What are you looking for in the perfect knife...

[Crixus]

"Made" my first knife this fall. It's actually a reprofiled vintage 8" Ontario Slicer in 1095 carbon steel cut with a Dremel, quenched often to retain heat-treatment. The new profile is based on the Canadian Belt Knife. The example pictured is my Cold Steel CBK. While it is a very practical knife, the CS is not full tanged, and the Grohmann that it is based on it a minimum of $100 new. So I made my own. The handle I cut and shaped from seasoned oak with a stain that was made from boiled black walnut hulls. The rivets are repurposed from the original Onterio Knife.

​

Example of the donor knife...

Now it's time to make something bigger, a general purpose wilderness knife.

I'm considering a Nessmuk style knife.


What qualities do you like in or what knife do you suggest for all around wilderness/survival use?

31/2" inch blade with a good strong drop point. I'm also a huge fan of those Russell type belt knives like the one you emulated. But as far as a preferred blade a small 3-4" fixed blade like the Baja 3.0 or ESEE3 will be fine.

 

[Missourian]

31/2" inch blade with a good strong drop point. I'm also a huge fan of those Russell type belt knives like the one you emulated. But as far as a preferred blade a small 3-4" fixed blade like the Baja 3.0 or ESEE3 will be fine.

Excellent choices.

You'll like the knife I worked up last night, an emulation of a Grohmann #4 Survival...that's what the Old Hickory Skinner I received wanted to be. I got two, so there still might be a Nessmuk in the future.

 

[Missourian]

Planning:

Templates:

Rough cut (Dremel):

Cleaned up (1x30 belt sander): The Kephart is going to get another cut on that line:

Old Hickory Skinner reworked vs Grohmann #4 Survival:

Going to be awhile to continue, have scales and liner on the way.

Next...making some mosaic pins.

 

[Crixus]

31/2" inch blade with a good strong drop point. I'm also a huge fan of those Russell type belt knives like the one you emulated. But as far as a preferred blade a small 3-4" fixed blade like the Baja 3.0 or ESEE3 will be fine.

Excellent choices.

You'll like the knife I worked up last night, an emulation of a Grohmann #4 Survival...that's what the Old Hickory Skinner I received wanted to be. I got two, so there still might be a Nessmuk in the future.

I have done those Kind of muks before. Really handy camp knife. I have one from scrapyard knives that's the bomb. That mud tread grip is really grippy.

 

[Missourian]

Dremel cut a piece of .022 brass for liner:

Ended up using poplar for scales instead of bubinga..wanted a lighter wood :

Test glue up with black rubber gasket material:

Pattern and cut with scroll saw...but you could use a coping saw:

Scuffed up with 50 grit...glue, glue, glue

Cleaned up a little...next up, drill, epoxy and pin:

Skipping the mosaic pins...needed to use contact cement for the rubber, so need pins to hold everything nice and tight.

 

[Missourian]

I need a knife that never dulls,, and never pits..

Now THAT's a perfect knife.

 

[Missourian]

Getting there. That rubber gasket liner turned out OK...but the brass really doesn't show up well even in person.

Next...hand sanding...

 

[Crixus]

Maybe the brass will brighten up after a good sanding ?

 

[Missourian]

These did get finished...I think they turned out pretty well after a few coats of Watco Natural Oak Danish Oil...

 

[westwall]

Dremel cut a piece of .022 brass for liner:

View attachment 121985

View attachment 121986

Ended up using poplar for scales instead of bubinga..wanted a lighter wood :
View attachment 121987

Test glue up with black rubber gasket material:
View attachment 121988 View attachment 121989

Pattern and cut with scroll saw...but you could use a coping saw:
View attachment 121990

Scuffed up with 50 grit...glue, glue, glue
View attachment 121991 View attachment 121992 View attachment 121993


Cleaned up a little...next up, drill, epoxy and pin:
View attachment 121994 View attachment 121995

Skipping the mosaic pins...needed to use contact cement for the rubber, so need pins to hold everything nice and tight.

Pretty cool! I carry a Bagwell Bowie when i go camping, but my everyday knife is a Benchmade 940. I also LOVE my Tapio Wirkkala Puukko

 

[Crixus]

31/2" inch blade with a good strong drop point. I'm also a huge fan of those Russell type belt knives like the one you emulated. But as far as a preferred blade a small 3-4" fixed blade like the Baja 3.0 or ESEE3 will be fine.

Excellent choices.

You'll like the knife I worked up last night, an emulation of a Grohmann #4 Survival...that's what the Old Hickory Skinner I received wanted to be. I got two, so there still might be a Nessmuk in the future.

You will likethat Muk. Super useful designe and the old hickory knives make a textbook nessmuk. I hav a MUK design from scrapyard knives. Ill get up some pics.

 

[Crixus]

These did get finished...I think they turned out pretty well after a few coats of Watco Natural Oak Danish Oil...

View attachment 134170 View attachment 134171

Super nice muk!

 

[Missourian]

Knocked out a sheath for this one...thinking about building one of these to work on the grind a little...

 

[Missourian]

Whipped up a simple version to do this knife... worked pretty well...

 

[Missourian]

Restoring pic from post #1. Photobucket sucks...

Left Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife, right, my copy.

 

[Missourian]

View attachment 121363

As you see above, I have an extra Old Hickory Skinner. They were an add-on item from Amazon for $7 each...so I got a couple.

I love the knife, hate the handle and lack of guard...so...

Tomorrow, solder and handle shaping.

Got a half hour to kill...here's the video I used to learn the basics of adding a simple guard...


...he uses a specialized mill to slot the brass. I used a dremel with a cutting disc and cheap tiny needle files I found at walmart for $4 per six piece set. You can see a couple in the pics.

The scales for the handle are purpleheart from Amazon... $9 with free shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018376F6O/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Missourian]

Soldered.

This was my first mechanical soldering, took four tries to get it right. I think the liquid flux wasn't very good quality...or I wasn't heating it enough.

 

[Missourian]

Epoxy curing...

 

[Missourian]

Oh yeah, this is going to look pretty good...

 

[Missourian]

Rough shaping...

I learn something important about purpleheart...it does not like the any mechanical rough sanding...all rasp and sandpaper.