"Tooth Edge"

[DiamondG Knives]

Ed :
I was shamelessly trying to copy a pattern I had seen on one of your knives (Hope You don't mind!) I was going for a "Tooth" look in a san mai construction blade.
Outside wrap was chainsaw damascus, inner core was 15N20.
Forge welded this up then ground slots into the lower edge of the billet. I then hammered at a welding heat, the area that was notched until flat.

Got a good pattern, but one side seemed to wash out and have very milder patterned "teeth" on the other side.

Q: Should the inner core be thicker than the wrap?

Q: how deep should the grinds be into the core?

Q: I had some delaminations in the tooth area, Any suggestions?

I think I will finish the knife, as the delaminations are minor and wont be near the edge, just wondering how to improve. I can t post in the forum yet, but I will email you a photo.

Thanks

mike

[Ed Caffrey]

Mike,

Thanks for sending the pics! Looks good for the first one!
When your building a billet like that, the inner core should be thicker than normal. In fact I usually make everything thicker than I would for a normal "San-Mai" type blade.
I routinely leave the billet at least 3/4" thick before cutting the "teeth", with the billet being forged to shape, minus the expected expansion when forging down the "teeth". I make the cut depth approx 1/3 of the billet's thickness, then cut the other side the same, making sure that the cuts are staggered compared to the first side. Here's the trick to it.......I stack up three blades on the chop saw and use a diamond tooth off an old concrete saw blade to round the edge of the three chops saw blades, then go back over the cuts I've made in the billet to "wallow" them out. (they are rounded cuts then, rather than the straight, square cuts that a single chow saw blade makes). You can accoplish the same thing by using a course round file. This will give the "teeth" in the finished product a smoother less jagged look, and will also keep the billet from delaminating when you get to a thin edge cross section.
Does that make any sense? Hope it helps!

[DiamondG Knives]

Yes Ed, it helps a lot, I learned a few things on this blade. I understand now why the core needs to be so much thicker.
The cut off saw sounds like a good idea, I was just cut in some grooves with the belt over the side of the platen. Im sure having uniform cuts would make a big diffrence in appearance.

Just wondering, as Im getting one of Ron Claiborns presses, do you do the flattening after cutting the teeth on your press or do you do it by hand?

Also, could you use "ladder dies" to make the teeth, dont know about trying to squeeze just half the billet. (this press stuff is all new to me!)

Im thinking about using an angle grinder with a rounded blade, will that give it enough "trough"? What Im shootiung for is somthing other than a straight line cut right?

Thank you for all your help, you guys don't realize how much it helps a newbie like me to be able to quiz you "Big Dogs" !

Thanks again

Mike