How to:

[Deleted]

How does one make the scales for this knife?

I'll add that my guess is by making a negative mold with various sized ball ended rod s, then producing a cast product machined to fit, then polished.

Any better ideas?

I love reverse engineering work done by smart people!

[1dave]

Well, first you gift the material to someone who knows what they are doing, then start shelling out the crimped green.

[connrock]

I'd say that they were cast too.
connrock

[The Dad_Ohs]

most definitely cast, and then a few hours work to darken the scales followed by cleaning and polishing the scales to get the look right.

Stone handles are simpler by comparison, cut stone to fit secure to knife and you can grind it down on the knife to get the curves to match then round the edges as wanted/needed and even create a cab effect by rounding the material if so desired.

(A very simplified explanation and I don't mean to take away from knife makers, but doing it in stone is easier than working in metals for a knife handle... in my opinion anyways!)

[roy]

don't know but the knife is fricken kool like the blade

[The Dad_Ohs]

Nov 28, 2013 12:18:16 GMT -5 roy said:

don't know but the knife is fricken kool like the blade

You and me both !!!!!

[Deleted]

The blade is a self made "damascus" called 'Dragonskin Damascus'. The dude that made the knife makes the steel too.

[Deleted]

steak knife, same maker



Tinktinkie

Blade length 130mm Overall 240mm

The Tinktinkie is named after a small South African honeysucking bird with a curved beak, that is often seen hovering next to flowers, drinking the nectar.

My interpretation has a Dragonskin blade, distal tapered, carved and coloured, and the handle has an extended bolster that flares out at the back, in coloured stainless steel and 24ct gold highlights, with a sliver of minky Mammoth ivory completes the handle. The Stanhope lens/logo is in the front of the bolster and represents the eye of the Tinktinkie.

[Deleted]

More from the maker on the raised bead knife scales:



Manta Ray

Blade length: 185mm Overall size 315mm

Blade is coloured ladder patterned damascus. Handle is an anodised Titanium frame and handle scales are anodised Titanium in a raised Ray skin texture. Stanhope with makers logo is in handle frame.

[orrum]

Wow real damascas steel, said in olden days that that blade in a sword form would cut thru a regular sword blade and likely break it! Damascus steel was folded onto itself many times and pounded and tempered over and over, thats where the water pattern of waves on the sharpened blade came from. Usually it came from certain areas that accidently had the right ingredients to make it high carbon bad ass steel. Thats amazing if its true "water steel"! Many smiths tried to make it in the days of yore but usually they got the water pattern but not the incredible strength due to the fact that their metal source didnt have the impurities to make it damascus. Later metalurgy science discovered the ingredients needed. I dont know much about steel knoves but I am a sword science fiction book addict!!!! LOL

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2013 10:26:49 GMT -5 orrum said:

Wow real damascas steel, said in olden days that that blade in a sword form would cut thru a regular sword blade and likely break it! Damascus steel was folded onto itself many times and pounded and tempered over and over, thats where the water pattern of waves on the sharpened blade came from. Usually it came from certain areas that accidently had the right ingredients to make it high carbon bad ass steel. Thats amazing if its true "water steel"! Many smiths tried to make it in the days of yore but usually they got the water pattern but not the incredible strength due to the fact that their metal source didnt have the impurities to make it damascus. Later metalurgy science discovered the ingredients needed. I dont know much about steel knoves but I am a sword science fiction book addict!!!! LOL

The term 'damascus' steel has morphed into a new and much larger format. It encompasses many varieties of forge welded dissimilar steels and then manipulated by folding, stretching or sometimes even use as is. Artistic minds have prevailed in the modern world and now you see the blades above. Tjose made from only one of thousands of craftsmen worldwide.

The tool steels of today rival the strength and tenacity of old world Syrian damascus steels and both would easily break a sword made of mild steel.

I have a small piece of wootz steel made in the ancient manner. Someday I plan to make a knife from it. There is much to learn about these old world steels at this link.

[orrum]

Hey Scott thanks for posting that link, very good info!

[1dave]

I found this Nova presentation on Viking Swords informative:

www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html

Program Description

The Vikings were among the fiercest warriors of all time. Yet only a select few carried the ultimate weapon of their era: the feared Ulfberht sword. Fashioned using a process that would remain unknown to the Vikings' rivals for centuries, the Ulfberht was a revolutionary high-tech tool as well as a work of art. Considered one of the greatest swords ever made, it remains a fearsome weapon more than a millennium after it last saw battle. But how did Viking sword makers design and build the Ulfberht, and what was its role in history? Now, NOVA uses cutting edge science and old-fashioned detective work to reconstruct the Ulfberht and finally unravel the "Secrets of the Viking Sword."

[Pat]

@shotgunner,

I know nothing about knives or steel, but I have dimple pliers that would make bumps similar to those. A friend has some hand-modifiedi dimpled pliers that would make bumps just like those. You would need several different sizes. We use our dimple pliers on 24 gauge copper.

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2013 19:55:38 GMT -5 Pat said:

@shotgunner,

I know nothing about knives or steel, but I have dimple pliers that would make bumps similar to those. A friend has some hand-modified dimpled pliers that would make bumps just like those. You would need several different sizes. We use our dimple pliers on 24 gauge copper.

So, then, our custom art knife maker could use various size tools to do the same with a hydraulic press and a sheet of titanium.

Awesome, Pat. That is the most likely answer.

Lot's of smart people here. Thanks for letting me join the party.

[Deleted]

If you look at the two different knives with this technique, dimpling out from the reverse side doesn't work.

Anybody know about EDM? Can you EDM titanium?