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Author Topic: Custom Knife Maker  (Read 11206 times)

Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Custom Knife Maker
« on: January 02, 2018, 01:23:21 PM »
Recently, someone that was moving to the southwest of Dothan, Al., mentioned a past life as a custom knife maker. I would like to converse with whomever that is.

 Memory is failing and I already contacted a wrong member, so, I'm throwing out this general post.

Offline drobertson

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2018, 01:34:56 PM »
Seems like customcutter was moving there, or buying land there, but not sure about the custom knife maker. Member JB Griffin is known as the Hillbilly black smith, a photo of his last work was of a hatchet he forged out. He may know of have some connections for you..

Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2018, 03:47:00 PM »

 I was thinking of Customcutter, myself. Thanks for the info on JB Griffin.

Offline joasis

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2018, 05:26:00 PM »
So Harold, how far from the coast are you? My wife and I are doing a Panama Canal Cruise and it has a port of call in Puntarenas, Costa Rica for a day. Just an FYI.  ;)
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Offline drobertson

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2018, 05:38:04 PM »
yea, and I was curious about that tragic plane crash, wondering if that was close to your proximity ? what a sad story for families this new year, any time for that fact,,,

Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2018, 06:43:41 PM »
Joasis, as much as I would like to meet you, we are about 1 1/2 hours from Puntarenas. We have no licensed vehicle and use the bus system. I relax while the bus drivers try to out maneuver the crazy car, truck and motorcycle drivers.

 We are way up toward Nicaraqua and about 30 miles from La Fortuna and Arenal volcano.

 That plane that crashed was chartered out of Fortuna and crashed fairly close to the Pacific Ocean, probably 2 hours from where we are.

Offline joasis

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2018, 07:47:38 AM »
I would strongly guess that two factors were at play with the crash:

Maintenance....because what I am reading sounds an awful lot like a "split flap" condition causing the abrupt roll and stall/crash.  While very rare, it is a known condition that can occur on the Caravan. In the US, it is a 100 hour inspection item, as I remember it. What takes place it a pilot selects take off position on flaps, maybe 20 degrees on the Caravan, for a short field, high altitude take off, and as soon as a positive climb is established and obstacles (like trees, towers, mountains) are clear, flaps are retracted to "clean up" the drag...flaps create more lift at the cost of speed and drag, and short field take-offs need more lift. I would say from the witness accounts that the airplane "suddenly" veered left and rolled, which says in all likelihood, that one flap retracted and the other remained down, which acted like an aileron, lifting the wing, and rolling the aircraft...close to the ground, by the time the pilots knew something was wrong, they were already in the fireball.

And, pilot experience. If it was a split flap, you have to have your crap wired tight and be quick....a few seconds kills. The minimum time as pilot in command of a charter like that in America is 1250 hours. Typically the first officer also. I notice they referred to "both" pilots as dead, but outside the US, it is very, very common to see single pilots on charters with 30 or more passengers.

The proper way to handle short field take-offs like this would have been for one pilot to fly, and the second to manage power and flaps. If I am right, and it was a flap issue, the second would have put full flaps down and power to 100%+ while the pilot used his strength to force the airplane wings level. These are not "boosted" or power controls, so it takes physical strength to hold the plane level in such a scenario, and if the pilot felt the plane roll, his instinct would have been to roll the control wheel opposite of the roll, and that would have increased drag and the resulting stall/crash.  All of this would rely on the instant analysis while the flaps were retracting...maybe 3 seconds, that something was wrong, and then doing everything right. There is no do over outside of a simulator.

In the US, pilots get the advantage of simulator training complete with every known accident/incident/event that can happen....and they train for it. Like the plane that landed in the Hudson, all airline pilots now train for dual engine or complete engine failures, as opposed to when I was doing twin engine training, we trained for one engine failing. Not both.

As mush as I hate regulations, I am both an experienced pilot (3900+ hours), and a licensed air frame and power plant mechanic, and I WILL NOT fly outside the US unless I AM IN THE PILOT's SEAT! We take our safety for granted, and it is due to our heavy regulations, but in the case for safety, it pays.
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Offline joasis

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2018, 07:53:04 AM »
Joasis, as much as I would like to meet you, we are about 1 1/2 hours from Puntarenas. We have no licensed vehicle and use the bus system. I relax while the bus drivers try to out maneuver the crazy car, truck and motorcycle drivers.

