Miniature Damascus Titanium Mokume and Black lipped pearl Knife

gollum

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
994
Location
Brisbane
That is a long title for a small knife like this ...

but hey there is a lot going on in this little knife :)

you can just look at the pics and skim over the story

but I am telling a tale familiar to all knifemakers

Knife making is a journey it is a road of challenges
there are dangers and rewards (LOL) must have had too many nips in my coffee
:eek:


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I posted a really bad pic a few weeks back
but even these next few pics don't show all the colours and overall beauty of the materials used


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pic below
a close up of the texture of the mokume
I made this stuff myself
it is pure silver and pure oxygen free copper (for best results)
its layered and patterened as it is flattened in the forging processes


RIMG1403.jpg

arrgh look at the dirt in there (above) :sick2:


thats just the bolster
then there is the Black lipped pearl shell
this stuff is very hard to work
it can chip and flake when cutting and drilling
only some of the best knives use the really full coloured black lipped pearl shell
the good stuff is dear to buy

... in the guts...
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it is always important to get everything nice and smooth and scratch free
inside and out
that takes time
and while you work it all together there are steps to be taken in the right order or else there will be problems later
the liners shown above are Titanium (6Al4V)
these are pretty hard to cut and shape and at this small size it gets harder again
the liner locking geometry is critical for proper operation
I have stuffed a few knives by sanding just a thousanth too much at this late stage

Also the back spacer is important to get it right so it doesn't touch the blade edge
and support the pins or screws holding everything together

they are another story again
this knife is fully assembled with screws and can be taken back down to individual parts


then there is the blade itself


RIMG1399.jpg


this is the important bit the sharp end

I used Stainless damasteel
it has a tight maidenhair twist pattern
that is done by twisting a billet one way and flattening out and later twisting the opposite way
thus revealing the twists with an extra twist, causing nice 4 point stars along the spine aswell

thats just the raw metal there is
the shaping grinding fitting and sanding polishing etching
cryogenic heat treatment is next
a full soak in about 1700 celcius
then quenched and tempered in liquid nitrogen
then its back to ...re sanding re etching re polishing and re fitting (phew)

so in the end ...
after fitting everything together a few times
there is also the consideration of the finished piece


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does it come together ok

this is always a dilemma for the custom maker

pics really don't do a custom knife justice
even the best pics can't compare to holding it in your hand


I have held many knives before
some of them really speak to you

they bring out a magical aura ,unexplainable
until you feel the energy of it

I think a lot of collectors are people who get that rush when a good knife is in their hand

this one does it for me

even if it is only 2" long

it still has a power

it is easy to open
it is also very sharp
it can cut easily
it should last a life time
being made from all the best materials
I believe it will

I made it as a challenge
I really like it and I don't really want to sell it
but a good friend and talented knifemaker once told me

always sell them
it is what you do and you can make another one


So thanks for looking
feel free to ramble on a bit like i did

and cashed up millionaires ....please send applications by P/M
:)


 

Essexman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
1,192
Location
U.K.
Wow Gollum, that's very nice indeed!! If I win the lotto I'll contact you.

BTW I read all the text, makes a good read. It's nice to hear first hand from the maker how it all feels making the knife from start to finish.

Talk soon
 

gollum

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
994
Location
Brisbane
cheers for that Essexman

I'll have to get into the slipjoint I'm making
I have a few knives getting close to completion
 

gollum

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
994
Location
Brisbane
Cheers Learnin

I am making a few other knives at the moment
I will post more pics here in custom forge soon

cheers Jason
 

gollum

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
994
Location
Brisbane
here is a little gem
blade is ladder pattern carbon damascus
nice tri colour mokume
kydex sheath for neck carry

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these very close pics try to show the great texture mokume can get
and the light playing on it reveals the different layers aswell
something that can't be captured with pics.

thanks for looking Jason
 

gollum

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
994
Location
Brisbane
Well,I've held on to this beautiful Black pearl knife for a few months now

it is time to post it up for sale in the custom knives section at the Marketplace
I don't advertise anywhere else as I hate to spend time at a keyboard

so please check in here or salesthread in custom section
thanks Jason
 

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