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Belt knife
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:54 pm
by R Severe
The folding knives I used to get were discontinued so I built one the same shape only high carbon tool steel instead of the stainless. I hardened it to around 59 rockwell after shaping it and hollow grinding the blade.
I'll test it out this winter in the fur shed.

Re: Belt knife
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:39 pm
by Huntintony
Nice knife, Do you sell these? Would like to try one myself. Let me know.
Tony
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:03 am
by R Severe
Tony
I don't really build them to sell but have sold a couple. That one is about number 10 that I've made so I'm not really a bladesmith. I got a little coaching from one mastersmith and a soon to be jorneyman smith on the heat treating. I started fooling around with it building leather tools for my shop.
A few guys asked me to build blades and it started getting fun. I'm not really tooled up to do it seriously. The ones I've given friends have been easy to get sharp and seem to hold the edge well. I built one other at the time I did this one, I'll try to get a picture up of both of them tommorrow. RS
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:30 am
by pegleg
I've always preferred carbon steel in a using knife myself. Hate spending more time sharpening a blade then dulling it. Nice stitch job on the sheath as well!
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:02 am
by FullCryHounds
Building knives is a lot of fun. There are a lot of websites that sell all the materials you need to do it along with some pretty good instructions for the first timer. Thats a perfect size and shape for skinning jobs.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:04 pm
by R Severe
I have to agree on the steel Pegleg, I find I can get the high carbone steel sharper and it slides thru leather way better in the shop. If I didn't use a blade enough to keep it from rusting I might like stainless
Photobucket won't let me copy a image right now, I'll try again tonight.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:52 am
by R Severe


I made a neck sheath for the little blade first, if they ever invite me back to church I'll hace something nice to wear.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:53 am
by pegleg
LOOKING GOOD. YEAH I'VE HAD THE SAME RESULTS WITH CARBON NICE BLADES.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:37 am
by J.C. Call
That's some real cool stuff your building. If you ever want to peddle one, I'm interested.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:49 pm
by R Severe
Dean, I got my steel from Texas Knife Works. They have lots of kits and do heat treating of the stainless.
Thanks JC. I'll keep you in mind if I get the time to do more of this stuff.
The guy that got the bigger knife supplied the wood, it's called Redshank and come from California. Pretty hard stuff.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:17 pm
by livetohunt
I too would like to buy one of them from you. Also if your interested in making and selling more let me know I can put them up on my web site Nathans Hunting Supply. Thanks Chris
http://nathanshuntingsupply.vstore.ca/
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:32 pm
by livetohunt
I did a little digging around about that wood your talking about I had not heard of REDSHANK. After looking it up its called Redshanks or less commonly, Ribbonwood(Adenostoma sparsifolium) its a chaparral from Southern California. Sounds like its all over down there.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 3:03 am
by BEAR HUNTER
Those are nice knives. I've got friends who get the old rasps from horse shoers to make knives out of. They make nice knives and most shoers have a ton of rasp laying around as a rasp is only good for 10-12 horses.
Re: Belt knife
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:42 am
by R Severe
Thanks Chris, If the saddle work slows down I'll retool and build some blades
Bear hunter, My friend said this wood grows at the 4000 ft level in southern Calif.
He said they burned it as firewood when camping and it gives off blues & greens when burning.
It gives off sparks when going thru a bandsaw

Re: Belt knife
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:36 pm
by dubl_t
Beautiful knife R, put me in line please. I kinda like the drop point skinner, but for my collection, am currently looking for a Green River utility. I too prefer high carbon over stainless. I've got an old Frost's (made in Sweden) that sharpens itself by staring hard at it
I especially like the sheath, I'd be interested in one of those too.