 We are way up toward Nicaraqua and about 30 miles from La Fortuna and Arenal volcano.

 That plane that crashed was chartered out of Fortuna and crashed fairly close to the Pacific Ocean, probably 2 hours from where we are.

No problem, we will be there on the 20th for 8 hours or so, and if you were  in the neighborhood, lunch would be on me. I am not a cruise type of  guys, rather be on the ground, but the point of this trip is free...meaning I bought a lot of concrete last year, and I wanted to go through the Canal, while they are building the new locks, and this was the best way to go for the time of year. We typically go to an island for Spring Break and take the kids, but this time it is just me and my other half, and 14 nights on the Miracle.
Ladwig Construction
Hennessey, Oklahoma
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If anyone has any issues, I can be reached at the number above, anytime.

Offline Ox

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2018, 10:34:03 AM »
Nice write up.  Thanks for taking the time.  And congrats on your "air credentials" (for lack of a better term).

The island for spring break and the cruise all sound fantastic.

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Offline drobertson

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2018, 03:15:19 PM »
Thanks for the update CR,  thats too bad for the families left behind,, I know my late uncle, who was a pilot as well, studied these accidents.  In fact he, my dad and brother all lived from an early take off power outage, from just below 400 feet.  Some how he fit that Stenson in between three chicken coops just past the end of the run way, this was back in 71' he always talked about quick responses, but never over reactions,, the irony to this crash of my uncles, it was engine failure, due to a fuel supply issue,, that landed them in what would be my grandfather in laws chicken yard, and my wife to be at the time was living there at the age of 4,  I  met here in 1986 when I moved out here, and well, we've been married for nearly 30 years now,, Has nothing what so ever to do with a custom knife, maybe with enough jabbering, someone will remember who that guys was,, and get a custom knife build going,,

Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2018, 03:18:28 PM »
drobertson, You were correct on customcutter. I finally found the post late last night. He hasn't logged in today, yet. No big emergency. Just looking for input for my son who is interested.

Offline Ox

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2018, 04:53:22 PM »
I was just going to ask you if you'd found the feller you were looking for.  Answered already and all's well in the world.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline jb griffin

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2018, 11:24:20 AM »
What do you need Harold?  Let me know if I can help you in any way.
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Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2018, 04:37:44 PM »
Thanks JB. My son is looking to semi retire and get involved in knife making of some sort. We both watch forged in fire and try to spot all the obvious mistakes and sort out if this could be something for a sideline income.

 I'm trying to get him to experiment with SS and no forging such as Walter Sorrels style. I get him some exotic wood from here along with nicely spalted stuff and want to dabble in hardened and dyed wooden knife and pistol scales.

 Just looking for helpful advice as what would be good to start out with and how to work up from there as he gains experience.

Offline Stevem

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2018, 01:42:28 AM »
I have heard of knife makers using old saw blades to make their wares.  Good steel to be had in them.
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Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2018, 07:37:00 AM »
I made a couple from saw blades and a few from files. Rusting is my main concern. I never heat treated, just ground down from whatever metal I had. As long as you don't pry with a file, it's hard to beat. We had tapered files for sharpening our climbing hooks and I would ask around for dull ones.
 Best one I made I gutted and skinned 11 deer before needing resharpening. Found it broken in my shop one day.

 My biggest problem is rusting. I have one I made here from a file and the only way to prevent rust is rub it good with hog fat from a piece of chicharron.















 

Offline jb griffin

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2018, 09:00:49 AM »
The first piece of advise I will give is ..... don't expect to make any money period.
It very easy to have 10hrs and $50 in mmaterials in a single knife that might only sell for $100 I know this from first hand experience.

#2 the first piece of equipment to buy (or build) should be a good 2x72 belt grinder. If your anything close to serious this is the biggest time and labor saving device out there. After a lot of practice, when used with good quality belts ( a/o belts are not and stay away from s/c as well what you want are zirconia or better yet ceramic) and a buffer you can go from rough grinding to mirror polished or anywhere in between with those two machines and no hand work, but it takes alot of practice.

