Hi folks. I just recently picked up an old Bear 45# recurve bow and have become very interested in making my own bows, arrows, etc. I've always been into outdoor life, hunting, fishing, survival. My dad saw Primitive Archer on the newsstand and got me a copy. I'm now subscribed and love it. I don't get much hunting time in right now, but I'm hoping to change that.
Anyway, I've been toying around with blacksmithing, and knife making in particular. Here is a small hunter / skinner I just finished yesterday. I know it looks a little rough, that was the intention. If it was for sale or a gift I'd polish the heck out of it and make it look like chrome, but I made this for me to use. I messed up just a little on the file work on the spine. I was tired and kept working when I should have put it down for the night, but it looks ok for a knife that's going to be used.
It's around 8" overall with approximately 4" of cutting edge to the blade. It's made from an old mower blade off of a tractor, so it's pretty thick. 7/32" to be exact. I heat treated it and quenched it in oil. It seems pretty tough, and seems like it will hold an edge after the testing I've done so far. I'm going to abuse it and see what happens, so I can learn to make the next one even better. I didn't bother with a nice handle, and just wrapped this one with 2 layers of desert camo paracord. I'll make a sheath for it next. I saw a couple of videos of people making sheaths out of PVC pipe by heating and shaping it, and I want to try that.
Anyway, here it is.
Matt
