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Thread: Sgian Dubh, Scottish and Irish boot knife project.

  1. #1
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    Sgian Dubh, Scottish and Irish boot knife project.

    I've been working on this dude for a couple of days, and the handle carvings all night. The blade is a spoon handle I hardened, about 4 and 1/4 inches, and the handle is a piece of oak I had laying around the garage about 4 and 1/2 inches with a mild steel spacer from some kind of window lock attachment I hacksawed and filed to shape. It already had a hole for a screw attachment for fastening to a window frame. No power tools were used to make this. Files and stone for the blade, and files to carve the handle, and an old hand drill that was my Grandpa's to drill into the oak. Then some epoxy glue and the fibers from a cigarette butt to hold it together and give it something to bite on to. I wanted to see if I could make a boot knife without power tools, and out of odd ball stuff laying around the house. Surprisingly after heated with a torch and quenched in oil then tempered the little thing is pretty tough.
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    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Well would you look at that. Looks nice.

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    That is nice, good work.
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    Thanks guys. I'm playing with the idea of making some metal powder out of either copper, brass, or steel and mixing it into epoxy and fill the carvings then sand over it when it's dry for some contrast. Kinda like inlay, but making metal powder by hand sucks and takes a bunch of time so I'm not sure just yet. I do have to varnish the handle still.

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    Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012** Richard Simmons's Avatar

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    Good job. I link the manual manufacturing theme. I there is any tannin left in the oak would it react with the metal powder? Maybe try a hot wire and wood burn for contrast?
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    Team GunsNetwork PLATINUM 10/2012 rci2950's Avatar

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    I like it. Super curious about the hardening process
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    Senior Member jet3534's Avatar

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    Good job. Like the way this knife looks.

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    Thanks for the compliments guys, and the wood burning idea. I think I'm going to just varnish the handle and leave this one as is. My friend goes to highland games and renisance fairs in Michigan and is interested in this piece as it is, so I'll just make a leather sheath from some old worn out biker boots and give it to him. His birthday is coming up a few days after mine, and I've known him for about 25 years. As for the hardening process just used a small gas torch until it was red hot and a magnet didn't stick to it anymore and dipped it into canola oil, then test it with a file. The file won't bite into the metal if done right, and only skip off of the surface. Since the stock removal was done with files and stone and sandpaper after hardening it's basically opposite from how it started. Then put the blade in an oven about 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until it's straw colored or golden brown to temper it. That all depends on size, and thickness, and type of metal. I've started a way better job recently. Was a cook, and now working at a packaging plant. I'm going to get set up on a bunch of files, and a Dremel tool and start a few projects on my weekends. After I make sure my other bills and shit are caught up. I have the plans drawn up to do a bunch of daggers modeled after chess pieces, from Pawn to King. Gradually getting more detailed as I advance in that. It'll take a long time to complete, but I think would be a really cool set. And have the occasional side project to not drive myself insane lol. Thanks again guys, Godbless.
    Last edited by arcangel; 03-26-2017 at 03:29 PM.

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