Getting Closer...

After a couple weekends I have a few products available for listing on the future etsy store.  I’ll be pulling out old stock as well of course, and have a variety of other things to make before Erica takes nice pictures of things, but here are a couple samples.

 Shaving soap bowls, razor and matching stand and bolt action pens...

 And more razors, stands and pens.

 One of my challenges is remembering or figuring out what type of wood I made things out of – especially when it’s one that I don’t use often, or is an old scrap of something that I made a long time ago.  Some woods are pretty unique and don’t cause me issues, but as I expand my wood turnings, I am experimenting with more than I’m used to.  I’m also developing allergies to some of them – not a surprise when it comes to Cocobolo, but definitely a surprise for the Blood wood.  I am now intimidated by my block of Rengas, which has a warning on the wood indicating that it is related to Poison Ivy/Oak and has similar compounds.  Where is my Tyvek suit when I need it?  And fully enclosed respirator?

I’m also learning that getting a nice even hollow grind is hard, not sure how many straight razors I will ever end up with, but at least I started J

After stringing the bow I made Autumn, I tried it with a real arrow, and snapped it in half.  With a little work, it became a takedown longbow, and works just fine.  Her technique leaves a little to be desired, but she’s working on it!

That's all for now folks.

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A new Etsy Store...HangedManDesigns

Hanged Man Designs Etsy Store…

It’s not active yet, but it will be.  I’m intending this to be a clearing house for my crafts, Knives, Pens, Bowls, Shaving Brushes, Pipes, razors (Mach 3 and possibly straight) and whatever miscellaneous man stuff I manage to come up with (not that women can’t use this stuff too-shaving with straight razors is sexy!).

When it’s active, you’ll be able to access it at: www.etsy.com/shop/HangedManDesigns

I have managed to get a little bit of work done in the shop over the last couple of weeks.  One of my friends, the amazing Pat Pruitt – check out his work at: http://www.patpruitt.com/, just got married, so I made a nice little bowl out of bloodwood…and immediately developed a pretty nasty rash on the inside of my elbows – didn’t realize I was allergic to it.  I know I am getting sensitive to coccobolo, but never had issues with bloodwood before.
                                    

I forgot to take a picture, but he was nice enough to take a few for me for me - Nice work again Pat.

As you know from the last post, I finished off my Kindjal project – inspired by my friend Jason Marker of http://www.amalgamatedfiction.com/  who just wrapping up a Kickstarter for a Savage Worlds Role Playing game setting: www.accursedrpg.com 

I also finished up my W2 Tanto.  Not at all a traditional handle, but I like it, and that is what is important.  It has the best hamon that I have managed to create so far, nice and dark, but not a whole lot of activity.

I’ve been working on a little 1084 mini kindjal – I’m thinking that I will use a modern handle (canvas micarta), and making it my interpretation of a Crysknife – without the worm tooth – since I haven’t been able to find one yet. I’m still in the forging and shaping period of this one.

I’m working on a couple matching shaving sets – Soap bowls, Mach 3 razors, and badger brushes.

I’ll be putting together another several bolt action pens – at least a couple will be deer antler, and depending on leftovers, I might manage to add a pen to the one or two of the shaving sets.

I started on another pipe, and have the materials for a few more – might do a pipe and fountain pen set too – out of briar of course.  If I can figure it out, I think it will be two bents and a straight pipe.

I also tried to make my daughter a longbow. But I used an old 2x2 pine board as the body., and as I didn’t know, but expected, pine isn’t ideal for this sort of project.  I fully expect the bow to break either when I string it, or when I try to draw it.  I also don’t know how heavy the pull will be.

Lastly, I’ve decided to finally try my hand a couple straight razors. VERY early stages, but it did get me to finally unpack my wet/dry grinder that has been sitting in its box for over a year!

Hopefully, and update with a shop opening date will happen soon.

Alloy Banding - Kindjal

Have you ever searched for the answer to a question many times, only to, much later, stumble across the answer? 

Some time ago, I forged a chef’s knife out of 1084 steel:

When I quenched and heat treated it, a weird zig-zag pattern appeared. I got it to happen in another piece as well, but didn’t know what it was.  Apparently, I recently learned, this is called carbon banding or alloy banding.  From the quench line to the edge, the steel reverted back to a plain silver/grey.  The knife is still sitting on my shelf, so I don’t really know how the performance is affected. It’s still pretty though.  I’ll just have to see how my current project works out, since I’m working in 1084 again.

And this time…nothing, possibly if I hadn’t used clay to try to get a pattern in the hamon; but who knows.

So here is the project…

Not too long ago I started working on a Kindjal – in this case a double edged slightly curved long knife, in the style of weapons used by the Cossacks a couple hundred years ago. There are various stories about the origins of the knife, but they don’t all agree, so that’s what I am calling it.

I started off with a foot long piece of 3/8^th inch thick, 2 inch wide 1084FG steel.

Over a couple of forging sessions I stretched it and shaped it to about 20 inches of blade and handle.

I’ve mentioned many times that making something double edged is a pain – and this was no exception.

In the past I’ve gotten some interesting banding patterns in this type of steel, so I thought I’d give it a shot with a clay temper, once I got to that point.

Working with such a long blade was kind of a pain, because the weight of the blade would bend the hot metal more than I wanted.

The quenched blade did need some minor straightening as well.

After waaaaay too much time spent polishing (belt sander to 320, then back to 220 hand, 320, 400, 600, (ran out of 800), 1000, 1500, 2000.

There was a slight suggestion of a temper line towards the handle, but a little acid failed to show anything else, so I buffed it back to a mirror.

There were still a few irregularities along the back edge that I took care of with a diamond file.

I went with a more traditional handle, 3/8” Brass for the guard that will be just wider than the blade, stepping down to the grip, finally stepping back up to a rounded pommel.  I used a variety of pins to decorate the handle – not quite what I was planning, but my selection of carbide bits is a bit marginal at the moment.  Time to buy some more to match my collection.

I decided to go with a piece of Tineo (South American) for the handle, fairly light colored wood, but with some flaming – I intentionally chose a piece without much veining.  I turned the handle on the lathe and then flattened the sides for a nice feel.

All that is left now is the final edge and marking the base of the blade.