It’s hot and humid and we finally got a few inches of rain
the other day. I’ve had some encounters
with rattlesnakes but as long as they’re not around my front porch I leave them
alone. The other night I taught my son,
Matthew, the finer points of working with a crooked knife. We debarked several pieces of wood destined
to be various things and then worked two of the pieces down to form handles
for take-down bows. In this post and the post to follow I include photos of some of my latest crooked and hook
knives. I hope you enjoy looking at
them. I still consider these knives my
favorite woodcarving tools.
The knife above is guayacan wood mated to a six-inch mill file with the traditional chisel grind. The thumb perch is exceedingly comfortable on this knife.
The three photos above are of a mesquite handle crooked knife.
This knife is a hybrid between the traditional crooked knife
and the hook (or spoon) knife. The blade
is 1095 steel. Note the sharp curve at the
end of the blade for detail woodcarving or spoon making. Also note the long straight blade section
ideal for fine shaving tasks. The handle
is a species of Condalia.
The two photos above feature a detail-working hook knife for making small scoops or delicate woodcarving cuts or shaving. I have another knife like this I’ve used
for years for making coffee scoops.
The wood is lotebush and that’s a hard wood to work with because it
tends to crack and check and must be dried very carefully. The blade is 1095 steel.
In my next post I’ll feature five more knives.
I like your crooked knives, they seem to combine practicality with beauty. I make knives & crooked knives too sometimes here in the UK, although the crooked knives are not particularly popular here, which is a pity. I would be interested to find out more about the woods you have access to, which are obviously different from what I have access to. Maybe a post on the various woods? :)
ReplyDeleteIm looking forward to the other five knives.
Joel,
DeleteThanks for the comment and the idea for a post. I'll put together some posts on the specific hardwoods I prefer using for things like knife handles, spoons, bowls, bow handles etc. We've got some super hardwoods out here as you will see.
Arturo
Great looking knives.... very interested in your other knives as well. I will send an email with some additional questions on your fine knives. Nicely done blog, Doug.
ReplyDeleteDoug,
ReplyDeleteI'll be waiting for your email. I've got to go into the big city so I'll be posting again on Friday.
Arturo
You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.
ReplyDeleteTool Steels For Demolition Knives & Tool Steels For Slitter and Side Trimmer Knives
Thank you, Kevin. One of the reasons I started this blog was to pass on my knowledge of bushcraft and nature to younger generations. I'm glad you are enjoying the posts.
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