First Knife

[Estacado]

https://postimg.cc/PPMDxxwR

My first knife from the forge. Kephart inspired as is the sheath. Mosaic pin as I ran out of thong tube material. A 4" blade with walnut scales. Ground out on a 1x42 belt sander which has since died. Have done some 60 fixed bade knives and sheaths over the last 4 years in addition to some 15 folders.

[Estacado]

The knife was cut and profiled from 1095 steel, and then bevel ground before heat treating. Used a one burner Mini-Hell's Forge to get to quench temp. Canola Oil used in the quench. Temper was two cycles at 400 degrees for an hour each. Minor de-scale and on to finish bevel grind and polish finish with 600 grit belt. Three stage forced patina staring with Vinegar soaked for an hour followed by two separate Mustard cycles. Loveless bolts and the walnut scales finished it off. Learned more from this and three other blanks than the sixty previous blades. My sister now has the other Kephart and my two drop point hunters await my new grinder to finish. Going to pull the trigger on a Origin Blade maker from Oregon today. I built 20 knives on YouTube before I attempted this. Many mistakes made, but I fixed them because of things I've done over the last four years. Enjoyed the Kephart builds on you site, which is what inspired me in the first place. Have four more blanks with 4/ 4 1/2/and 5 inch blades awaiting my new grinder for profiling and subsequent heat treat.

[wsdstan]

Well done Estacado.  Thanks for going through the steps you took to get the look of that blade.  Very interesting finish.

Welcome to the forum.

[wolfy]

  to B&B, Estacado!    Wise move in picking the Kephart design as a do-almost-everything-you-need outdoor tool.....my choice, as well!

Are you from Texas?

[crashdive123]

Well done.  Nice knife.

[Estacado]

Yep Wolfy from South Texas, just south of San Antonio. You inspired me on the Kephart design. Pleasing to the eye and can skin a Deer and get Peanut Butter out of the Jar. I made a Condor Kephart and my Bud is using it on the Ranch he manages. He's been using a Jantz blade I made for him the last three years, fourth Season. He liked the Old Hickory Kephart I gave him, but wanted a little longer blade. The condor has the patina like this one so I get to see how it holds up.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Good to see another Texas boy here on the forum.  I've made a knife or two but they don't look like yours, but they're getting better little by little.

Alan

[Sarge]

Nice work, Estacado! Welcome to B&B.

[Estacado]

Update on my knife. It's been out at "The Ranch" being field test by Sam. He's now dressed and skinned three Deer and two Hogs. He split the breastbone on a 200# Hog yesterday. He claims it's still sharp which bodes well for my Heat Treatment and blade hardness. My new Oregon Blade maker is a wonder as I have four blades ready for Heat treatment. Same size as one shown. They are spoken for, as folks at the Ranch wanted them. I have 8 other blanks ready for bevel grinding. My learning curve is going straight up which is curious given my 75 years of Seniority. Got back to my Longbow and and am almost ready to tag a deer with it. Had 15 years of target panic to fix. I am shooting pie plate size groups at 25 yards with my Howard Hill Longbow. I am a Hobbyist and have now idea where this is taking me. The knife making from scratch is more than satisfying compared with using blanks bought on line. Thank you fellows for getting me motivated to take this plunge. Oh it slices a Tomato and gets Peanut Butter out of the jar. Sam has been entertaining hunters at the ranch for 20 years, and has high praise for "The Knife."

[Estacado]

https://postimg.cc/3kHdfTRv

Latest Kepharts, the Star Mosaic is something the guys in Texas like.

[wolfy]

Very nice work, Estacado!      Good choice of pattern, too! 

[Estacado]

Thanks Wolfy, you were my motivation for doing this. I read with great interest your process and thought why not me? I had a a 1x42 grinder that produced my first knife then it died. I now have an OBM grinder which make things a bit easier. Have folks down here in South Texas who like the Patina and the Star Mosaic Pin. The Patina is holding up well after the 12 animals it has carved up. I put the Choil in to help my grinding accuracy, helps my 75 year old eyes hold that plunge line. I ve made 18 blades so far, which I never envisioned. Just a Hobbyist entertaining myself.

[Estacado]

Update: I have now cut out and heat treated 23 Kephart Pattern blades now. They have been 3.5/4.0/4.5/5.0 inch blades. The majority have been the 4 inch model. The 3.5 inch blade has a side carry or middle of back sheath design, which the shorter blade and handle allow. It has a 4.0 inch handle vs 4.5 inches. Actually got out and dressed my first Deer with my first knife after I got it back rom Sam. I traded him a 4.5 inch version for it. He has dressed and skinned some 17 animals, Deer and Hogs, with the two knives. He has talked up the design at the Ranch and I have made some 17 knives for friends and fellow hunters. I m still a Hobbyist with limited skills, in my mind. But the blades are around 61 Rockwell and hold an edge well.

I cut thru the breastplate on a little buck two days ago with no issues. The handle design gave me no problems and felt like I had never used another knife before. Bloody wet hands are no problem with the handle contour Horace Kephart used. I touched the blade up with the Crock Sticks after I got it back from Sam. I have a choil on the blade to help my old eyes with the plunge cuts. The Forced Patina is holding up well so far and folks seem to like it. I'm just trying to perfect my skills on this one pattern to the exclusion of all others. I cannot tell you how much I've learned since 18 October when I finished my first one. I am still learning techniques and uses of my OBM Grinder, what a marvel it is. My little one burner Hells Forge is doing fine as is the 1095 steel I've been hardening in it. Started coating the blades with WTP 641 before HT to reduce scale. Still experimenting with the convex grind and pre-heat treat polishing and blade truing.

[wsdstan]

Estacado I am glad to hear how well your knives are going and the learning curve you are on sounds great.  Well done.  If you can post a photo of the 3 1/3" knife and horizontal sheath. 

[Estacado]

https://postimg.cc/gallery/yY6tfXy   Hope this Imaging works, have to relearn each time. My 3.5 inch Kephart style with Goncalo Alves scales with Horizontal Sheath of my design.

[wsdstan]

Thanks Estacado.  Good job on the patina too.

[Estacado]

These are my last four knives. I have now made 24 Kephart inspired knives since October. A hunting Bud Eric wanted the special wood and while not True Kephart's I complied. I delivered three of the posted knives yesterday and the walnut handled knife went out to an old F-4 Crewmate today. Eric wanted the wood because his Grandfather had given the wood to he and his dad for turning Pens. He plans on giving the knives to his son some day. I now have a legacy with my creations. https://postimg.cc/ts71KNjt

[wolfy]

I'm not much for 'forced patina' lipstick on my knives, but I really like your Kephart-influenced designs!    It sounds like you accept and integrate your customers' desires or suggestions, too, which is a GOOD thing.  How many frogskins for one of your creations?  If you don't want to divulge that information on a public forum, I understand....send me a PM if that's the case.

[wsdstan]

 Never mind