A Boot Knife Build

[BrokenolMarine]

I just can't help myself, I have to build. I ordered some blanks from Jantz, and they delivered the order in two days. $15 including priority shipping. Cheaper than the gas to drive down and the EXTRA money I would have spent picking up things I saw on the counter when I tried to check out with just the things on the list. Five Blades, and a Card File. (Used to clean the files when they get clogged.) Taking my time, and practicing leather work by making sheaths for each knife, these blanks should give me four months or so of shop time. $300 ish.

aug 2024 jantz order.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

The boot knife I'm going to build is on the right, second down. I had planned to get really fancy again, then decided to use the stag panels I picked up when I went to the dentist. It's a boot knife, and it might actually get used.

01 Chose Stag Scales.jpg

The Amber highlights in the one panel caught my attention and I really liked them. The second panel was mostly Black, and I didn't care for it as much, so I spent about forty-five minutes working the panel with some 120 then 220 grit sandpaper and water to remove some of the thick stain that it appeared they had dipped it into. Not only did it pull the amber / orange color out to attempt to match the other panel, but it deepened the texture which had finish caked in the valleys of the bone. Time to move to bolsters, which I chose copper for, since it would accent the amber in the scales.

Cutting bar stock copper sucks. I crew the hacksaw blade thru a chunk of wax, and got cutting. Whew, two sections cut, and then I was done for that session. I would begin shaping and polishing during the next time in the shop.

02 cut rough copper bolster.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

First up, I got the rough shape of the bolsters done. Shaping them on the bench sander took a while as you can sand for about five seconds, then you have to cool in the water, they heat up FAST. Try to go too long and you'll end up with a blister. Don't ask me how I know this, it's a lesson you only want to learn ONCE.

03 Rough shaped bolsters.jpg

Once they were shaped, I used the holes in the center of the blade blank to mark the spacing for the holes in the bolsters, then drilled them. If I am getting better at pinning then peening, you won't SEE the pins in the bolsters, but I wanted to try and make them consistent if they are seen.

04 Drilled first bolsters.jpg

Eh, they came out slightly off. If they were going to be seen, I would have REcut the first one not drilled the second to match, nor used the bolster as a template later to drill the blank. As it were, I pinned them together and textured the facing edge, that will be 90 degrees to the blade rather than rolling it. It will reflect in that polished blade for an effect. We'll see how it looks later. I have seen it done with other knives and liked the effect.

05 pair drilled and textured face.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

Time to drill the blank, so I set up a bolster to use for the template.

06 bolster for template.jpg

Each carbide bit needs a certain speed to function correctly. I hadn't known this previously, but now that I know, I try and be a good ToolMan. I set the drill press to use the 1/8 bit. You change the belts to reflect the speed you want. PITA but it's what you do.

07 changed bit speed.jpg

To drill the second hole, I pinned the first hole, then marked the location of the second hole, CAREFULLY set up the press to drill the second and ... crossed my fingers and toes and had at it. It worked. Bazinga....

08 marked blank then drilled.jpg

IF my peening skills work out, it won't matter that my holes are slightly out of line, so I will peen very carefully. It might be a day or so before we find out, as I will tool the edges of the blank before I set the bolsters. Watch this space for updates.

09 bolsters and blank drilled.jpg

I know, I know, the suspense is killing you. Like those old two part Batman and Robin episodes when we were kids, that split over a weekend when part ONE was on a Friday. Didn't you hate that?

[BrokenolMarine]

That blue stuff on the blank? Marking dye so that the pencil marks are easily seen. It's nothing. It gets sanded away before glueup.

[Hatchdog]

Understanding the offset holes was not your intent and you will be able to conceal the offset really it looks kinda cool like that. But I can appreciate your being not pleased with the outcome as it wasn’t intentional.

[BrokenolMarine]

Yeah Hatch, my intention was that if they showed, they mimic the holes in the body of the knife. But, hopefully my peening skills are improving and they won't show or be very faint when I am done. Slowly and Carefully has been improving the results in the last few attempts, so we will see.

This morning I will mark the edges of the blank and start the accent tooling of the body of the knife. Hopefully the serpentine pattern will look awesome crawling around the blank from bolster to bolster.

[BigAl52]

Marine do they sell any folding knife blanks at all? Similar to like a Benchmark Bug Out

[BrokenolMarine]

Marine do they sell any folding knife blanks at all? Similar to like a Benchmark Bug Out

They sell a LOT of them, kits and just the bare blanks, plus all sorts of accessories, in case you want to slick up an existing knife. Jeweled posts, slick bearings, etc. Check them out and tell me what YOU think. I love these folks.

www.Knifemaking.com

[BrokenolMarine]

Didn't get to work on the knife Saturday, errands. One was a run to Hobby Lobby. Miss T wanted to catch the new sale, Material was on sale and she had promised to make several more quilts for a veterans charity she volunteers for. But, the Jewelry (Beads) were back on half price, so I was going to stock up. I'd find what I might need for future sheaths, holsters, belts...

Once I got home, I broke down the necklaces, and sorted the components by size and color into the bead keepers Miss T found online. I was paying for the previous day's activities, so it was a rest day. I could sort sitting inside.