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Post by paranger on Jun 24, 2020 4:43:57 GMT -7
Finishing another early English trade knife, this time a 6" "medium" size with a South American bloodwood handle in the "diamond" profile.  free image hosting sites |
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Post by Black Hand on Jun 24, 2020 7:40:37 GMT -7
Nice job!
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Post by paranger on Jun 24, 2020 8:21:07 GMT -7
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 24, 2020 12:22:39 GMT -7
Finishing another early English trade knife, this time a 6" "medium" size with a South American bloodwood handle in the "diamond" profile. free image hosting sitesPARanger, Did you forge the blade? |
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Post by paranger on Jun 24, 2020 13:45:58 GMT -7
Finishing another early English trade knife, this time a 6" "medium" size with a South American bloodwood handle in the "diamond" profile. free image hosting sitesPARanger, Did you forge the blade? Negative: I ground and reshaped an existing (new, in this case) 1095 blade of the proper thickness (.07 before polishing). English trade knives were around 1/16" (.0625). Truth be told, most of the guys out there making these knives and forging their own blades (impressive though they are) are making them too thick, historically speaking. French knives are a different story. They were around 1/8" (.0125). I am having a harder time finding economical, properly tempered blades that thick thus far... |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 25, 2020 6:59:16 GMT -7
PARanger,
Well Done!!
I appreciate the wood you choose and detail you put into your handles.
Do you ever find the English blade thickness to be too light for camp chores, or do you switch to your hatchet for anything heavier than light cutting jobs?
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Post by paranger on Jun 25, 2020 9:12:53 GMT -7
PARanger, Well Done!! I appreciate the wood you choose and detail you put into your handles. Do you ever find the English blade thickness to be too light for camp chores, or do you switch to your hatchet for anything heavier than light cutting jobs? Many thanks, SH. I definitely don't do any "batonning" with my knives. That's what my belt axe is for. If you pick up a historically accurate trade knife, I think you will be amazed at how light they are. There is significant flex to the blade, and they are good slicers, yet robust enough to stand up to most routine tasks - I IMAGINE, scalping included...  |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 25, 2020 13:05:20 GMT -7
PARanger, Well Done!! I appreciate the wood you choose and detail you put into your handles. Do you ever find the English blade thickness to be too light for camp chores, or do you switch to your hatchet for anything heavier than light cutting jobs? Many thanks, SH. I definitely don't do any "batonning" with my knives. That's what my belt axe is for. If you pick up a historically accurate trade knife, I think you will be amazed at how light they are. There is significant flex to the blade, and they are good slicers, yet robust enough to stand up to most routine tasks - I IMAGINE, scalping included... PARanger, I think most folks, myself included for quite a while, fell into a “one knife for all tasks” mentality. It certainly showed in some early Tom Brown Jr. designs. However, as you mentioned, those who hacked out a life from the wilderness with no safety nets seem to have excelled with what would be considered inferior gear today. What does that say? (Rhetorical question) What is your take on the correctedness (not an actual word...LOL) of someone with an English persona using equipment of French origins ? |
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Post by paranger on Jun 25, 2020 13:56:56 GMT -7
Hmmm. Very interesting question, SH. I have pondered that some myself. I think, on balance, that it depends. For me, something like an English colonist carrying a piece of French gear falls in the broader category of kit that is uncommon but plausible. I think one must consider the totality of one's kit / impression. A good rule of thumb I heard somewhere was along these lines: one or two pieces of uncommon (but pc) gear make for an interesting impression. Too many and the impression becomes an implausible hodgepodge.
So, might you have picked up a French knife from a French trader in peacetime or a dead native in wartime? Perhaps. Might be fodder for a good backstory even. The important piece to me is that you recognize it as a deviation from the commonplace and present it as such. My two cents. I'm sure others here have a take on that, too, and I, for one, am all ears.
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 26, 2020 5:06:58 GMT -7
PARanger,
My thoughts were along those lines : battlefield pick ups, traded items to replace lost or broken gear, etc...
I totally agree, however, that it can easily be overdone and that is when you begin to lose the focus of your persona.
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Post by hawkeyes on Jun 29, 2020 6:31:32 GMT -7
Beautiful work, love it.
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Post by lenapej on Jun 29, 2020 18:39:45 GMT -7
Looks great! may I ask where you all get the imported wood for handles? is there a site online?
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Post by paranger on Jun 30, 2020 4:08:27 GMT -7
Looks great! may I ask where you all get the imported wood for handles? is there a site online? Just search online (Amazon, Ebay, Etsy) for turning blanks. Pen blanks are typically 3/4" x 3/4" x 5" which is just about perfect. In this particular case, the outfit is called Nelson Blanks in Harrisburg, Pa. |
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Post by lenapej on Jul 1, 2020 14:21:13 GMT -7
Looks great! may I ask where you all get the imported wood for handles? is there a site online? Just search online (Amazon, Ebay, Etsy) for turning blanks. Pen blanks are typically 3/4" x 3/4" x 5" which is just about perfect. In this particular case, the outfit is called Nelson Blanks in Harrisburg, Pa. Thanks, much appreciated. |
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