To much glare to see the quench lines but a different view.


Tempted to post pic of "Rustic Bowie Miniature" and some other mini-bowies I've recently finished. Just to show I haven't been sitting on my arse since I retired.

Carpe Ferrum!

ps - if you get a wild hair and want to drive a long ways, come on up to the Trackrock Hammerin May 3rd and 4th in Blairsville, GA.
You'll only meet/make new friends.

[john costa]

Carl, what is schedule like this week? I thought about coming up one afternoon..... let me know. jc

[Coutel]

Originally posted by Crex


ps - if you get a wild hair and want to drive a long ways, come on up to the Trackrock Hammerin May 3rd and 4th in Blairsville, GA.
You'll only meet/make new friends.

The hammerin sounds fun and I would have liked to take a trip north to join in...unfortunately the whole month of May is booked for me with family stuff..but thanks for the offer.

By the way...nice sheath.
Kevin.

[Crex]

Hey John,
I'm severely covered up for the week. Things are rolling pretty fast! Love to have you over but It doesn't look like I'll have any free time. We're doing some major renovations at my Mom's house and I'm the lead guy as well as the cheap day laborer. Funny how that works. I'm trying to squeak in a few hours of knife work but it's usually late at night and not long, I have to leave for work at 5:30 every morning. I'll email you tomorrow from work if I get the chance.

Kevin - We will probably try to set up another event in Sept sometime. You'll always be welcome. Keep your ears/eyes open.
If you come up for the Blade Show let me know and we'll hook up then.

Carl Rx