Trade Knife

[Cruzatte]

Here's a knife I assembled during breaks while working on my FDC. The blade came from Track of the Wolf (TOW) and the scales from a scrap of wood from the FDC stock. I managed to bugger up the original scales sent with the knife blade. I didn't like the pins that came with the parts, so I sacrificed a coat hanger which measured about 5/64" inch in diameter.

The blade looks a little French to me with its drop point. I stained the scales with some left over Laurel Mountain Forge stain. The label on the can was so obscured by slopped stain, that I can't tell what the name of the color is. I'm certain it's the same maple something-or-another stain I used on my Caywood gun. I think it looks so good, I may stain the walnut stock of my FDC with the same stuff.

 

[Brokennock]

Nice. I like the walnut so much better than the overdone curly maple so many seem to use. I've seen those blanks, do they take a scary sharp edge?

 

[Cruzatte]

Nice. I like the walnut so much better than the overdone curly maple so many seem to use. I've seen those blanks, do they take a scary sharp edge?

Yes, they can take a very sharp edge. The grind is a little more steep than I'm used to seeing. But that's OK. Just pay attention as you retouch the edge.

My only complaint (and it's a very minor one) is that the handle is quite short. The blade is a little too long to make a neck knife being just at 6 inches long. But for small camp chores, or cutting patches at the muzzle of your favorite long arm, I think it would be hard to beat.

 

[Artificer]

Good Report!

I wonder, would the grip be long enough if you ground away the curved point on the bottom rear of the grip and just allowed the grip to be rather straight on the bottom to the rear end of the grip?

Also, I am a little confused by your one statement above of : " The grind is a little more steep than I'm used to seeing."

If one uses the following link, are you saying the blade grind is more like "Compound Bevel 2" than the one listed as "Compound Bevel?"
https://kitchenknifeguru.com/knives/knife-edges-101/

Gus

 

[Cruzatte]

Good Report!

I wonder, would the grip be long enough if you ground away the curved point on the bottom rear of the grip and just allowed the grip to be rather straight on the bottom to the rear end of the grip?

Also, I am a little confused by your one statement above of : " The grind is a little more steep than I'm used to seeing."

If one uses the following link, are you saying the blade grind is more like "Compound Bevel 2" than the one listed as "Compound Bevel?"
https://kitchenknifeguru.com/knives/knife-edges-101/

Gus

The blade looks like it's a compound bevel as illustrated in the link you provided. My usual belt knife has a convex edge as illustrated in the same link.

I think grinding away the ball grip would shorten the whole thing by a good half inch. I thought about doing that and then mounting it on a solid block of wood, but decided against that, primarily because I didn't have any scrap wood the right dimension. I also wasn't sure that my table saw blade would make a wide enough cut. In the end, that just seemed like a whole lot more work than I wanted to go to.

Edit: Oh hold on....I see what you mean. You mean flatten out the ball grip. And then mount it to a longer handle. That would have worked. But like I said, I didn't have a large enough piece of scrap wood.

 

[Artificer]

Thank you for the information.

If the sides of the blade are 'distal" or flat ground like the compound bevel, the blade is even more authentic to the period.

I really appreciate the info as I've been thinking of ordering one of these blades and re-filing/re-grinding the top/back of the blade so it is more like an English Scalper.

Gus

 

[Cruzatte]

Interesting plan. I have but one question: Wouldn't that remove a lot of metal, and mightn't you end up with more of a dadely style blade?

 

[Artificer]

Interesting plan. I have but one question: Wouldn't that remove a lot of metal, and mightn't you end up with more of a dadely style blade?

Yes, it would require some serious reshaping and I'm not sure it could be done. However, filing and even careful grinding will not cause a problem with the blade's heat treatment and I'm trying to avoid re-hardening and re-annealing the blade.

Gus

 

[Brokennock]

Yes, it would require some serious reshaping and I'm not sure it could be done. However, filing and even careful grinding will not cause a problem with the blade's heat treatment and I'm trying to avoid re-hardening and re-annealing the blade.

Gus

One could take a hacksaw and cut the tang down to about 2.5 or 3 inches and make a more period half tang handle.

 

[Artificer]

One could take a hacksaw and cut the tang down to about 2.5 or 3 inches and make a more period half tang handle.

That's true, but I was thinking more about straightening the top or "back" of the blade, like an English Scalper. I don't think there is enough metal for the Scalper's sometime seen upsweep at the point, but I can live with that as I don't need that anyway.

To better illustrate what I'm referring to, I borrowed the photo's of Trade Knives from Forum Member LeLoop's (Keith Burgess's) site as an illustration shown in the following link:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAADkw/C-Mk3XoCTYI/s1600/Knife+Blades+2.jpg

Notice how the French blades generally have "drop points" while the English Blades are straighter/only slightly curved on the top/back? Now before Wick Ellerbee and others point out correctly that some English Blades had drop points, such major blade reshaping is not necessary to make it period correct for an English Trade Knife. I was just thinking to modify the blade to make it more personal.

The photo's of the blades also show what you (Brokenrock) referred to by cutting down the grip tang to make a period half or short tang.

Gus

 

[Brokennock]

That's true, but I was thinking more about straightening the top or "back" of the blade, like an English Scalper. I don't think there is enough metal for the Scalper's sometime seen upsweep at the point, but I can live with that as I don't need that anyway.

To better illustrate what I'm referring to, I borrowed the photo's of Trade Knives from Forum Member LeLoop's (Keith Burgess's) site as an illustration shown in the following link:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAADkw/C-Mk3XoCTYI/s1600/Knife+Blades+2.jpg

Notice how the French blades generally have "drop points" while the English Blades are straighter/only slightly curved on the top/back? Now before Wick Ellerbee and others point out correctly that some English Blades had drop points, such major blade reshaping is not necessary to make it period correct for an English Trade Knife. I was just thinking to modify the blade to make it more personal.

The photo's of the blades also show what you (Brokenrock) referred to by cutting down the grip tang to make a period half or short tang.

Gus

Sorry Gus, I replied to the wrong quote. I want meaning to comment on your reshaping the blade. I was only referring to the idea of reworking the handle.

 

[Artificer]

Not to worry, Brokenrock, but thanks for the explanation.

Gus

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Here's a knife I assembled during breaks while working on my FDC. The blade came from Track of the Wolf (TOW) and the scales from a scrap of wood from the FDC stock. I managed to bugger up the original scales sent with the knife blade. I didn't like the pins that came with the parts, so I sacrificed a coat hanger which measured about 5/64" inch in diameter.

The blade looks a little French to me with its drop point. I stained the scales with some left over Laurel Mountain Forge stain. The label on the can was so obscured by slopped stain, that I can't tell what the name of the color is. I'm certain it's the same maple something-or-another stain I used on my Caywood gun. I think it looks so good, I may stain the walnut stock of my FDC with the same stuff.View attachment 13271 View attachment 13272 View attachment 13273

WELL DONE!!

 

[Cruzatte]

WELL DONE!!

Thank you kindly.

 

[colmoultrie]

Looks good! If at any point you redo the scales, bring them forward onto the first 1/4“ to 1/2“ of the blade. That will give you the grip length you want, as well as more closely mimicking originals, as I understand it.