Knife in the Hat 2017

My entry into the Knife In the Hat draw for 2017 on the Canadian Knifemaker forum
canadianknifemaker.ca

Template is from Dan Comeau linked on my page but not yet available also inspiration from another maker Joe Mcneely

Plan is to use CPM 154 stainless steel for the knife blade, 1/8" 304 stainless steel for the bolster and pommels and a hybrid wood Alumilite material for the handle.
Still no decision on which of a multitude of materials I have on hand will be used or the color, this usually comes along near the end.


Template version 2 with thumb rise and as of yet modified bolster. Going to try something I have never seen done before so that little surprise is going to wait until near completion.

 



 

If anyone ever wondered if the knives were inspected well here you go. Pre heat treating inspection being carried out by Dual Optical Gauge or DOG for short.

 

 

 

Posing in the furnace, actually does not go in until the first preheat step is reached at 1400F any sooner and the Condursal will burn off rendering it ineffective.

 



 

Heat treating finished and time for the bevels

Really need to get caught up on my Fillet Knives

Knife beveled and getting hand sanded. Still have to decide it I want to keep the color from heat treating along the back or sand it down

 

A little behind but some progress is being made slow but sure

Middle of May now and bolster and pommel are in place and ready for polishing.

First step of fitting the wood slabs is creating a template from masking tape
Second step is put the tape on the wood blocks then cut close to the correct shape

 

Realized after getting first knife done I was too large, got carried away free handing the tip shape. So made a second knife with matching handle material and the bolsters need lots of fine sanding to get flattened after a grinder slip up.

So on to the third knife which will have a Ebony handle with red fiberglass liners. Tapered from top to bottom for a nice fit in the hand.