Crosscut Saw Skinner

[Frankallen]

Here is a Skinner, I made out of a Crosscut saw blade. I kept the blade cool with water while I cut it out with a side grinder. I then convex ground and convex sharpened the blade. The scales are out of black Walnut......

I am going to make another and this time I will heat treat and temper and see if I can tell the difference between the two. Hope y'all like it as much as I did making it!

Frank

[Ray Rogers]

Not bad, Frank! You should be able to tell the difference if you heat treat the next one if you test the blade thoroughly enough. Crosscut saw steel could be pretty good steel but carry the test one step further: buy a piece of good blade steel like 1084 or 1095 and make another. Compare that to the first two.

You should find that the ones you heat treated will hold their edge longer. Next step: grind or file some primary bevels on the next blade, heat treat, and compare to the first ones. You should see a significant difference in the way the blade slices into whatever you are cutting....

[Frankallen]

After reading Ray's post.....I decided to do a test with this knife today(yea I know I need a Life ) so I got cardboard and commenced a cutting. I cut 170 pieces then checked the knife and it still would slice printer paper and then checked it on my arm and it would still shave hair. I guess I kept the blade cool enough when I cut the blank out. I am tickled over it!

Frank

[PJ234]

That's a very cool looking knife, Frank. What are the dimensions?

[Frankallen]

Originally Posted by PJ234

That's a very cool looking knife, Frank. What are the dimensions?

Knife Stats:

Steel.....Crosscut saw metal maybe about 3/32" thick

Blade Length.....4"

Overall Length.....8"

Widest Part of Blade..... 1 3/4"

Scales.....Black Walnut

Pins..... 1/8" brass pins

Frank

[Ray Rogers]

Hey, most of us think playing with knives is a life!

Yes, sounds like you kept it cool enough. Now, continue with the testing as stated above. After all, if you can't get better performance than that (which is already good) by doing your own heat treating then we wouldn't bother making our own knives ....

[dbalfa]

Frank, anyone ever explain the brass rod test to you? It looks like this knife probably has a pretty heavy edge so it might not be the final word- but- if it fails the brass rod, it won't last long under heavy use (chopping bones, etc).

Brass Rod Test: deflect the edge under magnification on a brass rod firmly held in vise at apx 45deg downward angle. Watch the dimple run the length of the edge- if it cracks- too hard, if it permanantly dimples- too soft. If it runs and returns to original edge- just right! Knives I have made that pass this test will run through the sternum of a whitetail, cape it, skin it, butcher it and when all done, will still cut the #@$% out of you! (believe me)

good lookin' knife BTW

[Frankallen]

Thanks Dennis, but I do the brass rod test on all my Knives! No, this Knife does not have a heavy Edge. The stock from the saw blade is only about 3/32" thick. My knives have also field dressed deer with no problems and stay sharp..

Frank