#3 what 99% of people don't know is.... nothing happens to a piece of steel in the forging process that will make it a better knife PERIOD plain and simple you take a straight and smooth piece of steel and beat the hell out of it thus making you spend the next couple hours making straight and smooth again. No majical things happen when you forge it, in fact it's pretty easy to screw it up beyond repair, burn it, forge it to thin and lose too much carbon, forge too cold and fracture it, forge it in to a twist that is impossible to get out,  you know shit happens.

That being said, I still forge 80% of the knives I make, why..... cause I enjoy the forging more than any other process of making knives.

I can come up with more info ifin you need it this is just what come off the top of my head.
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Offline jb griffin

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2018, 09:08:54 AM »
Harold, stabilized wood can be worth some money, I have seen a block of spalted maple with good pattern and color sell for $30-$50 ea for a 1x1.5x5 in piece. So its definitely something to look into.

You might have access to exotic hardwoods down there and that can be profitable as well. The more figure the more money.
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Offline Ox

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2018, 11:31:08 AM »
Good info there, JB.  To the uninformed blacksmithing is a magic art form and many blacksmiths seem to push this idea to add to the mysticism.  They don't want folks to know that you heat up some form of metal and hit it with a hammer to make it into what you want.  I figured out most of this stuff on my own just using a torch and old motor oil.  Cheap way to make one off parts and to put a nice blackened rust proof coating on it.
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Offline Cutting Edge Saw Svc.

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2018, 12:29:16 PM »

Yes Sir, darn good info JB.

One of these days, I'm gonna try my hand at forging some "tools".  Lord knows I have enough material, but time to dedicate to pursuing it has never been abundant.

Like Ox, I've done some out of necessity to make a repair on machinery and such.

Shoot, I'd be tickled to have a half decent anvil.  No complaints about my piece of RR track though.   It serves the purpose.

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Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #20 on: January 14, 2018, 04:18:23 PM »
I turned a piece or RR rail into a pretty fair anvil with flat top, hardy and prichell holes and decent horn. I do want to play with stabilized wood.

 Thanks JB. All good info.

Offline Ox

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #21 on: January 15, 2018, 09:38:25 AM »
JB - any thoughts on coal putting some carbon into your work piece as opposed to propane?  Hands down propane would be handier, easier, faster, cleaner, etc. but I've got the old timey stuff for my soon to be blacksmith shop and coal will be the way for here.  There's a feller up on the next mountain that has stove pellets and coal and such in a barn and he has actual blacksmithing coal for around $6 a bag or so last I checked.

One day I may set up a propane powered super-metal-heater-upper.  It all depends on how much I like or hate messing with coal and the old hand blowers.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline drobertson

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #22 on: January 15, 2018, 11:02:18 AM »
Ox, I dont' know adam from blacksmithing, but I do know a little about steel, and the heat treatments of it.  JB can correct me if I'm wrong or off, but knowing the colors of heated  steels as these colors pertain to temps is pretty critical.  Over heating past the critical range of any given metal and that metal's upper critical range will result in a de-carborization, which results in very poor harden ability, if any at all.  Knowing what the base metal is pretty much the starting point.  Having a spark chart helps a pretty good bit in getting close to knowing a little more about an otherwise unknown piece.  The same can go for knowing the colors of steel when subjected to the tempering process.

Offline jb griffin

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Re: Custom Knife Maker
« Reply #23 on: January 15, 2018, 07:25:09 PM »
Well,..... yes and no. Yes using coal or charcoal can add carbon to steel, does it do it on average? ....Hell no, it takes a controlled atmosphere(read absolutely zero oxygen) to add carbon to steel. When you heat steel you lose some carbon, the higher the heat and the thinner the piece the worse it gets. Usually a bladesmith will take this to account and leave the forged piece a little thick so that the decarb can be ground off.

Dave, most of what yours saying is right but, heat colors vary greatly according to the ambient light and are not reliable to judge temp. A magnet is much better but only tells you when you have reached the critical temp when steel loses its magnitism . Sparks test kinda.tell ya how much carbon it got and not much else, but that is very helpful info.
1.5 million bdft and counting sawn on a Baker Dominator
Lt40Hyd 33hp Kubota at home.